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.
Cement N Concrete Remover is a cleaning compound designed specifically to remove dry mud build-up and stains from a variety of substrates with a safe approach. The chemical reaction does the work for you - even your equipment comes out clean.
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.
We recommend Ameripolish® Rejuvenating Floor Cleaner. This product is designed for polished concrete floors and will increase stain resistance when used regularly. If this product is unavailable, we suggest using natural soap, such as Dr. Bronner's castile soap when mopping your floor.
Bleach. If your concrete is dull and sprouting weeds or mold, bleach is your best option for cleaning and brightening concrete. Mix a cup of bleach into a 5-gallon bucket of warm water, then spray or pour over concrete.
The quick answer is yes, power washing can degrade a concrete surface. You can notice visible damage from water pressure at the level at which even light-duty power washers can operate. Therefore, if you aren't careful, you can cause irreversible damage to your driveway or patio.
As a gentler cleaner, bleach can't harm concrete's durable material. Aside from being an effective cleaner and stain remover, it also acts as a disinfectant to the concrete surface.
If you don't have detergent, a simple solution of washing up liquid with warm water should do the trick. Starting from the top corner, hold your pressure washer at a 30-degree angle and spray diagonally across your patio. Don't stand too close to the surface as the powerful jet of water could damage your patio slabs.
While pressurized water can be enough to clean your driveway, cleaning agents such as soap or detergent help loosen up all the dirt, grime, and grease. They're also great for targeting stubborn stains. Choose a cleaning agent that is specifically made for your driveway pressure washer.
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. 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.
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.
Mix equal parts water and vinegar and apply it to concrete. If this stain removal technique doesn't work, use 100% vinegar and scrub stains out. This solution can work on many surfaces, including car seats and hardwood floors.
The curing process, if done correctly, typically takes around thirty days to properly dry and set to its full strength. An improper curing process, or the application of a concrete sealer before the concrete has set, can be disastrous to the longevity of the material.
Vinegar is a natural and safe alternative to cleaning concrete with harsh chemicals. In the case of algae and mold, it does a better job than bleach, and it is better in the long term for killing these infestations. Oftentimes, vinegar can be found in your home or garage.
If you need to get rid of rust from concrete, your best bet is to use some WD-40 Multi-Use Product, and some elbow grease. WD-40 is specially formulated to be a penetrant, so when you spray it on a rusted surface, it gets to work right away by getting under the rust.
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.
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.
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.
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.