Oil marks and tyre scuffs on a driveway
Vehicle stains behave differently to general grime. Oil soaks into the body of a block or into open concrete rather than sitting on top of it, so surface washing lightens it without removing it.
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Monday to Saturday, 8am – 7pm
- Treat the stain before washing, not after
- Expect lightening rather than removal on old oil
- Wash the whole surface so the tone stays even
Why the mark comes back after washing
Once oil is in the pore structure, washing takes the surface layer and leaves the rest. As the surface dries and traffic warms it, the remaining oil migrates back up and the shadow reappears, usually within days.
What actually shifts it
A degreasing pre-treatment with dwell time lifts oil out of the pores before the surface is washed. Depth of staining decides how much comes back out. Old, heavy contamination often lightens substantially rather than disappearing.
The rest of the drive matters too
Cleaning only the stained patch leaves a bright square on a weathered drive, which can look worse than the stain. Washing the whole surface evens the tone, and on block paving the joints get re-sanded afterwards.
Common questions
- Will the drive look patchy afterwards?
- Not if the whole surface is washed. Spot cleaning is what causes patchiness.
- Do block paving joints need re-sanding?
- Yes, kiln-dried sand goes back into the joints once the surface is dry enough to take it.
- Can you do concrete and tarmac too?
- Concrete yes. Tarmac is washed at much lower pressure because the binder is softer.
Services involved
Similar situations
Photograph the stained area and the whole drive and we will price the pre-treatment and full wash together.
Get a written quote