Try This WD-40 Hack To Get Oil Spots Off Your Driveway

Many people opt to change their car's engine oil at home — it's not an unfeasibly difficult task and is usually cheaper. However, it can get quite messy. Even if not a result of an oil change, motor oil can stain your driveway if leaks happen, and leave behind streaks of seemingly impossible-to-remove black oil.

Thankfully, you don't need to call in an expert to repair your driveway or to remove the unsightly spots. You probably have a can of WD-40 laying around your home or garage somewhere. If not, it's readily available in most hardware stores and not that expensive — certainly not as much as a whole driveway renovation. WD-40 is a water displacer, and while many people use it in home improvement projects for lubrication or its anti-rust properties, it's actually a pretty powerful cleaner — including, but not limited to, your concrete driveway and its oil spill.

WD-40 is a cheap and accessible way to remove oil stains, as long as you act quickly. First, you'll need to clean up any excess spilled oil. Paper towels are fine for this, but make sure to consult your local laws for motor oil disposal. Once the bulk of the oil is removed from the floor, it's time to work on the stain.

You'll want to very liberally coat the oil stain in WD-40, making sure it's thoroughly soaking into the concrete. Depending on the severity of the spill, let it sit anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes. Keep an eye on it, and if you have children or pets, make sure to keep them inside and away from the stain during this time. Use a disposable towel or rag to firmly rub the WD-40 and the oil should come right up with it, or at least do most of the heavy lifting.

If the oil stain is bad enough, there's a chance the WD-40 may not be enough on its own to completely remove it. Don't worry about doing another round of the product — there are other methods to use in conjunction for a spotless driveway. If there's only a small amount of stain left behind, grab a heavy-duty dish soap — preferably one marketed as a degreaser — and use a wire brush to scrub away at the stain. Use hot or boiling water to wash it away, and repeat until the stain is gone.

If the stain is older and set in, then consider renting or investing in a pressure washer, which will almost certainly blast out the remnants of the oil. If you can't use a pressure washer, a simple but effective method is using kitty litter instead. Pour the litter over the stain and use a heavy stone to grind the litter into the concrete and stain, which should soak up any remnants after roughly 20 minutes.