# Cleaning an asphalt driveway

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-an-asphalt-driveway/230336>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [February 21, 2004, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-an-asphalt-driveway/230336 "2004-02-21T05:23:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-an-asphalt-driveway/230336/1 "2004-02-21T05:23:46Z")

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I live in a mobile-home park in Gardena, CA, which, several years ago, had a “slurry-seal” done on the roadways in the park. (All told we’ve been here 17 years.)  
My car, a 1984 T-Bird, has dripped engine oil, ATF, coolant, and other car fluids on the asphalt. When the slurry-seal was done the park management told us tenants we can have our own driveways slurried too–if we pay the paving company to do it. We did, but the fluids have since then darkened the surface (and even eaten slightly into it) and I hunted for an asphalt cleaner, finally buying a concrete cleaner at Lowe’s (the store employee assured us it works on asphalt too).  
Well, it didn’t work very well. The park management is apparently satisfied with the results, but my Mom asked me to give it another application.  
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to do this?

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**Author:** ![Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-an-asphalt-driveway/230336/2 "2004-02-21T05:40:13Z")

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Put some non-clumping cat litter on the greasy spots, and it will soak up some of the oily stuff. Sweep it around every day or so to redistribute the litter, and work it into the nooks and crannies. Good luck!

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**Author:** ![herman\_and\_bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f1d935/32.png) [@herman\_and\_bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/herman_and_bill)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-an-asphalt-driveway/230336/3 "2004-02-21T13:48:23Z")

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The fluids dripping from your car are disolving the asphalt, Do as Wonko says , then re-seal the surface, and fix your car so it don’t happen again.