Get Rid of Driveway Oil Stains Using Household Items

Oil stains: the bane of any car owner's existence. Even a slow leak can leave your driveway looking like the floor of a 1930s body shop. Whether you're a tenant or a homeowner, keeping your driveway clear of stains should be on your to-do list. The good news is it's not that hard—all you need is an absorbent chemical that can take in the oil without damaging your cement.

Believe it or not, you've got the perfect cleaning supplies lying around your house right now. Here are 3 of them!

Use Kitty Litter for Scrub-Less Cleaning

If you have a clay-based kitty litter lying around, pour a small mound of it on the oil stain. Crush it underfoot to help kick-start the oil absorption, and leave it out overnight. After 24 hours or so, sweep up the kitty litter and hose down the area. The stain should be largely gone, at which point you can a.) reapply more kitty litter, or b.) use the other methods mentioned on this page.

Pour Some Coca Cola On It

Yeah, for real. Yumi Sakugawa at WonderHowTo recommends pouring a can of Coke onto the grease stain and leaving it overnight. After a few hours of eating through the oil, it should clear away most of the stain…and maybe make you think twice about drinking Coke ever again.

If you have a driveway with a slope, you might want to consider the kitty litter or the next method…

Scrub Some Baking Soda Into It

Similar to the kitty litter, baking soda acts as an absorbent to suck the oil into the cleaning material. However, this one benefits from a bit of elbow grease. Pour a layer of baking soda onto the greasy cement and pour a tiny bit of water on it. Mix the mixture so the baking soda is slightly wet and ready to be lathered up. Using an old toothbrush, scrubber, or any brush with a handle, scrub it until the grease stain starts to lighten.

After thoroughly scrubbing, hose down the area and reapply fresh baking soda. Repeat until the grease stain is as clean as possible.

(Then maybe add some Coke to it—just for good measure).