The most common stain on
driveways are oil and grease, antifreeze
and tyre dressing Oil spills on
driveways normally occur when oil leaks from a car's engine, lawnmowers, and visiting commercial vehicles
are notorious for leaking oil, and it's not difficult to accidentally spill
while performing an oil change, or when adding oil.
Asphalt and concrete are porous
surfaces that absorbs liquids like oil and grease resulting in stains
It's unsightly and something
that does need to be addressed, for both aesthetic reasons and for the
integrity of the driveway. Be cognizant that a cleaner formulated for concrete
can damage asphalt
Concrete Driveway
Concrete
is a composite construction material, composed of cement (commonly Portland
cement) and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement,
aggregate (generally a coarse aggregate made of gravel or crushed rocks such as
limestone, or granite, plus a fine aggregate such as sand), water, and chemical
admixtures.
Do not use a cleaning
product formulated for a blacktop surface on concrete, as it can worsen the
stains and damage the finish.
1.
Spread Cat Litter over spill and remove
2.
Spray liberally with P21S Total Auto Wash (a d-limonene (citrus) based solvent or
Optimum Power Clean
3.
Scrub area with a stiff bristled bush.
4.
Spread Cat Litter (highly absorbent clay, sodium bentonite) over area
5.
Abrade the cat litter into the spill.
6.
Sweep up with a stiff broom
7.
Repeat as necessary
Oil Stains
·
Sprinkle a layer of kitty litter over the oil spot(s). Push it
back and forth over the area with a push broom. Scoop up the litter for
disposal
·
Pour-N-Restore® is a citrus based, biodegradable, phosphate-free
concrete clear that lifts and absorbs stains without scrubbing, rinsing, or
mess
Alternative
product - Poorboy’s World Driveway
Cleaner - an industrial strength pine oil
cleaner that works as a cleaner and a degreaser. To remove spots and stains
from concrete driveways quickly and easily.
• Wet the driveway with clean,
warm water.
• Sprinkle the concentrated
powder onto a wet driveway
• Wait five minutes for Driveway
Cleaner to work.
• As it cleans, Driveway Cleaner
turns from orange to green to show that it is working.
• Scrub the concrete with a
broom or brush as necessary. Rinse off the cleaned concrete with water
Muriatic acid is a highly reactive liquid acid, and one of the most dangerous
chemicals you can buy for home use. It
is not the first choice for concrete masonry cleaning but the last resort. Do not use this dangerous chemical unless you
are sure you have no other choice. For example, the most popular concrete and
grout cleaners on the market contain phosphoric acid. This acid will, under most circumstances, do
as good a job as muriatic acid... but with less danger. Phosphoric acid cleaners also contain chemicals
which emulsify oils to help the acid work more effectively and safely increase
its cleaning properties.
Asphalt Driveway
Asphalt is a petroleum-based
material, and any oil or acidic cleaners left on an asphalt driveway will
soften its binder system and eventually corrode the surface. Asphalt is
generally sealed after installation and offers some protection from staining.
Oil and grease stains on asphalt are notoriously difficult to remove. The best
way to keep it clean is to be proactive by cleaning up spills as they happen
and resurfacing when necessary.
Do not use a cleaning
product formulated for concrete on a blacktop surface, as it can worsen the
stains and damage the finish.
·
Sprinkle a layer of kitty litter over the oil spot(s). Push it
back and forth over the area with a push broom. Scoop up the litter for
disposal
·
Neutralize any acids with ValuGuard Acid Neutralizer (Step I) -
diluted 1:10 neutralizes acids deposited on the asphalt surface
·
Use a coarse, stiff bristle yard broom; scour Optimum
Power Clean or P21S Total Auto Wash (d-limonene (citrus) based solvent into
the surface. Thoroughly rinse the solution once you are done.
Oil Stains
Most asphalt driveways are
sealed once a year to provide a barrier for stains and to keep the asphalt from
drying out and crumbling
Oil stains on asphalt are
difficult to remove, you can try to scrub them out with a detergent P21S Total Auto Wash (a d-limonene (citrus) based
solvent or Optimum
Power Clean, as an alternative, a commercial
driveway cleaner (made for asphalt; a concrete cleaner can damage asphalt)
·
(a) Using a stiff, long-handled brush and a solution of tri sodium
phosphate (TSP) or phosphate-free substitute, scrub the stain.
·
Following label precautions and directions, scrub remaining
spots with full-strength household bleach.
·
Rinse thoroughly with a hose.
·
(b) Use a degreaser or a grease-cutting detergent Optimum
Power Clean or P21S Total Auto and
a scrub brush
·
Scrub the stain with the scrub brush and hot water and rinse
thoroughly
·
(c) Sprinkle some laundry detergent directly on the stain,
·
Apply enough water to make a paste, scrub it, and then leave it
overnight.
·
Dilute it with water and then scrub it and rinse thoroughly
Environmental Commitment
Consult local regulation for
volatile organic compounds (VOC) compliance. Contamination of surface waters
arises from the residues discharging to storm drains, which in turn most
commonly drain to rivers and lakes. Chief pollutants include phosphates;
cleaning chemicals (degreasers, acids, solvents etc) oil and grease. This is
almost exclusively an issue for home/driveway washing.
