Concrete Cleaner - Maintaining Your Concrete Clean

We could say that concrete is the most abused part of our homes. We walk on it, we let our children write on it, we drip hot grease on it, we spill milk on it and we even let our pet’s urine flow on it. Well, its time to change and let us begin taking care of our concrete floors and walls.

Concrete walls are not that abused unlike concrete floors. In cleaning concrete walls, you can use damp rag with little soap then wipe again with clean rag. For more stubborn stain or dirt, you can add a little amount of baking soda in your damp rag and scrub the spot with stain. Finish off with clean damp rag.

In cleaning concrete floors, the first thing to do is to remove all that might be in your way. Move furniture, decorations, plants, cars, other things. When it is clear, get a push broom and sweep the concrete to get big chunks and help you avoid spraying things like nails and glass into the yard or street. Next step is to put a tarp over delicate plants and on things that can be damaged when spray. Finally, cover any electrical outlets and cords to avoid electrocution.

Now, you will make your own easy concrete cleaner. Mix in a 5-gallon bucket some oxygen bleach with some hot water. When the solution is ready, pour it into a tank sprayer and spray the entire concrete. Make sure you have properly coated the entire concrete with enough solution. Let it stand for about 20 to 30 minutes to let the bleach do the cleaning.

Next, take your time scrubbing the concrete with either a long handled brush or a push broom. Make sure the corners especially in the garage are scrubbed thoroughly. It is where most dirt and grime are collected.  Clean evenly to avoid patchy look on your concrete.

Finish your cleaning with a pressure washer. If you do not own one, you can rent. Using a pressure washer will give you much each in washing off the cleaning solution and having an even cleaned concrete.

For spot cleaning concrete, you may use a solution of hot water and laundry detergent. Avoid using a brush with steel bristles, it can damage the concrete.
Let the concrete dry up. If you want to speed up drying, use a push squeegee to help gets as much water off the concrete. If you wish, you can use concrete sealant to protect the concrete from water erosion and the harm caused by cycles of freezing and thawing. Environmental friendly concrete sealants are available for your use.

To clean polished concrete, dusting to remove grit and damp mopping with a neutral cleaner to enhance the shine of the concrete is all you need. With basic cleaning, polished concrete will keep its luster for years. However, the shine can dull in high-traffic areas. You can restore the gleam by buffing the floor with natural concrete polishing compound.  If more touch-up is needed, the concrete floors can be lightly re-polished with a fine-grit abrasive.