A garage, carport, or driveway is the area where most of us allow our tired vehicles to rest between each use. More often than not, and depending upon the mechanical condition of the vehicle, there are oil and grease spots that decorate the concrete like litter on lawn. If this sounds familiar, do we have a formula for you. A couple of formulas actually, depending upon the severity of the stains.

Our first formula may cause your neighbors to wonder whether you're playing with a full deck when they see you using it to clean up the grease and oil spots on your driveway. Chances are, however, that once complete you'll be the envy of the neighborhood with the cleanest driveway on the block.

You'll need the following items. A small bag of cat litter, a few cans of a cola beverage, a nylon brush or stiff bristle broom, a mixing bucket, laundry detergent, bleach, eye protection and rubber gloves.

Start by completely covering the grease or oil with a thin layer of the cat litter and grind it in with the sole of your shoe. Sweep up the cat litter and pour enough of the cola beverage on to cover the entire area. Work the cola into the affected area with a scrub brush or bristle broom making sure to keep the entire area damp with the cola. Leave the cola on for about fifteen to twenty minutes or until it has stopped fizzing.

Next, rinse off all of the cola with fresh water. This will reveal a gray stain that can be whitened by scrubbing it with a solution of one cup of liquid chlorine bleach and one cup of laundry detergent in on gallon of very hot water.

If, on the other hand, your driveway, garage, or carport looks an Indy 500 pit stop chances are you'll need something that packs a more powerful punch! Start with the cat litter and cola, but if it doesn't do the trick than it's time to make a ten percent solution of muriatic acid--that's one part muriatic acid to nine parts water. Caution: working with muriatic acid is dangerous! Be sure that you wear eye protection, rubber gloves to protect your hands and arms, and that there is plenty of ventilation. This project should not be attempted when there are children or small animals present.

Start by filling the bucket with water, and then add the acid. Pour the diluted acid over the area and work it in with a scrub brush or bristle broom being careful not to splash it to avoid damage to the surrounding area. Flush the entire area with fresh water after the solution has been in place for about ten minutes. More than one treatment may be required for those stains that only professional racecar drivers can appreciate.

Oh, by the way, now that the grease and oil is gone it's a great time to get that leaky engine fixed!