Acidic foods such as milk, cola products, pickles and even mustard can cause serious damage to a
For example, oil and grease stains can be removed with a degreaser and hot water, while rust stains may require an acid-based cleaner. Dye stains may require a specialised stain remover, while ink stains may be removed with rubbing alcohol or a specialised ink remover.
Stubborn stains may require extra action. Try mixing one cup of trisodium phosphate (TSP) in a gallon of hot water and pouring this over the stain. Let it soak for at least 30 minutes and scrub with a brush. Wash off with your hose and repeat as necessary.
Acidic food (cola, milk, pickles, mustard, etc.) Immediately clean with fresh water or Consolideck DailyKlean*. Acids will etch concrete if not removed quickly.
Milk is only slightly acidic, but add more lactic acid and it becomes corrosive to concrete, if left in place. If a facility consistently exposed its floors to sour milk, either because of drainage issues or simply because of the sheer quantities of milk involved, protecting the concrete would become very important.
Cleaning concrete with vinegar will not damage it! However, saturating concrete for an extended period will damage the cement that binds concrete together. Over time, vinegar erodes the concrete itself, so be careful.
Watch for Acidic Food & Beverage Spills
Acidic foods such as milk, cola products, pickles and even mustard can cause serious damage to a polished concrete floor. Left behind, the acidity can etch through the polished concrete surface causing damage that requires professional repair.
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.
Vinegar or baking soda: These natural cleaners work well to clean cement patios with stubborn charcoal or rust spots. Mix equal parts vinegar and water, scrub the patio with the mixture, then give it a good rinse. If stains don't dissolve, try undiluted vinegar.
Glycolic acid is preferred in concrete cleaners and removers as it combines the essential cleaning attributes, required acidity, and necessary metal complexing capability for concrete cleaners and cement dissolving formulations.
A small amount of acid added to the water will pull the stain out of the concrete without etching the concrete surface. In essence, the acidic solution reverses the reaction, allowing you to pull the color back out of the concrete.
Acid Staining
Acid stains are a reactive coloring process that penetrates into the porous concrete surface. This is probably the most permanent of all coloring options but is usually limited to eight colors.
Most stains on concrete floors can be removed quickly and easily, but a lot depends on how old the stain is and how porous the concrete surface is. Rust, oil, grease, paint or glue stains each have a recommended stain removal technique.
To remove stains from concrete, clean up spills immediately and sweep away any debris. Match the concrete cleaner to the stain type and follow mixing directions. Use a stiff-bristle broom or brush to work the cleaner into the stain. Allow cleaners to rest for their recommended time.
Cleaning concrete with muriatic acid can be a highly effective solution if used correctly, providing ultra-bright white concrete and removal of many types of stains. In one application, you can remove rust stains, oil stains, algae, and paint splatter with a quick chemical application followed by pressure washing.
Whether your patio is sealed concrete or cement, or even sealed concrete pavers, a bleach and water solution makes it easy to clean away built up soil, stains from leaves and pollen, mold, mildew and algae.
Dried milk stains or stains that have set in over a long period of time may need several repetitions of soaking, treating with laundry detergent, and using a stain removal product to fully remove the stain. If you still see the milk stain, you might need the power of oxygen-based bleach.
While milk is an amazing source of calcium, it is also one powerful tool when it comes to ink stain removal. Give your ink-stained shirts, sheets, and skirts an overnight milk bath to remove stains and then wash as usual to remove the milk.
Acid based stains such as milk, juice, vinegar may etch the concrete, potentially causing permanent damage to the concrete. Always use “caution wet floor” signs and wear PPE. Make sure to use the procedures below: Clean area to be treated using the auto-scrubber following the Nightly Cleaning Procedure.
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.
So while you're looking to get rid of those oil stains from the concrete driveway you found WD40 as a solution to remove oil stains but then you start wondering “does WD40 stain concrete?” Yes! It does and that's because WD40 itself acts like an engine oil going inside the concrete leaving it discolored or stained.
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.