First impressions are everything in business, and having the exterior of your building looking unpleasant, and perhaps even presenting a health hazard, is sure to deter potential customers and clients from wanting to enter your store, shop, or office.
Oil stained asphalt is an eyesore, and is also dangerously slippery during the sub-zero, snowy winter months. As common as oil leaks are, however, there really is no reason for having oil stained patches of asphalt in the parking lot of your business. This is a problem that has many practical solutions depending on the extent of the damage. Here is a list of some of the possible remedies:
Kitty litter—clumping kitty litter is made up of quartz, bentonite, silica, and other highly absorbent materials. If you have a fresh oil spill that’s still wet (kitty litter’s no good on an already dried up, set-in stain), cover the wet oil with kitty litter and stamp it down in such a way that it soaks up the oil. Then, leave it to sit overnight. Lastly, come back the next morning and sweep it up. Some hot water, detergent, and good old-fashioned elbow grease should be sufficient to finish up the rest of the job. Furthermore, you must dispose of the oil-impregnated kitty litter responsibly. Under no circumstances should you flush this highly toxic material down the drain.
Baking Soda—for recent stains you might want to try damping the damaged area with a cloth, sprinkling baking soda over it, and letting it loosen and separate the stain. Afterwards you’re going to want to have a go at it with a hard bristled scrub brush.
Oil Clean-up Compound—for really large spills you might want to try one of the many specialized oil cleanup compounds that are available at most automotive shops and hardware stores. This type of compound is a highly absorbent powder, and a single pound can easily sponge up an entire gallon of motor oil, paint or other viscous liquids. Keep in mind that like the kitty litter fix, oil cleanup compound only works on fresh spills that are still in liquid form.
Any one of these options should do the trick if it’s a brand new spill or very recent stain. However, if your property is suffering from extensive damages to asphalt from oil and other substances, or the discolored areas have been there for a while, it’s time to hire a contractor from Dykes who specializes in asphalt replacement and sealcoating. Contact us today for help.
