Spill management is not exactly a buzz phrase that’s tossed around a lot these days.
But if it were, would you be any good at it? Especially when it comes to accidentally spilling some oil on your driveway?
If you had to answer honestly right at this moment, we’re guessing that you would say you’re not very good at spill management. Not a lot of people would. But that’s okay; cleaning up an oil spill on your driveway doesn’t have to be the work of an expert; it just takes a little knowledge and a little proactivity on your party.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at how you can increase your spill management skills by handling your driveway spill today:
Work with the Right Products
If you don’t have the right cleaning equipment, don’t use something that won’t work. It’s better to simply head to the hardware store and buy something that’s right for it. You can ask for the right product there; usually, something like Asphalt Cleaner will be enough to get the job done, but it might depend on the exact nature of your spill. Besides, it can’t hurt to have the advice of someone at the hardware store who’s actually answered these types of questions before.
If you’re not working with the right equipment in any other type of job, you wouldn’t expect to have a very easy time. That’s why having the right asphalt cleaner for your oil spill is priority number one.
Dry up the Oil; Don’t Moisten it
You know that old saying, oil and water don’t mix? Well, they don’t. There is, after all, a reason for that expression. So instead of actually pouring water on the thing, you want to consider drying up the oil with a rag or some type of paper before anything else; this will allow you to soak some of the oil up and actually lift it out of the driveway.
Use Oil Cleaner When Driveway is Dry
It’s also important to put some of the cleaner on the rag and let it vaporize; this will give you a truly “ready” cleaning spot. You can then get to cleaning the oil spot and keep working until the oil is sufficiently cleaned out. It may take a few repeats of this step in order get to get the driveway how you like it.
Try a Non-Traditional Solution
There are other solutions to cleaning up oil on a driveway that you’d be surprised about. If you don’t have any access to driveway cleaner immediately – or a hardware store, for that matter, you might want to try some of the following:
- Pouring Pepsi or Coke on the affected area. That’s about it; just pour it over and rub the spot vigorously with a rag or paper towel. Then lift and check out the stain again.
- Kitty litter. Yes, kitty litter! It’s an effective absorbent for these types of stains, and will be all the more effective if you can get to the stain with the kitty litter quicker than you can the oil cleaner.
Chris Turberville-Tully is a marketing strategist for HR Owen, a luxury car dealership in the UK. HR Owen sells both new and used Bentley, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Maserati and BMW cars.
