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.
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.
Cleaning dirty concrete is fairly easy using a detergent or degreaser. You can use something simple like Dawn dish soap to various degreasers you can find at Lowes or Home Depot. Zep Purple works well on concrete. Eventually you'll need to find the chemical distributors in your town and see what's available.
To tackle these stubborn concrete stains like oil, grease, rust, and tire marks, try using degreasers or dishwashing liquid for oil, rust remover or vinegar for rust, and pressure washing for tire marks, with commercial cleaners for tougher stains.
Sweep off or vacuum up any loose dirt, dust, and debris from the concrete surface. Using a garden hose, wet the concrete. Then, apply a mixture of trisodium phosphate and water, scrubbing the solution onto the surface using a stiff-bristled broom. You can also use a pressure washer for this step.
Trickle a grease-fighting dish soap over any remnants of the stain. Pour on a little hot water and scrub the area with a wire or nylon brush. Flush the entire area with boiling water. Repeat these steps as needed.
To make concrete white again, clean it with products like bleach and laundry detergent. Combining bleach, powdered laundry detergent, and hot water gives you a mixture that can help remove stains and whiten the concrete.
Vinegar is an acidic cleaner that can etch concrete if used undiluted or left on for too long. However, when used appropriately, diluted vinegar can effectively clean concrete driveways, removing stains and grime while being a cost-effective and natural cleaning solution.
Applying the Pretreatment
While wearing protective gear, such as gloves and goggles, mix a cleaning solution typically consisting of water, bleach, and mild soap in a ratio that ensures effective cleansing without damaging the concrete.
Power washing your concrete patio surface and removing stains can really improve its look. For information on how to clean your concrete slab and remove common stains, see our cleaning guide. Repair cracks or other damage. You should have a concrete contractor come out to assess any crack you see—no matter how small.
Fortunately, a little Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach or Clorox® Outdoor Bleach can help make your patio refresh an easy afternoon project.
If your deck is made from concrete, pavers travertine, brick, stamped concrete or composite decking, you can clean and refresh it for summer using OxiClean™ Versatile Stain Remover.
30 Seconds Ready To Use Outdoor Cleaner is made from a combination of ingredients, with the active ingredient being Sodium Hypochlorite. What happens when you apply the product is that it works immediately on any organics by emulsifying the growth.
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. Do not use vinegar and baking soda mixture in a power washer. And be sure to protect your hands, eyes, and nose to minimize any irritation.
WD-40 can do more than eliminate unpleasant door squeaks – it may also help remove oil stains in your driveway, according to Reader's Digest. That's because it has ingredients that can penetrate grease. Spray a liberal amount on the area and let it sit for 20 minutes, adds Organic Lesson, then wipe the area clean.
Cleaning concrete with vinegar or baking soda is a good option if you are looking for a natural cleaner. While cleaning concrete with bleach or detergent can be effective, it can also be toxic to plants.
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.
One of the most budget-friendly ways to spot-treat stains is with liquid laundry detergent and water.
Some contractors use at least a little degreaser for most jobs, even to remove dirt, which can be somewhat oily. According to Hinckley, alkaline cleaners are also the preferred chemical for cleaning soot from concrete.
It might sound too simple to be effective, but the classic cleaning hack of diluted white vinegar can actually prove to be the best homemade patio black spot remover, capable of removing some of the less stubborn cases of black lichen, black spots, and black mould from your patio.
Mix 1 gallon of water with 1 cup of white vinegar. Add 1 tablespoon of dish soap to help the solution cling to vertical surfaces and improve its grease-cutting power. For tougher stains, add ½ cup of baking soda to the mixture for extra scrubbing power.