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.
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.
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.
You can buy a commercial detergent at the local hardware store but we found a few household items will also do the trick. Washing Soda: Add ½ cup of washing soda to 4 litres of hot water. No washing soda? Just sprinkle powdered dishwashing detergent over the entire driveway.
Vinegar is an all-natural solution for cleaning concrete. It kills mildew and mold, removes grime, and helps treat set-in stains.
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.
Yes, you can use vinegar to remove mold from concrete. This household product is better than bleach when removing mold. Bleach may only remove surface-level mold, causing the latter to return over time. Mold, however, will die once it encounters vinegar.
Opt for the Most Basic Route: Soap and Water
Cleaning a concrete driveway does not have to be fancy. The easiest is the trusty soap and water mixture. Use dish soap and add it to a large bucket full of water. Then, get your stiff scrub brush, making sure it is not made of metal.
Bleach, Soap, and Water Mixture
Combine bleach, soap, and water to make a powerful cleanser. If you can find a bleach made exclusively for outdoor use, use it instead of household bleach. Mix one cup of bleach with one cup of powdered laundry detergent, then add 15 cups of hot 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.
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.
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.
Concrete Resurfacing
After ensuring the existing concrete slab is in good shape, contractors will add a thin layer of concrete—either over top of or combined with a bonding agent—to level out the surface.
Some common chemicals used for cleaning concrete include alkaline cleaners, acid cleaners, and enzymatic cleaners. Alkaline cleaners are effective for removing general dirt and grime, while acid cleaners are used for removing rust stains or mineral deposits.