The most ideal way in cleaning an aggregate driveways from oil spills is to quickly clean it before the oil starts to penetrate deep down the surface. Cleaning an oil spot may cause a headache especially if you’re a busy man. However, there are easy steps in cleaning oil spot present in an aggregate driveway with materials easy to obtain and are mostly present at home.
The things that you will need are baking soda, fine grain, or sand, liquid dishwashing soap, wire brush hose with sprayer attachment, and old cloths/rags. Here are the steps:
- A wet oil spill is easier to clean because it still hasn’t completely sucked into the porous surface. It is good if you still catch it wet as you will not need any expensive professional cleaner solutions and won’t have to spend a lot of money on it. Unfortunately, you will need professional grade cleaner if the oil spills are already hard to get rid.
- Get the fine sand and mix it with a baking soda (at least 1 box of baking soda). Merge it altogether and carefully spread it over the surface with oil spill. Allow the mixture to absorb the oil spot for 1 to 2 hours. The mixed baking soda and the fine sand or grain helps in sucking the oil out from the aggregate driveway. It will then turn into a dark brown color.
- Make sure that the mixture effectively absorbs the spill. This time, you will need a hose spray. Get the spray and pour several drops of liquid soap into it with 1 galloon of water preferably warm water. Stir it well and gradually pour it into the spilled area.
- Using a wire brush, gently scrub the surface using a light circular motion. Avoid harsh scrubbing as it may damage some of the stones. Dip the wire brush with the mixed cleaning solution (liquid soap and water). Continue the gentle scrubbing motion until the water is removed and apply the hose to spray the area thoroughly.
- For the final touch, utilize an old cloth or old rag and wipe the surface with light pressure. If there are still oils or stain present on the area, you can purchase cleaning solutions intended for oil spills.
There are numerous chemical solutions found in the market. But before purchasing any cleaning solution, make sure to read the manufacturer’s instruction because some cleaning solutions contain strong chemicals. Also, be extra careful with using some bleaching products because it may damage the surface and leaves a light spot which is not ideal to look at. Some people might suggest pouring coke into the surface with oil spill but this is not a very effective approach. It is only good to use coke if the spill is still fresh. Allow the coke to soak for several minutes and brush it off with a wire brush.
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