Cleaning Concrete Before Staining

Your supplies are likely to be a bucket scrub brush and detergent.

Cleaning concrete before staining.

General soil most concrete or cement cleaning projects should begin with general cleaning of the entire surface. Spray the concrete stains with the soap solution. A lot of people think they need to acid etch the concrete like they do before applying a paint or coating to get the paint to adhere. Hydrogen peroxide or ammonia also work well too.

Sweep or use a blower to get rid of loose debris first. To remove pour one eighth of a cup of liquid dishwashing detergent into a spray bottle then top off the bottle with warm water and shake well. Because many oils and petroleum based contaminants can be hard to see until after the stain is applied we recommend that you first scrub the area with a concrete degreaser. Using a scrub brush with a long handle makes cleaning much easier.

Because acid stains need to penetrate into the concrete surface to work it s especially important that the concrete surface is completely clean. Schmidt also warns against acid etching of floors before staining. Before cleaning your concrete or even staining your deck you need to get rid of dirt and leaves that may be on the surface. The bad news for the fastidious homeowner is that.

For many years it was a standard method of concrete preparation used by nearly all industrial commercial and institutional floor coating installers depending on the floor size and system to be installed. But acid washing depletes the lime content which is what the minerals in the acid stain react with. 6 if scraping alone does not work apply either a nonflammable chemical stripper or a powdered hydrated lime paste to the stained area. Sweep the surface with a push broom to remove debris.

Strip any curing agents or waxes remove any paints or glues ensure there is no grease or oils. Attempt to scrape any of the glue or caulk off of the floor with a putty knife or floor scraper. Acid etching is the process of applying hydrochloric muriatic or buffered phosphoric acid to a slab then rinsing it off with water. A solution of tsp trisodium phosphate and a lot of elbow grease with a scrub brush would be your best bet.

Another option would be to use a pressure washer to clean the concrete slab. Carpet glue tile mastics water and urine stains chalk marks caulk grease stains paint drips and rust spots are just a few of the contaminants you may encounter once you remove an existing floor covering. First before doing your final clean ensure the concrete is free from all contaminants. For grease stains on concrete try scrubbing the stain with lacquer thinner or mineral spirits.

Do choose the right cleaning product for the job see questions to ask when choosing a concrete cleaner or degreaser.