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OIL STAIN REMOVAL
Oil stain removal for north metro driveways
Oil drawn up out of the pores of your concrete with a degreaser-based process, spot tested on your slab before any work begins.
Oil does not sit on top of concrete. It soaks down into the pores, so an ordinary wash cleans the surface while the stain below wicks back up a few days later. Glass House treats it with a degreaser-based process: emulsify, agitate, dwell and flush, repeated as many rounds as the stain requires.
Your driveway and garage floor carry a car every day, and the longer oil sits, the deeper it travels. Every stain job begins with a spot test on your own slab, Carson tells you plainly how much is likely to lift, and we charge only for work we can complete.
OUR STAIN POLICY
Every stain job begins with a spot test, and we charge only for work we can complete.
★ Rated 4.9 on Google · 44 reviews
Insured to $2M
Owner-operated
Based in Ham Lake
WHY OIL COMES BACK
The stain never left. It went down.
This is the question every customer asks, and the answer changes how the stain should be treated.
Concrete is full of tiny channels
Concrete looks solid, but it is a network of connected capillaries, tiny channels that formed as the cement paste cured. Oil does not rest on top of them. Capillary action, the pull of a liquid into narrow spaces, draws the oil down and outward into the slab, well below where a wash can reach.
The clock starts right away
A fresh spill begins soaking in meaningfully within the first 30 to 60 minutes. That is why the first hour matters more than any product bought later: oil caught near the surface can be drawn back out, while oil that has had time to travel is far harder to reach.
Water cannot dissolve oil
Petroleum is not water-soluble, so it does not mix into rinse water. A wash, even a forceful one, cleans the surface while the oil below stays in place. The slab looks clean while it is wet and for a day or two afterward, which is why the stain seems to be gone.
Then it wicks back up
As the slab dries, the oil still in the pores migrates back toward the surface and the dark shadow returns. The wash did not fail; it only ever reached the top. Removing the stain means emulsifying the oil so that rinse water can carry it out, which is the job of a degreaser.
FOR A FRESH SPILL
The first hour matters most
This advice costs nothing, and on a fresh spill it is worth more than any product we could sell you that day.
THE CLOCK BEATS THE PRODUCT
Absorbent on a fresh spill within the first hour changes the whole job. With oil, timing matters more than which cleaner is used.
01
Cover it with clay litter
Pour plain clay cat litter or oil-dry over the spill. It must be the non-clumping kind, and it should cover the whole spot, edges included, so the oil spreading outward through the pores is caught as well.
02
Grind it in underfoot
Step on the litter and twist, pressing the granules into the surface. Grinding it in puts the absorbent in direct contact with the oil sitting in the pores, rather than only the oil on top.
03
Leave it an hour or overnight
Give the litter time to draw the oil up out of the concrete. An hour is the minimum, and leaving it overnight is fine, and often better, because it gives the absorbent more time to work.
04
Sweep it up, then degrease
Sweep up the litter and bag it rather than hosing it away, which would send the oil toward the street. Whatever remains is then degreased, and a fresh spill handled this way usually comes out completely.
IDENTIFY BEFORE YOU TREAT
First, confirm that it is oil
Several stains look alike on a driveway, and the treatment for one can make another worse. Acid, for example, makes an oil stain worse.
WHAT YOU SEE
WHAT IT USUALLY IS
WHAT REMOVES IT
Dark, matte, spreading outward, darker when wet
Oil down in the pores
A degreaser, with dwell time and agitation
A dark shadow that returned after washing
Oil wicking back up from below
Degreasing, often in more than one round
Orange, red or tan fans and arcs
Iron from well water, fertilizer or rust
Iron stain removal. Bleach sets it.
Dark brown to black spots from well water
Manganese, not oil
Iron-family chemistry, not a degreaser
White, chalky, crusty bloom
Efflorescence, mineral salts rising out of the concrete
Efflorescence removal, a separate service
Green or black film in shade
Organic growth
Regular concrete washing
HOW WE REMOVE IT
Degrease, dwell, flush, repeat
Oil must be emulsified, broken into droplets that mix with water, before rinse water can carry it away. Our process is degreaser-based, and F9 Double Eagle is the degreaser we use most often.
