White vinegar will not damage your concrete. However, leaving this solution for an extended period will damage the cement that binds the concrete together. Hence, you should be careful when using vinegar on your concrete, especially if you will use this solution on polished concrete.
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.
Natural Stone Countertops. Granite, marble and concrete are porous. Spraying these surfaces with vinegar can cause etching and loss of shine.
We found several “recipes” for cleaning solutions that can be used on unsealed cement garage floors. Here are three of the most common: Recipe #1 – Mix 2 tsp. dish soap, 1 cup white vinegar and 1 gallon warm water in a bucket.
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.
Tide (or a similar powdered) detergent: Mix the detergent with a little water to make a paste. Wipe the floor with a wet cloth first, apply the paste, then use a brush to scrub. Rinse the area with clean water.
Spraying a vinegar solution (1 cup of vinegar per gallon of water) onto the surface, saturating it fully, should kill most strains of mold. Vinegar spray can be followed by power washing or manual hand scrubbing to remove the dead mold.
Combine 1/4 cup of liquid bleach with 1 gallon of hot water in a large bucket. To avoid damaging your lawn or walkways, always dilute your bleach and control your runoff when rinsing. Soak your brush in the solution and scrub the entire area until it's fully saturated.
Use a mild grease-cutting detergent such as Dawn or Ajax dishwashing liquid mixed with water and a natural or synthetic bristle scrub brush to help brighten the patio surface. NOTE: Never use a wire brush as it can leave rust stains and scratch the concrete surface.
Despite the signal word danger on most such labels, gardeners may instead just see vinegar and be careless. Sobering details: In concentrations over 11%, acetic acid can burn skin and cause eye damage, and concentrations of 20% and above are corrosive to tin, aluminum, iron, and concrete and can even cause blindness.
White vinegar is good for cleaning pavers, though it's also acidic enough to erode the stones' surface. Diluted vinegar can be used safely to clean paving stones, though it should be used sparingly and infrequently to protect your paving from damage.
Our top pick is the RMR-86 Instant Mold and Mildew Stain Remover for its versatility and effectiveness on nearly every surface. For those looking for an eco-friendly mold remover with natural ingredients, we recommend CLR Mold and Mildew Clear.
Vinegar is a natural and safe alternative to cleaning concrete with harsh chemicals. In the case of algae and mold, it does a better job than bleach, and it is better in the long term for killing these infestations. Oftentimes, vinegar can be found in your home or garage.
While mold may not find enough nourishment in concrete alone, it can feed on moisture, algae, bacteria, salts, dust, pollen, dirt, dead skin, and other particles trapped within it. As mold degrades concrete, the material becomes more porous, allowing for further moisture, bacterial and particulate intrusion.
Scrub the concrete with a nylon-bristled brush and then rinse thoroughly with the garden hose. For extremely heavy stains, a power washer provides a much stronger stream of water to blast away the grime. Use a hose to rinse greenery after the patio is clean.
You can power wash concrete all year as long as the temperature is about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Most homeowners and businesses prefer to do it in the spring or summer to reduce the spread and growth of algae and mold. It also reduces pollen, which can affect allergies.
As a gentler cleaner, bleach can't harm concrete's durable material. Aside from being an effective cleaner and stain remover, it also acts as a disinfectant to the concrete surface.
1. Best Overall Concrete Cleaner—ZEP Purple Pressure Wash. Zep concrete cleaner has several great products, and the ZEP Purple Pressure Wash outdoor cleaner is no exception. This alkaline cleaner is low foaming and easy to rinse from the concrete surface.