Lewis Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 Due to my Series IIa's rather unique total loss lubrication system it has made a small enormous mess on the drive outside my mums house. Doesnt bother me , but the neighbours have started to complain, and as they take in a lot of my parcels I need to keep them sweet So, can anyone recommend a good cleaner for tarmac that will remove oil stains? I have tried the one from ScrewFix but that made the tarmac go all melty and now it looks even worse . Also I dont have access to a hosepipe or outside tap so a steam cleaner/jet washer is out of the question Thanks Lewis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark90 Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 The problem is that tarmac/bitumen is very much like thick oil so anything that disolves one disolves the other too. Anything I know that cleans oil off disolves tarmac . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
will_warne Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 The problem is that tarmac/bitumen is very much like thick oil so anything that disolves one disolves the other too. Anything I know that cleans oil off disolves tarmac . Best solution is traffic film remover used with a pressure washer. As mark says, bitumen is just a heavier fraction of crude oil (longer hydrocarbon chains) and will start to dissolve if any of the cleaner is left on it. That's why traffic film remover works well as its only there for a short time before the water dissplaces it. My advice, bring over a pressure washer and use a tap adaptor in the house to give you a water supply. It shouldn't take long to clean the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 Get some of the proper granules used in garages for soaking up oil. Then spread on area when DRY and walk in "Scrunching" it with boots on, and leave for 15 mins, then apply more and again "scrunch" it around, then get a stiff brush (NOT a wire brush) and brush away, if you can leave whats left it can often "Pull" the oil out, repeat a couple of times then cover with carpet shampoo work in with some water than hose / gentle pressure wash off. Nige Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jules Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 Petrol gets it most oil stains off Concrete and then wait for the petrol to evaporate. don't put deisel near it or the tarmac will fall apart, Gas oil is used for the cleaning of the plant etc. it will destroy tarmac in no time at all. One of my ladswas selling his house and gave up cleaning stans from his work van off the drive but gave up and black jacked the whole drive which made the tarmac look new for about a month but it got rid of the stains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 If all that fails - chip off a bit of the tarmac and take it to Halfords. Buy several cans of the same colour spray paint. spray area with stains. Blend in around edges - and hay presto - stains gone! I had this with a rented house in London. The landlord didn't want to give me my deposit back because of a bit of a slik on the brand new concrete drive. An hour or so later it was gone! 10 years later, I drove past and although you could see it, it was only because the rest of the drive had changed colour! Also used to good effect after re-spraying a door in the back yard of a different house. there was a nice green door outline on the concrete. Blended it in so it looked like a patch of green algae! Landlord was most confused when his pressure washer just made it stand out more! Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollythelw Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 we had a bit of an Exxon Valdez moment outside a mates house, his neighbours went loopy (understandable) sawdust picked the worst of it up, then a big tub of Swarfega and a yard brush, and then hose down seemed to do the trick pretty well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 http://www.chemaide.co.uk/pdf/gen/chemsolution.pdf Frighteningly expensive and only available in 10l quantities. PM me your address. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted February 9, 2007 Author Share Posted February 9, 2007 Thanks for your suggestions, the mess has had a few 18 months to soak in so i'm not sure sawdust will be moving it, I'll give some of the others a try after the snow has cleared Chris, you have PM Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LS26 Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 I neighbour up the road had a similar problem and was selling the place. Then one night a 'bloke in the pub' who drove a tarmac (small t) wagon said he would drop some off on Saturday for a tenner. The deal was done and the neighbour woke up on Saturday to find a whole wagon-load of steaming tarmac on the road outside his house. The rest of the day was spent 'doing' just about every drive on the street in an effort to get rid of the stuff! Rog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twizzle Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 I now it sounds odd cat litter it will soak up most of it an its cheap TWIZZLE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JST Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 must remember not to rent to Si! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ciderman Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 Have you tried Caustic Soda ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 Washing up liquid well brushed in will also remove oil stains from a driveway. mike FOAK Knickers I can cause trouble in an empty house !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameslwt Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 Mike is right - little bit of fairy liquid in a washing up bowl with warm water and the drive looks like new. Get a scrubing brush on it, then another bowl of fresh water to rinse it away. Washing up liquid well brushed in will also remove oil stains from a driveway.mike FOAK Knickers I can cause trouble in an empty house !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landmannnn Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 First clear any excess oil. Cat litter is ok but cement powder absorbs it best. Now clean it with a strong detergent (fairy liquid/swarfega etc), working it in with a stiff brush. Then plenty of water and more scrubbing. There will still be a mark left but it will gradually disappear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 Napalm does the trick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 i find parking over the stains hides it quite well besides where i used to live there was so much mud on the road you couldnt see the oil stains Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ciderman Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 Get a Gippo around , resurface the whole drive , £ 2K for a bag of coal dust , You want white spar , Broken polo`s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jules Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 Get a Gippo around , resurface the whole drive , £ 2K for a bag of coal dust , You want white spar , Broken polo`s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbeaumont Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 Mike is right - little bit of fairy liquid in a washing up bowl with warm water and the drive looks like new. Get a scrubing brush on it, then another bowl of fresh water to rinse it away. Of the things I've tried (needs doing again - didn't move the rangie for a few months so there's a nice big oil patch where it was ), washing up liquid has been the most successful by far. Tried Gunk drive cleaner (supposed to be okay on tarmac if diluted - which is true, but it also doesn't clean the oil off...), degreaser on bad bits (cleans the oil, but also softens the tarmac). I guess even washing up liquid will be stripping the bitumen out of the tarmac, but it's been okay so far. Pressure washer definitely helps though - I do what Will suggested and use a tap adapter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark green 90 Posted February 9, 2007 Share Posted February 9, 2007 forget the gypos, look for council/utilities contractors near you,bound to be a bit left over for a drink... see barriers - think tarmac. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reads90 Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 Petrolgets it most oil stains off Concrete and then wait for the petrol to evaporate. don't put deisel near it or the tarmac will fall apart, Gas oil is used for the cleaning of the plant etc. it will destroy tarmac in no time at all. One of my ladswas selling his house and gave up cleaning stans from his work van off the drive but gave up and black jacked the whole drive which made the tarmac look new for about a month but it got rid of the stains. Petrol Petrol. There is still a hole in the tarmac from your old Range Rover out side mums old house (the size of a large piza) , where it had a leak in the tank for ages. You Used to just park the car on top of it to hind it and that made it worse And you had that truck when you were 16 - 17 and you are now nearly 30 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reads90 Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 Of the things I've tried (needs doing again - didn't move the rangie for a few months so there's a nice big oil patch where it was ), washing up liquid has been the most successful by far. Tried Gunk drive cleaner (supposed to be okay on tarmac if diluted - which is true, but it also doesn't clean the oil off...), degreaser on bad bits (cleans the oil, but also softens the tarmac). I guess even washing up liquid will be stripping the bitumen out of the tarmac, but it's been okay so far.Pressure washer definitely helps though - I do what Will suggested and use a tap adapter. Ok wait for the Ruff arse. I had this problem . could not get rid of the stain so after a bit of thought i came up with the best solution , and that was to cover the whole area with oil and sweep it around and let soak in . This then made it look the same and therefore like it was mean't to be that colour and not a stain. Worked , never had a problem with a stain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 Ok wait for the Ruff arse. I had this problem . could not get rid of the stain so after a bit of thought i came up with the best solution , and that was to cover the whole area with oil and sweep it around and let soak in . This then made it look the same and therefore like it was mean't to be that colour and not a stain. Worked , never had a problem with a stain brilliant thats even better than just leaving mud over it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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