>What works to remove/lessen oil leak stains from asphalt/garages? I guess >I need to carry a drip pan to put underneath the engine when I park in >this squeaky-clean yupster neighborhood.
There are various driveway-cleaning concoctions available in auto parts stores. But they all, in my experience, leave some of the black stain behind-- nothing got them all off, not matter how mightily I wielded the steel wire brush, except... MURIATIC ACID. Now, this stuff is dangerous, make no mistake. It will take the skin off your bones as quickly as it will take oil out of concrete-- and it dissolves the concrete, too. But nothing else eradicates the oils stains, that I have been able to find. My technique: I tried it diluted at first, but wasn't really satisfied. So, I would pour on a small amount, directly onto the oil stain on the concrete. It would turn green and fizz immediately. I let it do that for about five seconds, ground at it hard for about 15 seconds with a stiff plastic acid brush, then flooded it bigtime with the garden hose. This tends to slightly erode the smooth, shiny finish that some concrete driveways and garages have. If you seriously object, then perhaps you will have to live with the stains... Please don't tell the EPA about this-- they'd probably shoot me on sight. Muriatic is available from most hardware stores, as is the acid brush. But BE CAREFUL with it, and have a running garden hose ready at all times. Maybe some baking soda, too. -Steve Maher smaher@gi.com '71 VW Transporter w/trans oil leak
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