Your home is an important project to maintain. Keep up with your yard, home, and even the concrete around it. While it is often forgotten concrete needs to be cleaned or it can stain and lose its natural color. Keeping the concrete clean around your home is essential to keep it in tip-top shape.

How do I Clean my Concrete?

Although concrete is durable, that does not mean it can survive without a good cleaning.  Do you want your concrete to look like it did when installed? Spills and stains can diminish the appeal. There are many ways to clean your concrete, but the most traditional is power washing.

Power washing your concrete can be a very useful and effective way to clean your concrete. The only thing is that not everybody has a power washer lying around their home. You can rent power washers from local hardware stores around you! When using a power washer, make sure that your local plants are covered, and the concrete is clear of debris and toys. The high-pressure water is sprayed onto the concrete removing the grime and stains. It’s essential not to use a zero-degree nozzle as it can cause damage to the concrete.  

Don’t Have a Powerwasher? Do I Need To Buy a Power Washer?

If you or a friend don’t have a pressure washer and you don’t want to rent one, there are a lot of things around your home that can clean your concrete. Any of the following items can be used to clean your concrete as long as they are used correctly.  

• Broom
• Dustpan
• Mop
• Bucket
• Scrub Brush (not metallic)
• Spray bottle
• Gloves
• Cat litter

Sweep the concrete clean of all debris before starting the cleaning process. If there is standing liquid on the concrete, use cat litter to soak up the liquid, such as grease. That should take about 30 minutes, and if you don’t have any cat litter, baking soda can also work.  If you’re wondering how to clean your concrete, these are the products to use.  

5 Cleaning Products to Use on Concrete

1. Soda

• Soda is effective at cleaning grease stains. This is because the following ingredients are found in Soda, Carbonated water, a solution also known as carbonic acid, Phosphoric acid, and Citric acid.
• Coca-Cola is the most common soda used. Pour the soda on the stain for 15-30 minutes, and you might need a scrub brush depending on the size of the stain. 

2. Detergent

• I would only use detergent for small, but if you mix it with some water and scrub it with a brush, you should be good to go!

3. Vinegar and Baking Soda

• This is perfect if you’re looking for more of a natural cleaner. This is a good option because bleach and detergent can be toxic to plants, so if you have a lot of plants around, this is your solution.  
• Simply fill a spray bottle with equal parts water and vinegar (or water and baking soda), and add a little bit of liquid dish detergent. Spray the mixture on your concrete surface and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Then scrub and rinse your concrete.

4. Concrete Cleaner

• The normal make-up of concrete cleaner is concentrated alkaline soap, and these soaps loosen up the oil for easy cleanup. However, a concrete cleaner can be ineffective if the stain has been there for a long time.  

5. Bleach

• If a large area needs cleaning, this is a great option. Fill a bucket with warm water and about ¾ a cup of liquid bleach and start mopping. Let the bleach solution sit for a few minutes before using a bucket with clean water to mop up the bleach solution.
• Make sure to wear gloves during this process, as bleach can be harmful to you.  

Is Your Concrete Beyond Repair?

Sometimes your concrete has been left for too long without being cleaned and is beyond repair. If you try all these home remedies and nothing is budging, then it might be time for you to get new concrete! At KC Concrete, we can give you a free quote today. We offer numerous types of concrete services and are here to help you. If you are in the Kansas City area and want to get your home looking beautiful again, call us today, and we will show you how to maintain your concrete.