You should never assume that
aqueous solutions can be disposed of untreated via the storm drainage system.
Pending regulations are in place (Clean Water Act and Ground Water Pollution
and various city ordinances) to limit the amount of contaminated water that is
allowed to be discharged into storm water systems (i.e. street vehicle washing)
always dispose of all non-biodegradable materials from your vehicle cleaning in
a responsible manner.
Waste management is a serious
concern for water authorities in most states and cities. It is no longer
acceptable to allow chemicals into the storm drainage system. This means that a detailer must have a
containment and water reclamation system when using any chemicals that are not
biodegradable and safe for aquatic life.
California uses a two-gallon
rule; if a detail requires more than two gallons of wash water, the water must
be contained. Waste run-off must be disposed of in accordance with federal,
state and local environmental control regulations.
Be sure you are compliant when
washing cars; check with your local government municipal office or the EPA
regional office in your area to see what you need to do to be compliant when
washing vehicles at businesses and residential neighbourhoods.
Disposal of Aqueous Solutions
One should never assume that
aqueous solutions can be disposed of down the drain. Water drainage is not all
treated the same; in fact, some water isn’t treated at all.
The storm drain system takes all
the water from outside homes and businesses (rain, overwatering of lawns) and
sends it untreated straight to our local creeks, rivers, bays and
eventually the ocean. Storm drains are the openings you see along curbs, in
streets and parking lots. The storm drain system is designed as a flood control
system to allow water from heavy rainstorms to flow quickly to our waterways to
avoid flooding of our streets, homes and businesses. However rainwater can pick up pollutants such
as car care chemicals, acids and etc and flush it all into our waterways
damaging the fish, plants and other living things in our eco-system.
Only water that enters the sewer
system (from sinks and toilets) is sent to water treatment plants to remove
pollutants and be treated before entering our waterways. With few exceptions,
The Federal Clean Water Act deems it illegal for anyone to throw, dispose of or
allow anything other than rainwater into the storm drains. Try to divert car
wash water to a landscaped or planted area.
Be cognizant that some State or
local guidelines forbid discharging water on to the grass and into the flower
beds; their contention is that it pollutes the ground water table, always check
before discharging soiled water. Your local water treatment authority or
publicly owned treatment works will have information on treatment and disposal
of these cleaners. Adjustment of pH and dilution are usually required before
disposal to a drain. Always comply with current water usage and disposal
regulations / water usage restrictions.
A car care product may be
biodegradable and environmentally safe but it’s not about what’s in the wash
per se; just remember the dirt, oil and road grease you are cleaning with it
are not, once rinsed off the vehicle paint surface the resultant solution is no
longer biodegradable or environmentally safe and once rinsed from the paints surface
will be sent to the storm water system unless a containment system is used
UK (EU): [It is an offence
for anyone to cause or knowingly permit: the entry into surface waters or
groundwater of solid waste matter, or of poisonous, noxious or polluting matter,
or the discharge of trade and sewage effluent into surface waters or
groundwater without prior consent from the Environmental Regulator.]
Effluent and run-off from
vehicle washing and cleaning activities can damage the environment and pollute
rivers, streams, burns and groundwater. Dirt, brake dust, traffic film residue
and oil that is washed off are all pollutants.
The cleaning agents you use
(including those labelled biodegradable or traffic film removers) are very
poisonous to river life. If you cause pollution, you are breaking the law and
spoiling your environment. Dirty water or run-off from vehicle washing and
cleaning carried out as a business or industrial activity is called trade
effluent. Whether you’re cleaning just one vehicle or responsible for a large
lorry fleet, you must arrange for collection and disposal of effluent to
prevent pollution. It’s illegal to discharge trade effluent to the environment
or into drains without permission.- http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/pdf/PMHO0307BMDX-e-e.pdf
Current
Information
To
be of real practical use, a subject like automotive detailing requires a great
deal of research, and updating as new products become available. The advent of
materials like detailing clay, micro fibre technologies and finely milled micro
diminishing abrasives, suitable for ceramic nanotechnology paints are examples
of why it’s so important to monitor the industries new products, chemical
technologies and ideas that are constantly being introduced, as are the
techniques for applying them, hence all of the in-depth articles will be
up-dated and revised on a regular basis
Always
be willing to learn; because the more you learn, the more you’ll realize what
you don’t know. It is
said that knowledge is power, with the caveat that it includes access to a
reliable information sources. I would
like to think that these articles become an asset to anyone who is new to
detailing and to professional’s alike, as well as industry experts who seek to
advance their knowledge.
I
hope these articles are informative. They are based on the current status of
technical development as well as my experience with the products.
By
having some understanding of the ‘What’ and ‘Why’ as well as the ‘How’ along
with a little science to help you understand how the chemicals we use react,
you can achieve the results you desire.
I would appreciate it if you
would share these articles as it helps other detailers further their knowledge.
As always if you have
questions, I’ll do my best to answer; bear in mind the only stupid questions is
the one that was unasked. Questions and/ or constructive comments are
always appreciated
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