Removing oil & car fluids from blacktop
JerBear
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
Now that the new vehicles are sitting in the driveway, I want to deal with the huge spots and slicks of oil etc the old ones left behind. What is the solution? I heard that phosphates like Soilax worked (sort of) but am really in the dark about this.
Replies
Ive had OK results with Liquid "Tide". Pour it on, Let it sit a min or so, maybe brush it some, hose it off. Works better on concrete. Blacktop/Asphalt is pretty tricky cause it's basically oil mixed with dirt so the oil drips act like touching up paint.
The problem is that any petroleum product that lands on an asphalt-based surface will, to a degree, incorporate itself into the surface in fairly short order. You can remove the surface oil, but the actual composition of the surface will have changed.
Dry laundry detergent (sprinkle on, sweep around a bit, let sit several hours, then hose off) is pretty good, or you can check with an auto parts place for some commercial product. (But lots of auto shops use Tide.)
As others said the oil is kind of incorporated into the blacktop.
Have you try TSP? Engine degreaser and carburator cleaning fluid work well on concrete, don't know about asphalt though.
Gunk driveway cleaner.
replace the asphalt
Pergo.
diesel fuel
Flame thrower.
yeah yeah, I was in HD today, and turns out they make a product for this very thing. Try it tomorrow. I'll let you know.