01
Walk it and spot test
Every job begins with a walk-around. We confirm the stain is oil, check the condition of the surface and test the degreaser on your slab before the whole stain is treated. The test shows how the stain responds and how much is likely to lift.
02
Degrease first
HOT WATER, WHEN IT IS WARRANTED
Heat thins oil and helps move it out of the pores, and cold water alone does very little against petroleum. A heated machine is available on special request, and Carson will tell you if your stain calls for it. Most jobs do not.
Oil repels water-based cleaners, so it always comes off first; otherwise every other cleaner only works around it. If the job also needs organic cleaning or rust treatment, those follow in that order, and acid always goes last.
03
Agitate and let it dwell
The degreaser is worked into the stain with a brush and given real dwell time, the period a cleaner stays on the surface to do its work. That time lets it emulsify the oil, so the oil releases from the pores rather than only getting wet.
04
Flush it out
The emulsified oil is rinsed out of the pores and off the slab. We never let a chemical dry on the surface unless the product specifically calls for it, so each round ends with a thorough flush before the next one begins.
05
Repeat as needed
Multiple applications are normal on oil and are not a sign that anything went wrong. Each round reaches more of the oil held in the pores, and on an old, soaked-in stain, poultice work can follow to draw oil up from deeper still.
HONEST EXPECTATIONS
How much of the stain will come out
The result depends mostly on how long the oil has had to soak in. This is what we tell every customer before the work begins.
THE STAIN
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE SLAB
WHAT TO EXPECT
A fresh spill
The oil is still near the surface
Usually comes out completely
A recent stain
Oil has moved into the pores, but not for long
Comes out, or very nearly
Years under a parked car
Oil has soaked deep and oxidized in the pores
Substantial improvement. A shadow may remain permanently.
A leak that is still dripping
New oil lands every day
Fix the leak first, or the stain returns
HOW PRICING WORKS
A spot test first, then your quote
YOUR OIL STAIN JOB, AT A GLANCE
QUOTE FIRST
Spot test on your surface
Always first
The degreaser is tested on your slab before any work starts
Oil stain removal
Quoted
Degreaser-based, with as many rounds as the stain requires
Heated machine
By request
Available on special request, when Carson decides a job warrants it
If the stain will not lift
No charge
If the spot test shows we cannot complete the job, you do not pay for it
Every stain is different
Test first
Oil stain removal is quoted after Carson sees the stain, because the result depends on how old it is and how deep it has soaked in. He runs a spot test and tells you plainly how much will lift before any work starts.
WAYS TO SAVE
Service Plan members
25% off any other work, holiday lighting included
Veterans
10% off any service
Same-day neighbors
15% off for both households
Preferred day
Another 5% off on top of any other saving, up to 25% in all
Seniors 65 and older
$50 off
Three projects together
10% off
Discounts don't combine — you receive whichever single saving is largest. Then a Preferred day can take another 5% off, up to 25% in all (Service Plan members aren't capped).
This season’s flash sale is shown at the foot of every page.
GUARANTEES
What backs the work, word for word
These are printed word for word on your quote, your work order and your invoice.
INCLUDED
Reapplication Guarantee
All stain removal services include a reapplication guarantee: when a stain needs more than one application, the follow-up application is part of the job, not an extra charge.
INCLUDED
Workmanship Standard
If we miss an area or leave normal cleanable residue, tell us and we'll re-clean or touch it up. Our guarantees cover the cleaning result — not repairs, replacements, permanent stains, or conditions that can't be safely corrected through cleaning.
Every stain job still begins with a spot test, and we charge only for work we can complete.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
What oil stain removal includes and excludes
Oil comes out in rounds, and more than one round is normal. This is what every oil stain job covers.
