Oil leak on drive

recommendations

You may effect a small improvement with industrial detergent and a pressure washer but if it has soaked in and was black from carbon in the oil it is there for life. Lift the affected blocks, and lay them the other way up.

AWEM

|!Some one has parked a car no my drive and oil has leaked on it . The |!drive is a block paving type of brick. I have tried power spraying and |!washing up liquid but stains are still noticeable. What recommendations |!does anyone have who has got rid of oil stains on drives. Thanks in |!anticipation of any answers.

Gunk

There may be some blocks that this would work with, but many of them have chamfers on the top edges and / or spacer ridges on their side and end faces, so they either won't fit back in or will look very odd if they do.

Buy a Range Rover - soon there'll be so much oil on your drive you won't notice the original spots.

I'll second that, I fitted a faulty oil filter and it left a trail an 1.5" wide and 10' long on my block paving. Douse with Gunk leave for 15 minutes and hose off. May need doing twice. Mine has nearly gone :-) certainly not bad enough to even consider replacing blocks!

Peter

Seconded !

Which one? The petroleum based engine degreaser or the hydroxide based drive cleaner?

|!On 2007-05-05 18:28:08 +0100, Dave Fawthrop |! said: |! |!> On Sat, 5 May 2007 17:33:37 +0100, "beachlife" |!> wrote: |!> |!> |!Some one has parked a car no my drive and oil has leaked on it . The |!> |!drive is a block paving type of brick. I have tried power spraying and |!> |!washing up liquid but stains are still noticeable. What recommendations |!> |!does anyone have who has got rid of oil stains on drives. Thanks in |!> |!anticipation of any answers. |!> |!> Gunk |! |!Which one? The petroleum based engine degreaser or the hydroxide |!based drive cleaner?

I used the engine degreaser, and it worked fine. Never seen the newer one.

OK. Reason for the question was Google and finding this review of driveway cleaners

e.g. the Swarfega one that reviewed the best, has, according to its MSDS

Tetrapotassium Pyro Phosphate Sodium Dodecylbenzene Sulphonate Monoethanolamine Sodium Xylene Sulphonate Trideceth-6 CI 45410

Well if you want an instant fix spend you cash on the propritary cleaners but I'd be a bit cautious of those containing acids or other powerful chemicals incase they attacked the blocks or the dye in them...

Much cheaper is to work in neat washing up liquid with a stiff brush and leave it for the weather and nature to remove. May need a couple of applications but it will lift and wash away in the rain over a few weeks.

The other thing that strikes me is why worry? Vehicles leak, always have done, always will. Having said that my previous car only dropped oil when the oil pressure switch developed a leak. Must be an age thing, modern cars don't leak so people perceptions have changed. Current car is a Land Rover and that only leaks from the rocker cover gasket (replaced twice...).

|!On 2007-05-06 07:25:34 +0100, Dave Fawthrop |! said: |! |!> On Sun, 6 May 2007 00:00:02 +0100, Andy Hall wrote: |!> |!> |!On 2007-05-05 18:28:08 +0100, Dave Fawthrop |!> |! said: |!> |! |!> |!> On Sat, 5 May 2007 17:33:37 +0100, "beachlife" |!> |!> wrote: |!> |!>

|!> |!> |!Some one has parked a car no my drive and oil has leaked on it . The |!> |!> |!drive is a block paving type of brick. I have tried power spraying and |!> |!> |!washing up liquid but stains are still noticeable. What recommendations |!> |!> |!does anyone have who has got rid of oil stains on drives. Thanks in |!> |!> |!anticipation of any answers. |!> |!>

|!> |!> Gunk |!> |! |!> |!Which one? The petroleum based engine degreaser or the hydroxide |!> |!based drive cleaner? |!> |!> I used the engine degreaser, and it worked fine. Never seen the newer one. |! |!OK. Reason for the question was Google and finding this review of |!driveway cleaners |! |!

I am a great fan of green Swarfega jelly, for removing *all* types of grease, I always have some in stock. Never thought of using it on drives though. Might well work.

I used boiling caustic soda. Didnt get rid of it entirely, but ended up hardly noticeable.

NT

Another NaOH thread?

Actually it seems to be KOH.....

Bugger - is that the same stuff I used to clean my hands with years ago?

We'll have to wait & see wether thats a yes or a naoh. Someone will probably say 'of caustic is.'

NT

I wouldn't worry excessively - the sulphonates are all detergents (my final year project involved determining the evironmental degredation routes of sulphonates) and the phosphate is there to provide a appropriate pH/ionic environment for the sulphonates.

Not sure why the ethanolamine is there, though. I wouldn't get that on your skin or in your eyes!

So, no, it isn't the same stuff!!

No not at all. That lovely green gooey stuff that is among the list of all time favourite engineering smells along with cutting oil and Trefolex is still alive and doing well. This drive cleaner is a different one from Deb, the same manufacturer

What a base remark...