Try using equal parts lemon juice and white vinegar. This creates a similar acidic solution that could lift your rust stains. For instance, you might use 1 part cleaning product with 10 parts water.
Pressure washing is one of the fastest, most effective ways to get your concrete white again. Concrete can change color over time due to pollen, algae, or dirt buildup, but a good pressure wash can easily remove dirt and stains and make your concrete look new again.
Add 2 ⅔ cups Clorox® Outdoor Bleach to the pump sprayer and then add 13 ⅓ cups water to make 1 gallon of bleach solution. Wear gloves, safety glasses and clothing that you don't mind accidentally splashing with bleach solution.
A quick answer is yes! White vinegar can clean concrete and remove stains. It may not be as powerful as concrete cleaners, but it can clean up concrete stains on a budget.
Liquid peroxide formulas clean and brighten grout lines without harsh acids and chlorine bleaches that can damage the grout and surrounding flooring materials. The Liquid peroxide cleans, refreshes, and brightens concrete, tile, and grout without leaving watermarks or residue in contrast to other cleaning chemicals.
Product description. OxiClean is a powerful concrete cleaner that works well on various materials, including pavement and grout.
In fact, vinegar removes mold from concrete better than bleach. Bleach will only remove the top layer of mold, causing the mold to return.
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.
Muriatic acid can work wonders on filthy concrete, and it can also be very effective at cleaning excess smears of dried mortar and grout, or tackling tough rust stains.
As a gentler cleaner, bleach can't harm concrete's durable material.
But that's not all; chlorine bleach can also be used for cleaning the concrete driveway. Of course, you should dilute it with equal parts of water or a 1:1 ratio. With the mixture ready, spray it on the driveway, allowing it to sit for 10 minutes. Then, use a stiff brush before rinsing with clean water.
To clean and etch concrete, mix one part muriatic acid to 10 parts water. Brush or spray the acid solution on the concrete, wait eight to 10 minutes, then neutralize the acid by spraying the surface with a mixture of one cup of ammonia in one gallon of water.
Although the bulk of the hydration process takes place in the hours and days immediately after the pour, concrete needs 28 days to fully dry. While the slab will harden and lighten in color before 28 days, don't be fooled into thinking it's done hydrating.
Over time, it can destroy concrete as the acid weakens its structure. This will cause scaling, pitting, peeling, and cracking. If the acid wash gets into the soil, it will evaporate on the surface but remain beneath the surface (just like it does with concrete).
DRYLOK® Etch is highly effective in etching masonry, stone, tile, and brick. It removes unsightly efflorescence (salt deposits) as well as excess mortar. Use DRYLOK® Etch, as a safer alternative to muriatic acid and is not activated until mixed with water for safe storage.
Any concrete that is not properly neutralized will begin decomposing immediately. It may take time for the damage to reach the surface where you can see it, but it is happening and is usually irrepairable.
Muriatic acid: mix 3 to 4 parts water with 1 part acid, or follow label instructions for a 10% concentration (15% for hard, smooth concrete). These solutions are for etching the concrete. If you're just removing mineral deposits (efflorescence), use a much weaker mix (10:1 or 16:1 for muriatic acid).
Simple Green Oxy Solve Concrete and Driveway Cleaner can be used with a power washer or for manual cleaning of concrete surfaces including driveways, sidewalks, patios, and walkways.
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.
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.
But common pantry essentials that are often used for cleaning — like baking soda and vinegar — shouldn't be mixed either. Unlike the bleach-ammonia mixture, combining soda and vinegar won't hurt anyone — but don't expect the mixture to do a good job cleaning, either.
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.
Hydrogen peroxide is another concrete cleaning item that is easily available at pharmacies, grocery stores, and home improvement stores. For a natural, stronger solution to tackle stubborn stains on concrete surfaces, mix flour and hydrogen peroxide into a paste the consistency of peanut butter.