INCLUDED
In every oil stain job
• A walk-around to confirm the stain is oil
• The degreaser tested on your slab first
• Degreaser worked in and given real dwell time
• The oil flushed out, as many rounds as it takes
• Poultice work on old, soaked-in stains
NOT INCLUDED
Outside oil stain removal
• Muriatic acid, which etches concrete and does not remove oil
• A promise that decades-old stains will leave no shadow
• Microbial bioremediation, meaning enzyme or bacteria cleaners
• Rust, efflorescence or paint, which require different chemistry
• Stripping, sanding and sealing, priced by Carson in person
EQUIPMENT AND METHODS
Degreaser first, poultice when needed
F9 Double Eagle degreaser, most of the time, applied in rounds: emulsify, agitate, dwell and flush. On an old, soaked-in stain, a poultice (an absorbent carrier that holds solvent against the slab) stays in place long enough to draw the oil back up out of the pores, past where a degreaser stops. A heated machine is available on special request.
SAFETY AND CARE
Degreasing done safely
Oil removal is degreaser work with a great deal of rinsing, on a surface your family walks and parks on every day.
THE SURFACE
Sealed and stamped concrete
A sealed or stamped surface can react differently from bare concrete, so the degreaser is tested on a corner first, where any change in color or finish would not show. The test protects the finish you paid for and shows how the stain will respond before the whole area is treated.
RUNOFF
Kept off your lawn and beds
Rinse water is diluted heavily and directed away from lawns and plantings as far as the site allows. Nearby landscaping is wet down before, during and after the work, because overspray that lands on a pre-wet surface is diluted to the point of being harmless.
CHEMISTRY
Bleach and acid never meet
When a job also calls for a bleach-based organic cleaner and acid work on rust, the two never meet: they are not mixed, and they are not applied in sequence without a full rinse and dry between them. Bleach and acid together produce chlorine gas.
AFTERWARD
Three hours off the surface
Keep people, pets and cars off the treated area for at least 3 hours after we finish, so the slab can dry undisturbed. If an old stain needed more than one round, that is normal, and Carson will walk the finished slab with you before he leaves.
THE OWNER
Why Carson tells you what will lift
Glass House is owned and run by Carson Brenny. He grew up in Ham Lake, went to Blaine High School and has worked full-time in exterior cleaning since 2020. He looks at every stain himself, runs the spot test, does the work and walks the finished slab with you.
A driveway is used every day, and oil is a stain that misleads people: it soaks into the concrete and creeps back after a wash. That is why Carson explains the likely result before he starts. Fresh spills usually come out completely, while an old spot may only improve substantially.
IN CARSON'S WORDS
“It's my neighbors' homes: their biggest investment, one of the places they spend the most time, and where the people they care about most live. It's something everyone should enjoy, and I believe that.”
Carson Brenny, owner
✓
A spot test before any work begins
✓
Degreaser and poultice work on old stains
✓
A plain answer about old, soaked-in stains
WHAT NOT TO DO
Six ways oil stains get worse
Each of these comes up regularly, and most of them seem as though they should work.
Muriatic acid
Acid etches concrete; it does not remove oil. At strength on an oil stain it eats into the surface, weakens it and leaves a patch with a different texture from the rest of the slab. The stain is usually still there underneath.
Solvents on bare concrete
Solvent products on porous concrete can spread the oil outward instead of lifting it, which widens the stain rather than removing it. They also bring fire, fume and runoff hazards to your driveway and garage.
Cold pressure washing alone
A cold pressure wash cleans the surface and nothing else. Because petroleum does not dissolve in water, the oil in the pores stays put, and a day or two after the slab dries, the shadow returns. Oil needs a degreaser to move.
Sealing over it
Sealer will not bond to oil. The result is fisheyes, small round craters where the coating pulls away, along with dull spots and peeling directly over the stain. The oil is then trapped under a coating, and both problems must be solved.
