Use a detergent such as Dawn or Ajax dishwashing liquid mixed with water to brighten a concrete patio that hasn't been cleaned in a while. Just as you would regularly vacuum the floor and dust your furniture inside your house, you should keep your patio clean so it's ready at a moment's notice to entertain.
Interior Concrete Floors:
Clean with water. Use a mild detergent as needed. Such as Dove or Ivory dish soap. Do Not use Dawn, Simple Green, Ammonia or harsh cleaners as they will work to damage and even strip the wax.
To clean smaller surfaces areas, pH-neutral soap, a little water, and a brush are suitable. If you want to clean larger areas of natural stone efficiently, you can reach for the electric patio cleaner or work with the pressure washer and a surface cleaner.
Clean your concrete floor with dish soap. Concrete floors are often found in many unfinished basement areas, as it provides a solid, durable flooring surface. While you may think of dish soap only for washing your dishes, it actually works well for keeping your concrete floor clean.
Contrary to popular belief, you don't need any fancy products to clean a patio without a pressure washer. In fact, one of the most effective patio cleaning products is good old-fashioned washing-up liquid mixed with warm tap water.
Dish soap and water: Dish soap is a degreaser, and it works well to clean oily and grimy concrete. Create a cleaning solution of warm water and few drops of dish soap and apply it to the surface. Let it sit for a while, then mop the patio and rinse it with fresh water. Repeat the process as many times as needed.
Dish soaps are ideal for this job. While they feature surfactants that are able to remove tough grime like oil and grease, they are also safe enough to use on paving stones without compromising their integrity or appearance.
Keep fertilizers away from concrete
Fertilizers often contain ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate which are harmful chemicals that can disintegrate concrete. Avoid using these on our near your concrete during its first year.
Use Dish Soap and Water
Ordinary household dish soap as a degreaser is extremely useful for cleaning up oily, grimy concrete stains while avoiding the use of harmful chemicals. Start with two gallons of warm water and a mere two teaspoons of dish soap in a standard bucket.
Make this simple homemade patio cleaner to get your concrete or pavers looking brand new. Make a paste with two parts of baking soda to one part of vinegar. Spread the paste on the patio surface and scrub with a brush (we like a long-handled one so you don't have to bend over).
To make your soapy water mix warm water and washing up liquid or hand soap in a bucket. Pour the cleaning mixture over the patio. You can be generous with the soapy water as it will not damage your patio. Take a hard bristled brush and agitate the area by rubbing it back and forth over the patio.
Vinegar and Baking Soda
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.
Choose a highly concentrated, oil busting dish soap, such as Dawn. Squirt it over the stain and spread it around to cover the entire affected area. Let it sit for about an hour, then mop up the dish soap and oil with a paper towel.
Alkaline cleaners like baking soda (pH 8 to 9) and castile soap (pH 8.9) break down oil, grease, and other hydrocarbon-based grime. Higher alkaline cleaners like borax (pH 10) and washing soda (pH 11 to 12) tackle deeper, harder-to-remove concrete stains.
What are the most common causes of concrete deterioration? Chemical attack, overloading and impact, carbonation, dry and wet cycling, and fire are major causes of concrete damages.
Rain on freshly finished concrete can damage the surface, and in extreme cases, wash the surface off the concrete exposing the aggregate. To prevent this, covering the concrete with hessian will protect the surface from running water, reducing the risk of erosion.
The inorganic compounds which are useful as concrete dissolvers generally include inorganic acids such as hydrochloric, phosphoric, hypochlorous and carbonic acid. Salts of these acids and alkalies such as sodium-hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate and ammoniumsulfate are also eifective.
There are useful tools for cleaning paving stones, such as joint scrapers, sweepers, and pressure washers. In addition, pavers can be cleaned with a small pickaxe, broom, and garden hose.
Use soap and water, if the pavers are still dirty after sweeping and water hosing, make a solution of soap and water. You can use dish soap, laundry detergent, or any type of general-purpose cleaner. Never use bleach on your pavers, as it can damage the surface.
Wash patio slabs with white vinegar
This eco-friendly solution is made up of equal parts vinegar and water, which is then left to soak into the patio to correct any discolouration and also remove tough marks. You should first move all plants and furniture out of the way, then sweep the area to remove any moss.