How to Get Tar Out of Driveway: 4 Proven Easy Steps

By Tom Bradley · December 20, 2025

Immediate Action (First 5 Minutes)

I'll be honest, seeing a fresh black glob on your pristine concrete makes your stomach drop. If you just backed out and noticed your tires tracked fresh asphalt or roofing tar onto the pavement, stop driving immediately. Every second that tar sits in the hot sun, it bakes deeper into the porous surface. In my 12 years of restoring driveways, I've found that the first 5 minutes dictate your success rate.

Grab a plastic putty knife right away. Don't use metal. Metal will gouge your concrete and leave rust stains that are a whole different nightmare. Gently scrape the top layer off. You want to remove the bulk of the physical mass before it cools and hardens completely. Water and oil don't mix. Spraying a hose on fresh tar will just spread the petroleum oils across a wider surface area, turning a small 4-inch spot into a massive 2-foot smear.

If it's a hot July afternoon and the tar is practically liquid, throw some kitty litter over it. I keep a 40-pound bag of Tidy Cats in my garage specifically for oil and tar spills. Let it sit for exactly 3 minutes to absorb the moisture, then sweep it up. This buys you time to gather your heavy-duty solvents without the stain spreading into the deeper aggregate layers.

What You'll Need (Tools & Products)

You can't just spray Windex on asphalt residue and hope for the best. Tar is a petroleum-based hydrocarbon. It requires specific chemical breakdowns. I've tested dozens of commercial degreasers, and these are the exact tools I keep in my caddy for this job.

Chemical Solvents

WD-40 Specialist Heavy Duty Degreaser: This isn't the standard blue can. You need the industrial formula. It costs about $12-15 at Home Depot and cuts through petroleum bonds in under 10 minutes.
Citrus-Based Cleaners (like De-Solv-it): A fantastic, safer alternative if you have kids who play barefoot in the driveway. It smells like oranges and costs around $8 for a 12oz bottle.
Mineral Spirits: The old-school method. It's harsh, highly flammable, and costs $10 a gallon. Use this only if the tar has been baking for weeks.

Physical Tools

Plastic Scraper: A 3-inch Husky plastic putty knife ($4). Never use steel.
Stiff Bristle Brush: I use the 10-inch Deck Mate polypropylene brush. The stiff bristles dig into the concrete pores without snapping.
Pressure Washer: A Ryobi 2000 PSI electric pressure washer works perfectly. You don't need a gas-powered 4000 PSI beast that will etch the concrete.
Heavy-Duty Gloves: Nitrile gloves. Tar solvents will melt standard latex in seconds.
Shop Towels: I prefer the blue Scott Shop Towels because they don't disintegrate when soaked in mineral spirits. Standard paper towels will just leave white lint embedded in the black sludge.

Let's look at a quick cost breakdown so you know what you're getting into.

Item	Estimated Cost	Necessity
WD-40 Specialist Degreaser	$14.98	High
Plastic Putty Knife	$3.50	High
Polypropylene Brush	$11.00	High
Nitrile Gloves (Box)	$9.99	Medium

Step-by-Step Removal Process

This is the exact sequence I use when a client calls me in a panic after a roofing contractor backs over their fresh driveway. It takes about 30 to 45 minutes per stain, depending on how deep the petroleum has penetrated.

Step 1: Prep and Protect the Area

Put on your nitrile gloves and safety glasses. Mineral spirits and heavy degreasers will splash back when you scrub. Move any cars, toys, or potted plants at least 10 feet away. You don't want runoff killing your wife's prized hydrangeas. Lay down some cardboard around the edges of the stain to catch the dripping sludge.

Step 2: Apply the Solvent Generously

Spray your chosen degreaser directly onto the tar spot. Don't be shy. I usually go through half a can of WD-40 Specialist on a standard 12-inch tire track. Let it sit for exactly 10 minutes. If it's over 85°F outside, the solvent will evaporate too fast. In that case, lay a piece of clear plastic wrap over the wet solvent to trap the fumes and keep it active against the petroleum bonds.

Step 3: Agitate with the Stiff Brush

After 10 minutes, the tar should look like melted chocolate. Take your Deck Mate polypropylene brush and scrub in tight, overlapping circles. Apply heavy downward pressure. You'll feel the brush grabbing the concrete pores. Scrub for a full 3 minutes. Your arm will burn. That means you're doing it right and actually lifting the stain from the microscopic crevices.

Step 4: Scrape the Sludge

Grab your plastic putty knife. Scrape the dissolved black sludge into a pile. Scoop it up with a piece of cardboard and throw it in a heavy-duty trash bag. Do not wash this sludge into your storm drain. It's illegal in most municipalities and terrible for the local water table. Wipe your putty knife clean with a Scott Shop Towel between every single scrape.

Step 5: Rinse and Repeat

Hit the area with your Ryobi pressure washer using the 15-degree yellow nozzle. Keep the wand exactly 6 inches from the concrete. Move in steady, sweeping motions. Make sure you are wearing old clothes and closed-toe shoes. The pressure washer will kick back a fine mist of dissolved tar and degreaser. It will stain your favorite sneakers instantly. I learned this the hard way ruining a pair of New Balances back in 2018. If a faint brown shadow remains, repeat steps 2 through 4. I'll be honest, stubborn spots usually need two rounds.