Hosing it into the street
Ham Lake and Circle Pines city codes prohibit sending pollutants into the storm drain system, and Coon Rapids stormwater flows untreated into lakes, rivers and wetlands. Absorb a spill, sweep it up and bag it instead.
Letting it sit
The longer oil sits, the deeper it travels and the more it oxidizes in the pores, so less of it comes back out. Treating a stain while it is recent gives the best chance of a complete result, and waiting rarely makes the job easier.
Sources: Ham Lake City Code, Section 11-1900.31; Circle Pines City Code, Section 1360.08; City of Coon Rapids, 2026 Summer Newsletter (stormwater).
PREVENTION
How to stop the next oil stain
LEAKS
Fix the drip
A car that is still leaking will restain a clean driveway. Having the leak repaired is the only lasting answer, and it should come before any removal work.
UNTIL THEN
Catch it
A drip pan or mat under the car catches oil before it ever reaches the concrete, and it keeps a slow leak from soaking into the slab between repairs.
SPILLS
Keep litter handy
A bag of non-clumping clay litter in the garage means a fresh spill is covered within minutes, not days, while the oil is still near the surface.
SEALING
Oil out first
If you plan to seal, the oil must come out first, because sealer will not bond to it. If a stain will not come out, we will not seal over it.
Oil stain removal is scheduled during our exterior season, which runs March 1 through November 15.
WHERE WE WORK
Oil stain removal across the north metro
Glass House is based in Ham Lake and treats oil staining on driveways, garage aprons, walks and pavers throughout Anoka County and the Twin Cities north metro.
Each city page covers the local conditions that affect your concrete. The surrounding north metro is served as well, and we travel farther for a small trip fee.
OIL STAIN QUESTIONS
Oil stain removal FAQ
Why does my oil stain keep coming back?
Because it never left. Concrete is a network of tiny channels, and oil soaks down and outward into them within the first 30 to 60 minutes. Washing cleans only the top, since petroleum does not dissolve in water. As the slab dries, the oil below wicks back up and the shadow returns. A degreaser emulsifies the oil so it can be flushed out.
What should I do with a fresh spill?
Cover it with non-clumping clay cat litter or oil-dry within the first hour, grind it into the surface underfoot, and leave it for an hour or overnight. Then sweep it up and bag it rather than hosing it away. Whatever remains can be degreased. With oil, how quickly you act matters more than which product you use.
Can you remove a stain that has been there for years?
Usually a good deal of it. Carson will want to see the stain before saying how much will lift, and the spot test confirms it. On an old, soaked-in stain, substantial improvement is the realistic result, and a shadow may remain permanently. Poultice work reaches deeper than a degreaser alone, but no method makes a decades-old spot disappear.
What do you use on oil?
F9 Double Eagle degreaser, most of the time. It emulsifies the oil so it can be worked in with a brush, left to dwell and flushed out, and most stains take more than one round. On old, soaked-in stains we also use a poultice, which holds solvent against the slab long enough to draw oil up out of the pores.
Do you use hot water?
Only when a job warrants it. Heat thins oil and helps move it out of the pores, and a heated machine is available on special request. Carson will raise it if your stain needs it, but most oil stain jobs are completed without it.
Do you use enzyme or bacteria cleaners?
No. Glass House does not offer microbial bioremediation, the enzyme and bacteria cleaners that digest oil over time. Our process is degreaser-based, with poultice work on older stains, and we would rather be clear about that than suggest a service we do not provide.
Can I seal my driveway afterward?
Yes, once the oil is out. Sealer will not bond to oil, so sealing over an active stain leads to fisheyes, dull spots and peeling, and we will not seal over oil that will not come out. Sealing is its own project, priced by Carson in person, and a sealed surface stays off-limits for up to 96 hours while it cures.
How much does oil stain removal cost?
Oil stain removal is quoted after Carson sees the stain, because the price depends on its size, its age and how deep it has gone. He runs a spot test on your slab first, and if the test shows it is not a job we can complete, there is no charge.
