That Stain Wasn’t There Last Spring…Unique Ways to Clean Your Concrete

Every spring and summer, home owners begin to spend more time outdoors. As the temperatures get warmer, home owners are ready to go outside and have fun or just relax in patio areas. Unfortunately, many soon realize that concrete areas like porches, sidewalks, patios or driveways now have stains. The stains weren’t there before, so where did they come from? Learning how to care for new stains will help you to maintain a clean look within the exterior of your home.

Winter Stains

During the winter months, we spend less time outdoors, so it is easy to overlook staining. Your vehicle may leave an oil or another chemical stain that goes unnoticed or leaves may cover up the sidewalk and leave behind a huge dirt mark. Whatever the case may be, there are ways to clean up stains, so your concrete is clean and clear.

Before you begin, clean off all debris so that all concrete areas can be seen. Once you know where any stains are located, you can then begin the actual cleaning process. Depending on the issue, a different method may be needed in each area.

Cleaning Methods

When it comes to common dirt and grime, a power washer will do the trick to remove stains on your concrete. Simply use a power washer and move the water over the stain. If you still have difficulty removing all the dirt stain, you can use dish soap to help work the dirt out of the concrete pores.

Dirt stains are easier issues to deal with. Once you get into oil, grease, and other staining, you have more of a problem. With oil and grease, you can use a power washer, but an alkaline degreaser might be needed as well. Hot water will work to lift the oil and the degreaser will emulsify the oil to allow it to be flushed away.

Rust stains can also be present on concrete. When you need to clean up rust, it is important to use a cleaner that contains oxalic acid. This will be the most effective way to remove the rust from the concrete.

Oddly enough, water stains can also be present on your concrete. When you have a water stain, use a mild acidic cleaner and scrub the area to remove the stain. For a home remedy, take equal parts white vinegar and water and spray the spots with the solution. Let it saturate completely before cleaning.

Every spring into summer, take time to survey your concrete areas. For the most part, you may just need to sweep away leaves and twigs and power wash. When it comes to more difficult stains, you will want to use the appropriate cleaner to be sure the stains are removed.

If you are concerned about how to care or clean your concrete, contact an expert. Professional concrete installers and repair technicians will be able to help you figure out the best way to clean any stain on your concrete patios, porches, walkways and more.