Step 6: Neutralize the Concrete

Solvents strip the pH balance of your driveway. Mix 1 cup of baking soda into a gallon of warm water. Splash it over the cleaned area and give it a light brush. This stops the chemical reaction and prevents the concrete from turning chalky white over the next few weeks. Rinse it away with a standard garden hose.

Alternative Methods for Stubborn Stains

Sometimes the standard degreaser route just doesn't cut it. If you're dealing with coal tar pitch or a stain that's been baking since last summer, you need to bring out the heavy artillery. I've used these backup methods on my own property when the primary solvents failed.

The Dry Ice Method

This sounds crazy, but it works beautifully on thick, hardened globs. Buy a bag of dry ice pellets from your local grocery store (usually around $15). You can usually find dry ice at large supermarkets or specialty welding supply shops. Call ahead to ensure they have it in stock, as it sublimates quickly. Store it in a thick styrofoam cooler until you are ready to use it. Put on thick leather welding gloves. Place the dry ice directly on the tar for 2 to 3 minutes. The extreme cold (-109°F) makes the tar brittle. Once it freezes, tap it with a rubber mallet. The tar will shatter like glass and pop right off the concrete. It's highly effective for thick drips, but useless for thin, smeared tire tracks.

The Heat Gun and Absorbent Trick

If you don't want to use harsh chemicals, grab a Wagner HT1000 heat gun. Set it to the high setting (around 1000°F). Hold it 4 inches above the tar until it starts to bubble and soften. This takes about 45 seconds. Immediately press a thick, clean cotton rag or a handful of sawdust into the hot tar. It acts like a sponge. You'll have to scrape the rag with a knife and repeat this a dozen times. It takes serious elbow grease, but it keeps toxic runoff out of your lawn and flowerbeds.

Muriatic Acid (The Last Resort)

I hate using muriatic acid. It's dangerous and eats through skin. But if a contractor spilled roofing cement and nothing else works, mix 1 part Klean-Strip muriatic acid to 10 parts water in a plastic bucket. Always add acid to water, never water to acid. Pour it on the stain, let it fizz for 60 seconds, and scrub. Neutralize it immediately with a baking soda solution. This will slightly etch the top layer of your concrete, so only use it on heavily textured, older driveways where minor surface damage won't be noticeable.

Prevention Tips to Keep Your Driveway Clean

Fixing a stain is annoying. Preventing it is just smart. After hosting a dinner party last month, my neighbor parked his truck on my fresh asphalt extension and left a beautiful black smear. Here is how I stop that from happening again.

Seal Your Driveway Annually: A high-quality acrylic sealer like Henry 503 ($35 a bucket) fills the microscopic pores in your concrete. Applying sealer takes a free Saturday afternoon and a bit of back-breaking work with a squeegee. But the payoff is massive. When tar lands on sealed concrete, it sits on the surface and wipes right off with a rag and some dish soap.
Use a Drip Mat: If you have an older car that leaks oil or tracks road tar, buy a 3x4 foot Drymate absorbent mat. I keep one under my wife's SUV during the summer when the municipal roads get freshly paved by the city.
Watch the Temperature: Asphalt softens at 120°F. If it's a scorching August day, avoid turning your steering wheel while the car is completely stationary. The friction and heat will twist the hot rubber and grind road tar directly into your driveway surface.
Inspect Contractor Vehicles: When hiring a roofer or paving crew, look at their tires before they pull in. If they are caked in black gunk, politely ask them to park on the street. It's your property, and you have every right to protect it from unnecessary damage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will vinegar remove tar from a driveway?

No, standard white vinegar will not dissolve petroleum-based tar. Vinegar is a mild acetic acid that works great on hard water stains and mineral deposits. Tar requires a petroleum distillate or a heavy-duty citrus solvent to break down the chemical bonds. Save your vinegar for cleaning your coffee maker.

Can I use a wire brush to scrub the tar off?

You should never use a wire brush on concrete or asphalt driveways. The stiff metal bristles will scratch the surface, leaving permanent silver marks and creating deep grooves. Those new grooves will just collect more dirt, oil, and tar in the future. Stick to stiff polypropylene or nylon bristle brushes.

How long does it take for tar to permanently stain concrete?

In direct summer sunlight, liquid tar can seep into unsealed concrete pores in as little as 15 to 20 minutes. Once it cools and hardens, it anchors itself to the aggregate. While it's rarely permanent if you use the right industrial solvents, a stain left for over a month will require multiple chemical applications and heavy pressure washing to fully extract.

Is it safe to use gasoline to clean tar off my driveway?

Absolutely do not use gasoline to clean your driveway. Gasoline is incredibly volatile, highly flammable, and produces dangerous fumes when exposed to hot concrete. Furthermore, it will seep into the ground and contaminate the local soil and groundwater. Always use commercially formulated degreasers designed for outdoor use.