Asphalt stains are annoying and potentially damaging, so today we’re teaching you how to tackle them.
It is very common for people to lay new mulch during the spring and summer. It is the time they do their landscaping and gardening. When using colored mulch, it could leave stains on your asphalt or concrete driveway. Once the stain is there, it might bring out all the oil and grease stains. Here are some tips to remove asphalt stains and keep it looking fresh and clean.
Removing Mulch Stains
Mulches can come in a variety of different colors; reds, blacks, and browns. With a colored stain, the cleaning process can be much simpler than cleaning an oil stain. The stain can wear away over time, but it will take so much longer. For immediate results there are few things to do.
Rinse the surface
When rinsing the surface make sure not to power wash the surface. The pressure from the power washing can push the stains deep into the pavement and will be much more difficult to remove.
Apply a cleaning product
Applying a soap or vinegar to the surface should clean the stain pretty well. When you are doing this step, make sure to brush in a circular motion. This keeps the cleaning even and smooth.
Rinse the cleaning product
When you start washing the spot, make sure to rinse the soap and dye away with a low pressure rinse. This will prevent from pushing it deeper into the pavement and prevent further coloring. If the stain persists you can rinse with bleach.
Rinse with bleach water
When you rinse the first time, if you still have stains showing you can rinse with a bleach mixture. You can mix two capfuls of bleach with two gallons of warm water. The warm water will help accelerate the cleaning process of the stain. Again, use small circular motions. This will keep the cleaning even and smooth. Completely cover the stain with this mixture. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes. This will allow the bleach to completely saturate the stain. When you do wash off this mixture, make sure to not rinse it into your grass or surrounding vegetation This mixture will completely kill the vegetation.
Wash away the bleach solution
After that mixture sits on the stain for at least 30 minutes. The solution should be washed away in small circular motions with a low pressure rinse. This will remove the stains and leave your driveway clean and fresh looking.
To avoid these stains, watch the weather. If there is rain in the forecast, don’t leave the mulch outside. The dye from the mulch will bleed onto your paved surfaced if rained on.
Removing Oil Stains
Removing oil stains can be tricky. There are a few different options for removing an oil stain from your pavement.
- If there is still oil pooled on the surface, blot up the remaining oil as much as possible. Kitty litter is a very good way to soak it up. By sprinkling litter over the entire stain, this allows the oil to completely soak into the litter. Once the oil is completely soaked up, the litter can be soaked up and thrown away.
- The most popular method of removing stains is using Tri-Sodium Phosphate or TSP. Create a paste using the TSP and water and mixed until you reach a desired thickness. The paste can then be scrubbed onto the stain using a long brush. The paste needs to sit for at least 30 minutes. It can then be rinsed off with water.
- Using degreasers can be effective as well. It is recommended to not use degreasers and solvents together. It will only hurt the pavement even more. Following the directions on the bottle, scrub the degreaser into the stain. This breaks down the oil and rinse it off with water.
