Effective ways to remove oil stains from asphalt

Asphalt pavement consists of sand, crushed stone and bitumen. These materials form a fairly porous coating that absorbs many types of contaminants, including oil.

To remove oil stains, you will need special chemicals or time-tested folk recipes.

We will tell you more about how to remove oil stains from asphalt below.

Choosing a method for removing contaminants

Most often, oil stains on asphalt are left by technical oils at service stations and in vehicle parking lots. Edible oils spilled on asphalt surfaces can also create a problem. Such stains can be very difficult to remove. The choice of stain removal method depends on the extent of the contamination and the type of oil.

The need to remove contaminants is explained by the following factors:

• evaporation of technical fluids is harmful to the environment and health;
• the coating loses its aesthetic appeal;
• coating characteristics deteriorate;
• a large amount of oil waste affects the fire hazard, since oil is a flammable material.

Basic elimination methods oil stains:

1. Chemical.
2. Mechanical.
3. A combination of mechanical and chemical.

How to remove using improvised means?

Using the tools that are at hand, it is possible to clean asphalt quickly and efficiently. Dry cleaning and rinsing can be used for this.

Sand and sawdust

If the stain has just appeared on the asphalt and has not yet had time to be absorbed, you need to act quickly. Oil the footprint must be immediately covered with sand. The filler will absorb most of the fat.

If a lot of oil has been spilled, you may need to remove the soiled sand several times and pour new sand onto the stain. This will improve the quality of processing. After this, it will be much easier to deal with the remaining mark.

The disadvantage of this method is that there is no 100% solution to the problem., since the oil trace during such cleaning will still remain on the asphalt. To completely eliminate oil marks, you will have to use additional folk recipes or professional chemicals. Instead of sand, you can use sawdust and even dry cement.

Mechanical cleaning plus washing

Using a durable metal scraper, brush and shovel, you can try to remove the dirt. This method is effective only as long as the oil is on the surface in a liquid state. After removing the grease, the asphalt is washed with water.

To clean a stained area You can use medium-grit sandpaper. The use of fat-soluble products will help complement the cleansing. In addition to manual rubbing, grinding machines can be used.

This method has disadvantages - damage to the top layer of coating and high labor intensity of cleaning.

Chemical exposure: laundry detergent and bleach

Having removed the bulk of the oil, you can begin to remove the stain itself. The following composition gives a good cleansing effect:

• washing powder (1 liter);
• water (3 liters);
• bleach (1 liter).

If oil stains are left by food and have an organic basis, then even dishwashing gel will help. It gives especially good results while the stains are fresh. If the stain is not completely removed the first time, the treatment process is repeated.

How to remove traces with special preparations?

The chemical industry provides the market with special products that are designed for high-quality cleaning of asphalt and concrete. Such drugs are produced by a large number of manufacturers and have an effective effect.

Special washes designed to remove machine oil are used as follows:

1. The drug is applied to the stain using a brush or spray method.
2. Leave the product on the asphalt for sufficient time until the reaction takes place.
3. Rinse the treated area with plenty of water.

Advantages of using ready-made mixtures for processing:

• ease of use;
• economical consumption;
• minimal preparation required before application;
• preparations are adapted for application on asphalt;
• the products are able to penetrate deep layers of the coating;
• high efficiency;
• provide the ability to eliminate even old stains.

DOCKER MAZBIT TURBO

The drug is intended to eliminate oil deposits, including old ones. It is based on organic substances and alkalis.

There are two ways to apply the solvent:

1. Using a high pressure apparatus. In this case, the product is sprayed onto the contamination and left to act for 10 minutes.
2. Using a brush (sponge), the drug is distributed along the oil trail and kept on the surface for 10 minutes.

After the reaction has passed, the cleaning composition is washed off with plenty of water. When applying the solution, it is important to use personal protective equipment - gloves and safety glasses. DOCKER can be used on asphalt, paving slabs and concrete. The price of the drug is about 2,800 rubles per 5 liters.

Neat Trans-Pol

Trans-Pol is a concentrate designed to remove old oil and oil stains. The drug requires preliminary dilution in water before application..

The exposure time of the cleaning composition is 5 minutes. After the reaction is complete, rinsing is necessary. Available in 5 l, 20 and 200 l containers.

• billboards,
• paving stones,
• roofs,
• bridges and other buildings.

Road cleaner from TM Chistyulya is diluted with water in various concentrations, taking into account the degree of pollution. Price - about 600 rubles for 5 liters of concentrate.

Nika-4

Industrial product Nika-4 is a concentrate for subsequent dilution in water. The drug shows high efficiency in removing complex contaminants, including:

• technical oils,
• oil,
• paraffin, etc.

Price for 1 liter – about 270 rubles.

12 recommendations to help

When removing oil from asphalt The following tips should be considered:

1. When choosing an asphalt cleaning agent, preference should be given to drugs that can break down fat.
2. Fresh stains are easier to deal with than old ones.
3. Any chemical to remove traces of grease from asphalt should be used strictly according to the instructions.
4. Oil traces are not washed off with ordinary water.
5. If possible, then to quickly collect oil from the coating, it is better to use not ordinary sand, but with the addition of talc - it absorbs oil better.
6. Only special chemicals will help remove stubborn dried stains.
7. Intense mechanical impact on a stained area of ​​asphalt can damage the coating itself.
8. If a large area has been damaged by oil, then it is advisable to purchase a large container of a special product to clean the asphalt.
9. For processing large areas (parking lots, gas stations, production workshops, etc.), the use of improvised means has low efficiency and requires significant labor costs.
10. Regular oil leaks in the same area make the stain difficult to remove. Pollution must be removed in a timely manner.
11. Excessively intense mechanical impact can not only damage the asphalt surface, but also lead to the need to repair the road surface on the site.
12. All work with chemicals must be carried out with gloves and a respirator.

Video on the topic of the article

This video will show you how to remove an oil stain from asphalt:

Conclusion

Removing oil stains from asphalt is a completely solvable task. It is easiest to deal with it when the marks have not had time to absorb and dry out. But even in advanced cases, asphalt can be cleaned using improvised means and professional chemicals.