Finally got those stubborn oil patches off the driveway

My old Land Rover Defender used to leave a massive puddle on my block paving every single night. I tried the cat litter trick, but I actualy found that fine sawdust worked better for pulling the deep oil out if I left it weighted down overnight. I used to rely on Gunk, but I eventually switched to Swarfega Jizer because it seemed to penetrate the porous brickwork a bit better than the cheaper shop brands I found at the local motor factors.

Be careful with those wire brushes on certain surfaces, though. I ended up scratching the finish on my neighbor's driveway trying to help him out last summer. Now I stick to a stiff nylon brush and several rounds of boiling water from the kettle. For the really stubborn shadows, I mix a bit of biological laundry powder—specifically the Ariel or Persil stuff with enzymes—into a thick paste. I spread it over the spot and cover it with a bit of plastic wrap for 24 hours to keep it from drying out. It ussually takes two applications to get the stone looking normal again, but it saves alot of scrubbing. It’s definitely a workout for the lower back, but seeing that dark patch finally fade into the rest of the driveway makes it worth the effort.

I’ve had better luck using a can of WD-40 on my tarmac drive when my old motorbike used to weep. The problem with those heavy industrial degreasers is they can sometimes be too aggressive and actualy strip the bitumen binder out of the tarmac, leaving you with a patch of loose stones. Instead of scrubbing until my arms fell off, I found that spraying the WD-40 directly onto the dry stain and letting it soak for ten or fifteen minutes worked wonders. It breaks down the viscosity of the old oil so it can be lifted more easily. I usually follow that up with a boiling kettle of water and a bit of Fairy liquid. I use a stiff nylon deck brush instead of wire because it’s a bit kinder to the surface. It usually takes two passes, but it saves the driveway from getting pitted or discoloured.

This is all so much more complicated than I thought! I'm a complete novice with car maintenance and I've just noticed a tiny drip on my concrete drive. You mentioned using biological laundry powder with enzymes—does that actually work on really old concrete, or is it just for newer brick? I'm worried about making the stain worse if I use the wrong chemical. Also, where do you even buy Swarfega Jizer? Is that somthing I can get at a normal supermarket or do I need to find a specialist shop?

Quick update—the driveway is finally clear. I was worried about the point regarding stripping the bitumen binder, so I swapped the heavy degreaser for biological laundry powder on the last few shadows. It worked surprisingly well without damaging the stones! Huge relief to have this sorted before my landlord came by. Thanks for the suggestions, they realy helped.