What Are the Most Common Stains Found in Parking Lots?

What Are the Most Common Stains Found in Parking Lots?

Here are the most common stains found and how to address them.

Having a clean and visually appealing parking lot is important in maintaining your property’s curb appeal and leaving a good impression on guests or customers. However, parking lot stains inevitably occur over time. These stains may appear on asphalt parking lots, whether from vehicles leaking oil or the occasional liquid spills from customers.

Given how unsightly parking lot stains can be, you should stay on top of your parking lot maintenance to ensure you always get rid of these. While commercial degreasers may work in removing some stains, others can be more stubborn. In these cases, it will be best to call in professional contractors.

To help you deal with this dilemma, read on to learn about the most common parking lot stains, so you know what visual signs to look for and how to handle them accordingly.

Mulch Stains

As attractive as colored mulch may be, they can quickly turn unsightly when they start staining your parking lot. Colored mulch is dyed to the desired shade during the manufacturing process, so unlike conventional mulch, it does not turn gray after a few months. However, the trade-off is that the dye can stain your hands, clothes, and worse, your parking lot if the mulch gets wet.

Leaving colored mulch on your pavement can quickly lead to parking lot stains when the mulch mixes with the rain. Unfortunately, these stains can be stubborn, so much that even power washing will not be effective in getting rid of them. They might just drive the stain deeper into your lot.

Instead, you can use soap and vinegar to address minor discolorations. If this does not work, you can try a mixture of bleach and water. Use two capfuls of bleach for every two gallons of water, then scrub the stain with circular movements.

Drink Stains

Drink stains are another common sight in parking lots, especially among restaurants and food establishments. You may have had customers spill their soda on the pavement from time to time. While frustrating, these situations can be hard to avoid, so it is best to have a clean-up trick ready whenever necessary.

Generally, you can remove these parking lot stains by using a cloth to wipe off the excess liquid.

Then, pour kitty litter sands over standing liquid on your asphalt and let it soak up the excess liquid for around 30 minutes. If you do not have any kitty litter on hand, you can use baking soda to absorb the excess moisture.

Paint Stains

Paint stains can be difficult to remove without causing discoloration or leaving visible scratch marks due to how porous asphalt is. In most cases, the best remedy will be to cover these parking lot stains with an additional coat of paint.

Fortunately, you can do this with your regular asphalt sealcoating sessions since the sealer matches the color of your asphalt pavement. However, if your parking lot is not yet due for sealcoating, other possible stain removal methods include painting, removing the chemicals, or using heated pressure washing, or cutting our the stain and replacing the asphalt.

Oil Stains

Oil stains are extremely common in parking lots, especially since vehicles always go in and out and potentially leak fluids. Unfortunately, these are a major culprit of parking lot damage, so you should not just ignore them. If you do, the asphalt can later absorb it and discolor the surface, turning the whole lot into a stain magnet.

Getting rid of car fluids and oil spills can be difficult, but you should be able to get rid of a minor oil spot with sawdust, non-clump cat litter, or gravel. If these are too weak, consider using commercial degreasers or hiring a professional asphalt contractor to remove the stains properly.

Get Your Parking Lot Maintenance Completed by ACPLM

Regularly cleaning your parking lot is essential to maintain its appearance and keep your guests satisfied. If you notice any stains that you cannot remove, call professionals immediately to help you out.

ACPLM specializes in asphalt and parking lot maintenance, so you can rely on us to help maintain and repair your parking lot, including sealing! Call us today at 888-959-9637 to get started with a free consultation.

ACPLM Admin