What do you do when you’ve had your beautiful asphalt driveway laid and then you stain it with oil or a chemical? Don’t despair! We have 7 trade secrets using stuff you can find at home to help you wash that stain away.

If left to saturate into the surface, over time an oil stain will soften the asphalt. The chemicals interact with the petroleum in the binder, initiating processes that cause it to deteriorate. This corrosion will lead to potholes as the asphalt breaks down.

Use these tricks to stop the deterioration before it starts.

1. Clean up as much of the stain as you can. Be careful not to spread it further or push it further into the surface. Don’t use a high pressure hose as it will push the stain into the asphalt!
2. Kitty Litter: Take a clay based cat litter and pile it over the stain. Stomp down on the litter so that it infiltrates the asphalt surface. Leave overnight and then sweep away the next day followed by a spray with the garden hose.
3. Baking Soda: Pour baking soda over the stain and let it sit for an hour. Take a stiff bristle brush and using a circular pattern, work the baking soda deeper into the asphalt. Poor water over the baking soda and keep scrubbing the stain. Finally use a garden hose to clean the baking soda from the surface.

4. Dish Detergent: A little bit of manual work never hurt anyone! Water with some dish detergent and a lot of elbow grease with a stiff bristled brush can do wonders. Make sure you put the detergent on the stain before using the brush to emulsify it.  Laundry Detergent: Repeat the same process as for baking soda.

5. No Solvents! Don’t use chemicals, solvents or anything that contains citrus on your driveway to remove stains. These products will be as detrimental as the initial oil spill on your asphalt. They will damage the binder, eroding it from the other components that make up the asphalt.

6 Sealcoating: You can protect your asphalt from the damaging effects of oil and other spills by sealcoating the surface and maintaining this every 3 to 4 years. If any spills occur before the first sealcoat is laid, or if the sealcoat has worn away, they need to be removed before a new sealcoat goes down. If they aren’t, the oil will work its way back to the surface. Laying a sealcoat can be a hot and messy job. Be easy on yourself and Contact APM To Sealcoat it for you.

Accidents can happen, and sometimes through no fault of your own. With these handy tips up your sleeve, you can banish ugly stains from your beautiful asphalt surface forever.

                           If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of asphalt paving, request an estimate or call (617) 852-0897 TODAY!