Three driveway stain types — three chemistries
Traffic film (road salt, diesel mist, exhaust carbon) → 2-butoxyethanol TFR diluted 1:20. Spray on, dwell 5 minutes, jet wash off. This is the pre-wash pass on a car or a block-paved driveway.
Fresh oil drips and light engine grease → alkaline degreaser: potassium metasilicate (KilrockPRO, CAS 10213-79-3) or TKPP (LTP Grimex, CAS 7320-34-5) diluted per the teardown, scrub with a stiff brush. These hydrolyse fatty oils that TFR alone cannot fully lift.
Deep, polymerised oil soaked into porous stone → solvent poultice (Lithofin OIL-EX style): C9–C10 hydrocarbon paste with a trace of d-limonene spread over the stain, covered in cling film, then scraped and followed with an alkaline wash. This is a different approach to an old oil patch, not a quick spray.
TFR: how to dilute 2-butoxyethanol safely
2-Butoxyethanol (CAS 111-76-2, aka butyl glycol) is the workhorse solvent in TFR concentrates. It is classified as a reproductive hazard at high vapour concentrations — use nitrile gloves and work outdoors or with a fan extracting fumes away from you. Never mix neat with bleach or hydrogen peroxide.
A 5% working dilution (250 ml of 99% concentrate per 5 litres of water) covers most driveway pre-wash jobs. See the Bilt Hamber Auto-Foam teardown for maths. Apply with a pump sprayer or foam lance; rinse before it dries. Do not apply in direct summer sun on hot concrete.
Alkaline degreasers: metasilicate vs TKPP
Potassium metasilicate (KilrockPRO Masonry Cleaner, CAS 10213-79-3) is a strong alkali that saponifies animal and vegetable oils on contact. It leaves a silicate mineral film on some stone — rinse well. TKPP (tetrapotassium pyrophosphate, LTP Grimex, CAS 7320-34-5) is a phosphate builder that peptises mineral deposits and grease, leaving less residue on stone.
Do not use either on acid-sensitive stone (limestone, marble) or on freshly laid mortar. Read the teardown for the exact dilution — both products are corrosive at concentrate strength.
One chemistry at a time
TFR (acid or neutral glycol ether) + bleach = chlorine gas risk. Alkaline degreaser + brick acid = violent neutralisation and sulphur dioxide from some formulations. Oil poultice + BAC biocide = wasted chemistry. Pick one pass, rinse, dry, then apply the next if the stain needs more than one approach.
FAQ
- What is traffic film remover (TFR) made of?
- TFR is typically a glycol ether solvent — usually 2-butoxyethanol (CAS 111-76-2) — blended with alkali and a surfactant. The glycol ether softens road film and diesel residue so the surfactant can lift it. Branded TFRs differ mainly in concentration and foam profile, not in the core molecule.
- Can I use the same product on my driveway and on a car?
- TFR diluted 1:20 is used on vehicle paintwork by professional detailers; the same dilution works on concrete block paving. For a driveway with pooled oil patches, switch to an alkaline degreaser (metasilicate or TKPP) after the TFR pre-wash, then rinse before the alkali dries.
- Does TFR remove lichen or algae from a driveway?
- No — TFR is a film-and-oil solvent, not a biocide. Green algae on a driveway needs a quaternary ammonium biocide (BAC or DDAC) or a hypochlorite treatment, not a glycol ether. Tackle the biological growth first, then the oil stain, as a separate chemistry pass.
More patio & exterior guides
Patio guide
Patio cleaners decoded: BAC, DDAC, bleach, acid and degreasers
Patio guide
How much patio chemical do you need? Measure first
Patio guide
BAC vs DDAC vs bleach on patios — which active for which stain?
Patio guide
When to use a metasilicate degreaser on driveways
Patio guide
Driveway oil stains: degreaser vs solvent vs absorbent
Patio guide
Water-repellent, biocide or acid — which patio job needs which chemistry
Related teardowns
Live stacks this guide points at — mix maths and DIY affiliate links on each page.
Patio & exterior
Auto-Foam Traffic Film Remover
Bilt Hamber
- Retail pack
- £19.995 litres
- Raw active
- 2-Butoxyethanol (butyl glycol, 99%+)111-76-2
Traffic film removers are a glycol-ether solvent (2-butoxyethanol, CAS 111-76-2) plus alkali and surfactant. The 5 litre Bilt Hamber bottle lists butyl glycol as the active solvent — a common TFR formulation across the industry. A 25 litre drum of 2-butoxyethanol from a lab supplier diluted with sodium hydroxide and surfactant is the same working chemistry at a fraction of the branded price per litre.
Patio & exterior
Patio, Driveway & Masonry Cleaner
KilrockPRO
- Retail pack
- £14.005 litres
- Raw active
- Sodium metasilicate pentahydrate10213-79-3
This is not Patio Magic (BAC) and it is not Mortar Clen (HCl). KilrockPRO is a dilute alkaline masonry degreaser — disodium metasilicate (CAS 6834-92-0) with soda ash and a chelator. Metasilicate pentahydrate crystals mixed at about 30 g/L match the bottle strength; then dilute 1:20 for light stains as the pack does.
Patio & exterior
Grimex Intensive Cleaner
LTP
- Retail pack
- £33.005 litres
- Raw active
- Tetrapotassium pyrophosphate (TKPP)7320-34-5
Not a patio biocide (BAC/DDAC) and not brick acid. LTP’s 2025 SDS lists tetrapotassium pyrophosphate (~1–3%) with glycol ether and a little ammonia — a phosphate-builder scrub for grease and old wax. TKPP crystals at about 20 g/L match the bottle’s builder strength; then dilute as the pack does.
Patio & exterior
OIL-EX Oil Stain Remover
Lithofin
- Retail pack
- £16.56250 millilitres
- Raw active
- Low-aromatic C9–C10 white spirit plus fuller’s earth poultice64742-49-0
Lithofin OIL-EX is a solvent poultice, not an alkaline degreaser. The GB SDS lists C9–C10 hydrocarbons (CAS 64742-49-0) at 60–65%, C9 aromatics (CAS 64742-95-6) at 15–20%, and d-limonene (CAS 5989-27-5) at 0.5–1% in an absorbent paste. It is not KilrockPRO metasilicate, not LTP Grimex TKPP, and not Solvex benzyl alcohol. Low-aromatic white spirit plus fuller’s earth is the same solvent-and-absorb job without the 250 ml tube tax.
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