Cleaning Concrete Driveways

 

DARREN: Well, what I have is a concrete driveway that has some older oil stains on it. I’ve tried some household products like Simple Green and Ultra Dawn to try and clean the stains away but I’m still left with these shadowy, black marks. How do I get rid of them?

 

TOM: Well, first of all, are the oil-dripping cars all – have they all been removed? (Leslie and Darren chuckle)

 

DARREN: Well, they have been removed.

 

TOM: Alright, good thing.

 

LESLIE: Very good.

 

TOM: Have you tried TSP?

 

LESLIE: Trisodium phosphate?

 

TOM: Yeah, that’s …

 

DARREN: No, I have not tried the old standby, TSP.

 

TOM: I would try the old standby. It’s pretty effective. I would pick up some TSP and then usually you’ll find that, surprisingly enough, in the paint aisle of most home centers and hardware stores.

 

LESLIE: Well, I mean come on, you’re painting; you’re bound to spill something and make a mess.

 

TOM: Yeah, exactly, and that’s a pretty industrial-strength cleaning formula. And what we like to suggest, Darren, is that you mix it up into sort of like a loose paste and then apply it to the stained area. Let it sit for a good 10 or 15 or 20 minutes and then scrub it clean. And it does tend to do a pretty good job of lifting out those oil stains. Now, if they’re really, really old and it’s really, really stained, it’s not going to perform miracles but it will lighten it up quite a bit.

 

DARREN: Very good. That’s a great idea. Now, do I have to be careful about the TSP solution, once I’m rinsing it off with a hose, getting into the lawn and killing the lawn?

 

TOM: You’re going to put so much water on that that it’s going to be pretty diluted.

 

LESLIE: (overlapping voices) Dilute it so much.

 

TOM: Yeah. You know, I wouldn’t wash it towards my prize rose bushes but (Darren chuckles), you know, if you’re just generally careful with it and use plenty of water to rinse it off; plus, you’re only applying into these sort of very concentrated, patchy areas. I don’t think you’re going to have an issue.

 

DARREN: Right. Great. Thanks for the answer, guys. I love your show.

 

TOM: You’re welcome, Darren. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.