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Degreasers

Available at: Department and automotive stores

Price: Varies with products but less than $10.

Drip. Drip. Drip. There are telltale signs all over the concrete driveway indicating where the classic truck gets parked. It doesn't take long for the oil stain to accumulate a buildup of dirt and become an unsightly mess. Worst of all, if you walk through it, it gets in the house.

Hoping to avoid harsh chemicals, I tried Green Works by Clorox and it took the surface grime off but left some oil. Next, I sprayed spots with WD-40 and a brake cleaner. Both worked okay on fresh stains but would be an expensive treatment for the big old blotches. And neither is environmentally friendly.

Finally, on the advice of a salesperson at Walmart, I picked up a purple spray bottle of Super Clean and soaked the big stain twice and scrubbed like a crazy curler. The results were the same as Green Works. The buildup of gunk was gone but the shadow stain there to stay. I am certain that on all products it was the scrubbing that made the difference.

Being that concrete is so porous, the results will be the same with any degreaser. Address the stain as quickly as possible – or sell the truck.

If you have questions about driving or car maintenance, please contact our experts at globedrive@globeandmail.com.

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