Tips to Remove Oil Stains from Your Commercial Asphalt Parking Lot

Maintenance for Oil Stain on Asphalt
Oil Stain on Asphalt

Oil stain removal is a common problem that many commercial property owners have had to deal with at one point or another. Considering vehicles are constantly driving and parking on your property, the chances of incurring at least a few oil stains is high. The sooner you remove oil stains, the better because this will prevent them from setting and penetrating the surface of your asphalt pavement. There are a few effective oil stain removal treatment steps you can take to prevent that from happening.

Sweep Your Pavement Thoroughly

First and foremost, you need to sweep your pavement and make sure that all excess debris, loose rocks, leaves, sticks, and dirt are all completely removed. Fresh oil spills can be very sticky and having these items sticking to your pavement can make the removal process that much harder to handle.

Wipe Up Excess Oil or Grease with a Rag

If the oil spill is still fresh, then use a rag to wipe up and absorb as much of the liquid as possible before it has a chance to set. This will make the cleanup process significantly easier. The less oil there is to remove, the easier it’ll be to get your asphalt pavement looking like brand new again. If you don’t have a rag on hand, then a few sheets of a high-absorbency paper towel will also do the trick. Just be sure to replace the paper towel as soon as it soaks through.

Emulsify the Oil with Household Products

After you’ve removed as much of the oil as possible through the wiping process, you’ll need to emulsify it immediately. Emulsifying the remaining oil prevents it from permanently adhering to the asphalt pavement, making removal a lot easier. You can use a number of DIY methods involving simple everyday household items to emulsify or loosen the oil stain and prevent it from hardening.

  1. Dish soap and water. Spraying a mixture of dish soap and warm water directly onto the oil stain will keep it moist and prevent it from drying out. Grab a sponge and scrub as your asphalt pavement depends on it to get that stubborn oil stain out.
  2. Pour some kitty litter on it. Use clay-based kitty litter to absorb the oil stain. Compact it nice and tight to make sure every last part of the oil stain is covered and leave it like that overnight for best results. The next morning sweep away the kitty litter and hose down the area. The oil stain should be completely gone.
  3. Warm water and powdered laundry detergent. Pour a mixture of powdered laundry detergent and warm water on the oil stain. Let it sit for a few seconds and then start vigorously scrubbing the spot with the rough side of a sponge until it’s completely clean.

These are just a few simple solutions to get rid of a few fresh oil stains. If you’ve had a stubborn and unsightly oil stain plaguing your commercial asphalt parking lot, call on the paving experts at Sure-Seal Pavement Maintenance Inc. to take care of it for you. Contact us to schedule your free consultation today!