How to Clean Concrete

Cleaning the concrete off our homes driveway, garage and walkways can really add to how nice the house looks. Many find it a bit confusing as to how concrete should be cleaned and maintained. This article will answer any of the basic questions you may have about cleaning stains from the concrete areas around your home.

Having the concrete sealed is one of the best investments you can make since this helps the concrete to remain in excellent condition for many years to come.

You want to sweep the concrete areas on a regular basis and wash it with a TSP or TSP phosphate-free detergent when needed.

Placing drip pans on the concrete areas where cars will be parked, will protect the concrete from being stained by dripping car oils. You'll want to fill the trays with either cat liter, sawdust, or oatmeal to act as an absorbent of any possible oil drips. Be sure to replace the absorbent material you use when necessary.To remove grease and oil from concrete: Sprinkle it with an absorbent such as cat liter, sawdust, etc. to soak up as much of the oil as possible. Leave the absorbent on for a few days, then sweep it up.

To remove rust stains: Use a mixture if one part citric acid crystals and six parts water and enough "Fuller's Earth" to make a paste. Apply the paste and allow it to dry and then scrape it off. The rust should be gone.

To remove a grease or oil stain that has already set: Dissolve 3 ounces of TSP in a 1 gallon bucket of hot water. After pouring the solution on the stain, leave it on for 20-30 minutes. Then scrub the stain with a course brush. Rinse it thoroughly with the hose. You may need to repeat this process a few times before the stain completely disappears. You can also try a commercial product.

Keep in mind that concrete is porous and the oil or grease may have penetrated deeply into the concrete. You may want to paint the concrete with a garage floor paint and then be sure to seal it.

Comments (2)

ManfredSnelling said:

	... Great Article, 5 stars !!!!!!
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January 02, 2010
Votes: +0

southerngirl09 said:

	... Great tips! I have a rust stain on my patio that I can now clean. Thanks 5*
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February 19, 2010
Votes: +0