Asphalt Paving Blog

Asphalt Maintenance Tips - Removing Mulch and Oil Stains

Summer means more than just fun in the sun. It's a time for landscaping and gardening, which means laying down mulch. Now, what does this have to do with asphalt and paving?

mulch stain on drivewayUsing colored mulch can leave stains on your driveway or parking lot. Once you notice the stain from the mulch, you may begin noticing other stains from oil and grease. To keep your driveway looking clean and fresh, here are some tips on removing those stains.

How To Remove Mulch Stains

With a colored stain, the cleaning process is simpler than cleaning an oil stain. The stain will wear away over time but for immediate results, follow these simple steps:

  1. Rinse the surface with water but do not power wash the stain because the high pressure can drive the stain deeper into the pavement.
  2. Apply soap or vinegar to the surface and scrub the soap into the surface with a brush using circular motions.
  3. Rinse the soap and dye away using a low pressure rinse.If the stain still persists:
  4. Mix 2 capfuls of bleach into 2 gallons of warm water. Scrub the bleach solution into the stain using the small circular motions again. Completely cover the stain with the bleach and allow it to sit for 30 minutes.
  5. Wash away the bleach solution using a low pressure rinse.

How To Avoid Mulch Stains

Watch the weather. If there is rain in the forecast, hold off on having the mulch delivered till dry weather comes. Rain makes the dye on the mulch bleed onto the pavement.

How To Remove Oil Stains

There are a few different options for removing an oil stain from your asphalt pavement:
 
  • If dealing with a stain that still has excess oil on the surface, blot up the oil as best as possible. This can be easily done by sprinkling kitty litter over the entire stain and allowing the oil to soak into the kitty litter. When the excess oil is soaked up, the litter can be swept up and thrown away.

  • To remove the stain, the most popular method is using Tri-Sodium Phosphate (TSP). Create a paste using TSP and water to desired thickness. Scrub the paste onto the stain using a long brush. Allow the paste to sit for thirty minutes and then rinse it off with water.

  • Using commercial degreasers can be effective as well. Avoid using degreaser with solvents, it will only hurt the driveway more. Follow the directions on the bottle and scrub the degreaser into the stain to break down the oil and rinse it off with water.

For further information about asphalt maintenance, contact the paving experts at Wolf Paving.

Asphalt Maintenance TipsCheck out one of our maintenance checklists to help you evaluate your asphalt pavement:

Wolf Paving, an asphalt manufacturer and asphalt paving contractor has been proudly serving the greater Milwaukee and Madison area since 1941. If you’re interested in talking more about asphalt solutions please contact us or feel free to reach out to our Oconomowoc office at 262-965-2121 or our Sun Prairie office at 608-249-7931.

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Topics: Asphalt Driveway, Removing Oil Stains, Residential Paving, Driveway Maintenance