How To Clean A Concrete Floor Before Staining It

But you can use undiluted vinegar for tough stains or mix a little baking soda for mild cleaning and whitening.

How to clean a concrete floor before staining it.

Water and a brush is usually sufficient to remove most everyday grime or stains. Don t etch floors with muriatic acid solutions before staining in efforts to improve stain penetration. Just be aware undiluted vinegar can etch the concrete if not wiped up quickly. Wet the area and pour or spray either lemon juice or vinegar on the rusted spots.

Acid washing depletes the lime content in the concrete which is what the minerals in the acid stain react with to develop color. Floor prep is hard work it s messy and it takes some time but it s worth the effort to be sure your decorative concrete installation lasts. A long handled brush is best for working cleaning products into the floor. Finally you ll want to use a wet vac to dry the floor.

After applying the acid water mix and before it dries thoroughly water jet clean the concrete by blasting it with 3 000 psi close to the concrete with a fan jet rinsing is not good enough to remove the surface particles and a rotary jet like a lawnmower is the best way. When cleaning stained concrete always start with a mild soap and water. Do test all cleaning products first to verify their effectiveness. Grinding away a thin layer of your concrete floor will leave you with a fresh new layer of concrete that will be much easier to stain.

Then grind evenly across the floor to remove the top layer of contaminants. For final cleaning you should do a good scrub down using t s p. Cleaning products for everyday cleaning of concrete floors include ammonia vinegar and liquid soap. Leave for 20 minutes before scrubbing in circular motions with a stiff bristled brush.

Rinse off with fresh water and follow up with the method above. Go over the area thoroughly with a wet mop and plenty of fresh clean water. When the concrete is dry apply the first coat of paint. Use a stiff straw scrub brush or a floor buffing machine with the aggressive scrubbing pads.

Hook up your grinders to a shop vacuum to limit the amount of dust that is left behind for you to clean up. After using your cleaning compounds scrub the floor again with tsp and then rinse thoroughly with clean water. Allow the surface to dry completely before proceeding with acid staining. Mop or rinse a couple of times with clean water.

It is hard work to properly clean a concrete floor and prepare it for staining but this step is crucial. Rinse off and continue with a full floor clean. Our concrete stain prep and our wax remover are both excellent concrete degreasers.