Deer Season and Concrete Care
With the advent of the Winter months comes one of the great recreational activities of the Midwest; deer hunting season. Deer hunting season brings men and women throughout Illinois and other parts of the Midwest plenty of fun and food, but it also brings along huge messes caused by the cleaning, draining and aging processes required to harvest the fruits of your labor. Most of these processes are done outside, either in a garage, patio or driveway. Performing these tasks will inevitably create a mess of blood, fur and other bodily fluids that will need to be cleaned from your concrete flooring, so we have detailed a few different ways in which you can clean your concrete surfaces, outside and inside.
Outdoor Concrete Cleaning Solutions
Although concrete is generally considered a very robust and low maintenance material, it can still be stained, as it is porous. The best way to make cleaning those stains out of your concrete as easy as possible is to take preventative measures. This can be done by applying a sealant to your concrete. There is a multitude of options when it comes to sealing your concrete, so don’t hesitate to call us to find out some of your best options.
Of course, even with sealed concrete, stains are a very real possibility, especially when it comes to deer blood, so cleaning will be a necessity even if you do have a sealed concrete. This is when your friend the power washer comes in handy. The power washer will be able to take care of all surface stains and a majority of deeper stains, but still won’t be able to eradicate all stains. The effectiveness of your specific power washer will be determined by the PSI it can produce. Industrial models, like many of the ones that can be rented, are more powerful than the consumer grade models that can be bought at hardware stores. Always be safe when operating one of these machines, they can be powerful enough to injure yourself or someone. Wear protective goggles, boots, and gloves when operating.
When the power washer alone isn’t enough to remove that pesky blood stain, it may be time to apply a detergent. Follow the directions on your concrete-specific detergent, brush it in with a stiff nylon brush and power wash again. This should do the trick for most organic materials associated with a deer.
For those really tough inorganic stains, like rust or chemicals found in the garage, a more severe approach is required. There are several options, but some of the best are muriatic acid and trisodium phosphate. Both of these chemicals are quite dangerous to work with and should only be handled by following the strict instructions on the packaging.
Indoor Concrete Cleaning Solutions
Indoor concrete is almost always stamped or polished, which requires a much gentler touch when cleaning. For this type of flooring, cleaning with a mild detergent and mop is best, just as you would clean a ceramic or vinyl floor.
Keep Your Concrete Looking New All Year
If you follow up your deer hunting season with the steps we have laid out for you above, you will be able to keep your concrete looking new and clean all year around. Not only will this make your concrete last longer than it would have otherwise, but it will also keep your house and property looking nice and neat, even after a busy season. Take some time to properly clean and seal your concrete next summer too, to prepare yourself for next year’s recreations!
