bar oil spill

[treeman82]

So last week the moron that works for me spilled about a half a gallon of bar oil on an asphalt driveway. We tried to clean it up with napkins, scrub brush, water and dish detergent, but obviously that didn't take care of the problem. My client wants me to come back and clean it up more, I'm going to borrow a friend's pressure washer, but what are some other things I can do to fix this? I know that it takes time for the stain to go away... just trying to expedite as much as possible.

 

[D&B Mack]

How big of a driveway? Had a machine blow a leak all over a driveway, it was easier (and hence cheaper) just to clean and sealcoat.

Some sort of degreaser like purple or even go jo will get most of it off, that's what I use at my house, but you can always see it after the next couple of rains.

 

[treeman82]

It's a pretty big driveway, so sealcoating is out.

 

[jerrycmorrow]

is the drive too big to just coat the rest of it with oil? one of the main constituents in asphalt is hydro carbon (oil) based.

 

[skinnyd]

biozyme. small enzyme detergent that eat the oil away.

 

[bayard]

driveway

i do about 25 oil spill jobs on driveways a year.powdered laundry soap and some water on the spill mix it up into a paste.blast it with a power washer and repeat. this will help.but 9 out of 10 times you will need to seal coat.k

 

[dts99]

get this i had a full gal go thru my chipper it was comeing out of everything leaking on the driveway, we used dawn and a push broom to scrub it , cant even tell, but we got it right away

 

[Illini_tree]

On my volunteer fire department, we use a product called fire aid 2000, to clean up fuel and oil spills resulting from wrecks on concrete and asphalt. Mix it at 3% with water and spray it on. Let it set 20 minutes, then scrub with a clean broom and rinse. No more spot. Works on old stains too.

 

[squad143]

I used to do driveway sealing. Any oil stain and the coating would not adhere properly.

I'd use TSP (tri- sodium phosphate crystals/powder) Home Depot and most drug stores carry it. In comes in a container that looks like a 1/2 litre milk carton. ( up here it does anyways).

http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/...2197&catalogId=10051&langId=-15&storeId=10051

Sprinkle the white crystals on the oil stain, add a small amount if water and scrub with a good bristle brush. You should have a nice paste, if you don't use too much water. Scrub well and then let it sit for a while and then rinse with water.

Careful with the pressure washer, some petroleum products can break down the asphalt and then when you take a pressure washer to it you can wash away the aggregate. (make a hole in the asphalt).

Best of luck.

 

[pdqdl]

biozyme. small enzyme detergent that eat the oil away.

Probably not a good idea. If it actually eats the oil spill, it is likely to eat the oil base that holds the asphalt together.


Oil spills on asphalt are tough, because anything that cleans the oil is likely to damage the oil in the asphalt at the same time.

 

[D&B Mack]

Did a little home experimenting:

Last night, I tried one on our driveway, it was an older spot from a friends car. One spot I used Fast Orange and another spot I used Lemon Joy.

I think the Joy worked a little better, had rain over night and can't really tell this morning.

 

[treemandan]

The last thing i would do is get it wet or use degreasers/solvents.

Once you have the majority of it up you can grind kitty litter into the stain with your boots then blow it away.

 

[D&B Mack]

The last thing i would do is get it wet or use degreasers/solvents.

Once you have the majority of it up you can grind kitty litter into the stain with your boots then blow it away.

This happened over a week ago according to OP; I think we are past this clean-up point. (I would imagine)

 

[boutselis]

This isn't what you want to hear but on asphalt I think the only thing that will get rid of that stain completely is sunlight and time..

There is one thing I did that removed most of the "glossy" ( thats the only thing I could say to describe it) look after oil was spilled on asphalt at a customers house.

I took powdered laundry detergent and a little water and made a thick paste. I spread it around on the stain and worked it in with a nylon brush and let it sit.

I then vacuumed it up. I don't remember why I thought it would be a good idea but I vacuumed it with my wetvac, moistened the area and vacuumed again. the glossy area was less noticeable so i did the same thing a second time. It was pretty much gone after that but did take 6 months of summer before it disappeared all together.


The spill was clean motor oil. about 1/4 of a quart.

 

[Zale]

Did a little home experimenting:

Last night, I tried one on our driveway, it was an older spot from a friends car. One spot I used Fast Orange and another spot I used Lemon Joy.

I think the Joy worked a little better, had rain over night and can't really tell this morning.

And now your driveway smells lemon fresh!!!!:msp_tongue:

 

[D&B Mack]

And now your driveway smells lemon fresh!!!!:msp_tongue:

Only did it for treeman though. Personally, I think oil spills add character...:biggrin:

 

[treeman82]

I picked up a few items today, starting with a product called "oil grabber". Will return tomorrow morning to see how it worked. Hopefully I won't have to seal this guy's driveway. I decided that I will be firing the moron after this, just too dumb to be on my jobs, he is a danger to himself and to others, not to mention personal property.

 

[Bigus Termitius]

Let us know how it turns out.

What did he do, just knock it over?

The best thing you can do is tarp out a refueling depot. Crap happens, more often with a moron, but it still happens.

Good luck finding a new guy. I got stuck with a few dumb ones on the ROW crew a couple years ago. Sometimes you just have to moron proof your jobsite. Most of the "smart" brush draggers I found went on to be water softener salt delivery boys. One in particular managed to deliver salt and drinking water to my neighbor's place for 2 years after it burnt to the ground, but no cuts, scraps, or poison ivy, ya see.

Dump him if you have to, but consider that there aren't too many smart ones to begin with that want to work. Alot of times, finding out what makes a guy tick is an art.

I know you’re pissed about this, I would be, but I doubt I’d can a guy that wants to work over this. Just my 20 cents worth.

 

[tree MDS]

I picked up a few items today, starting with a product called "oil grabber". Will return tomorrow morning to see how it worked. Hopefully I won't have to seal this guy's driveway. I decided that I will be firing the moron after this, just too dumb to be on my jobs, he is a danger to himself and to others, not to mention personal property.

Yeah, but just think of all the calluses you're gonna get busting up all those rocks by yourself!! Lol.

 

[treeman82]

Yeah, but just think of all the calluses you're gonna get busting up all those rocks by yourself!! Lol.

I don't break rock, and I don't plant trees. I made him dig that hole a couple of weeks ago as payback for a bunch of stuff, could have had a friend do the job with his backhoe in much less time.

When I got to the yard this morning he was doing a dance... kid had been waiting to go to the bathroom for 15 min. I told him to go in the woods, no I have to go #2... Ok get some paper towels from the truck and go out in the woods... Oh I have some in the car but I was hoping we could go down the road, I didn't think I'd make it. Tell him get in his car and go down the road to the gas station, when he got back I got rid of him.