Best way to clean a diesel engine oil leak on an aggregate driveway.

[Driveway Woes]

Please help! My diesel truck leaked oil on the driveway of my new house. The driveway has stones mixed in with concrete on the surface and it's been sealed.

I took some paper towels right away to it to blot out the leak, but the discoloration is still there. I'm told I can hire someone to try to get that out, but I thought I'd try to clean it myself first.

Can someone please recommend some cleaning solutions I can try on it? I've been told Spray Nine and even some brake cleaner with newspaper. Is there a surefire method of getting something like out on a driveway like this? TIA!

[Driveway Woes]

Wow, thanks so much for your quick reply. But sorry for seeming so ignorant, but is this cement manufactured by a company called Portland or is this a type of cement people referred to as? Thanks again.

[Driveway Woes]

DOH. A quick wiki gave me the answer. Thanks again for suck a quick reply and will try to pick some up.

[The Daring Dufas]

I've used a dried clay granule product known as "oil dry" it's about the same thing as kitty litter and I've used them interchangeably. You cover the area with a layer of the stuff and you can grind it in with your foot or stiff bristle push broom, let it sit overnight, sweep or vacuum it up and reapply until the oil is soaked up. It works best when kept dry and the driveway is dry, it's very absorbent and can be used for all sorts of spills, especially if some sort of petroleum product is involved. Some folks even leave a layer under their car in their garage.

TDD

[Soundhaspriority]

I usually go over to Lowes and get a couple Mexicans to do it.

Bob Morein [phone]

[Oren]

Well, ain't that about stupid?!

Cat litter, turn on Chubby Checker and do the Twist.

How much oil do you spill that needs "a couple" people for clean up immediately..

[DD_BobK]

Powdered laundry detergent like Tide....work about 1/2 with a minimal amount of water into a soupy paste on the strain with a stiff push broom. Work the stain well, the paste will turn brown / gray and hose off. Repeat a couple times should take nearly all of the stain away.

cheers Bob

[Doug Miller]

It is *exactly* the same thing as kitty litter, except it's more expensive. Stop buying Oil-Dri, and get the cheapest generic kitty litter you can find. Works just as well, for one-third the price.

[The Daring Dufas]

I buy the kitty litter when I need an oil soaker upper for that reason and because I really don't need 50 to 100lbs of the stuff at a time. Sometimes I can drop by a friends garage and he'll give me a scoop out of the big bag.

TDD

[clare]

Just don't get the clumping stuff - it HAS to be the old clay stuff.

[clare]

Again, yes, it works - but on a sealed exposed agregate driveway it definitely would not be my first choice. Get it wet and you need a chisel to remove it.

[DanG]

Dry Portland cement. Cover the area when you know it will be dry. Sweep it up the next day and reapply. A day or two should have it all absorbed.

[DanG]

Google for Portland cement. Historical reference is NOT in Oregon. It is in Great Britain and is noted as source for a gray building stone.

[Steve Barker]

try good old oil dry, (not cat litter). grind it out fine with your shoe and leave it on there. Tide laundry detergent works sometimes also. put it on dry and grind it in with your foot.

Sun and time will be the best. That carbon soot is hard to get off ANYthing.

PS. You'll be hard pressed to get that truck to not ever leak a drop. you'd be best to find a mat for under it, or a place off the driveway.

[Tony]

Would you believe I used some steel filings from a machine shop to purposely stain some concrete? I hate bright new concrete.