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How To Clean Cement Patio

Use Carbonated Drinks To Clean Concrete Patio

How to Clean Cement Patio Slabs

Did you know that carbonated drinks could be superb on how to clean concrete patio without pressure washer?

Although doctors say that soda is bad for your health, apparently it can be an excellent cleaner for your concrete patio. It happens because those beverages contain acidity.

So, how to clean concrete patio without pressure washer, but you use soda, instead? It is easy.

All you need to do is just grabbing your favorite soda, preferably the one containing citric acid. Spill that beverage over the stain, and then leave it for half an hour. After that, scrub and wash it.


Now, you know some effective ways on how to clean concrete patio without pressure washer. They are environmentally friendly and more importantly relatively cheap.

Repeat The Process Where Necessary

Once the concrete is dry, youll be able to truly see how clean your patio is now. With any luck, there will be a significant improvement, and you can either store all your materials away or move on to the next section.

However, some tough sections of your patio might require multiple applications of the cleaning agent and significant scrubbing. If this is the case, repeat this process necessary on your patio to remove as much mildew or staining as possible.

Ultimately, we recommend you dont repeat this process more than three times with these cleaning agents. If the section isnt up to par after a third attempt of the process, youll likely either need to rent a high-powered pressure washer or face the fact that the discoloration is just a permanent part of your patio now. We also have articles about how you can clean patio pavers as well as how to clean brick patio, so be sure to check those out.

How To Clean Cement

For cleaning a cement patio, your garage floor, or any other concrete surface, combine the ingredients in a large bucket, then spread over the concrete using either a push broom or a power washer. Tools needed for cleaning a filthy cement basement floor.


How to Remove Rust from Concrete Remove rust from

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Removing Mold From Concrete Patio

One thing you should do before heading into the actual cleanup process is following the safety precautions. The mere inhalation of mold spores or being in contact with any amount of it could cause respiratory issues and trigger allergic reactions.

Make sure to clad yourself in goggles, gloves, N-95 masks or P-100 respirators. This is especially important for people who have compromised immune systems in order to avoid the worst case scenario from happening.

Sealing Your Concrete Patio

How to Clean A Patio

Sealing your concrete patio is optional.


However, it is highly recommended. Not only will it help you have an improved appearance on your concrete patio, it will also help you avoid future problems of cleaning it due to urine.

When applying any sealer, wear your gloves, face mask and trousers with long sleeves or shirts.

Make sure that the concrete is dry after washing it so that the sealer will stick properly.

You can dry it completely for 24 hours.

Sealers can be applied differently. Oil-based sealers are applied using a sprayer while water-based sealers are applied using a roller.


Whatever you use, just make sure you apply it properly and in accordance to the look you want to achieve.

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How To Clean Stained Cement Or Concrete

This post may contain affiliate links that wont change your price but will share some commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Maintain your homes value by cleaning stained cement floors and patios. You dont need any special equipment, just a few common ingredients.

Use Trisodium Phosphate To Clean Concrete Patio

If you are looking for a heavy-duty cleaner for your concrete patio, you should take TSP into your consideration.


TSP, also known as trisodium phosphate, is renowned for being a strong cleaner. It is odorless and colorless. Besides, it does not contain any bleach nor ammonia.

How to clean concrete patio without pressure washer, but using TSP, instead?

Trisodium phosphate comes in the form of dry powder. Therefore, you have to mix ½ cup of TSP with 2 gallons of hot water in a few minutes until you get a mostly clear solution. It will be slightly cloudy, though.

Bear in mind that TSP is toxic. For this reason, you will need to wear insulated gloves, long sleeves, and an eye shield. You may also use plastic sheeting to cover other areas.

Once you get the cleaning solution, soak a sponge in it and squeeze the excess water from it. Make sure it is rather damp and begin to clean the stain from the bottom upward.


You need to move it in broad strokes for a better result. Repeat the steps several times. If the stains do not come off, you can try applying TSP with a nylon-bristled scrub brush.

To avoid any white spots on the surface of your concrete patio, try rinsing the cleaned area using warm water. Use a new sponge and a new bucket to do it.

Those were the steps on how to clean concrete patio without pressure washer.

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Scrub Like You Mean It

The time has come. This is the moment where you need to give that concrete patio all youve got to remove those pesky stains and that nasty mildew. Using your stiff-bristled brush, give the soaked patio a quality scrub.


Depending on the cleaning agent you chose, you might notice some will require a little more elbow grease than others. Typically, the Rust-Oleum Cleaner and Degreaser doesnt require as much scrubbing and repetitions of this process as the laundry detergent option. However, since laundry detergent is easily affordable and found in almost any home, it is entirely realistic to choose this option over a $20 cleaner.

Giving the patio a quality scrub here is important, but dont wear yourself out. Scrub the designated section for about 5 minutes, then move on.

How To Clean A Cement Patio Using Vinegar

How to clean a stained concrete patio

To tackle more stubborn stains, including rust stains and for removing paint from concrete, combine equal parts white vinegar and water. Let the mixture sit for ten minutes on the stains, and then clean the stained areas with a soft bristle brush. If, after rinsing, the stains have not disappeared, try scrubbing your patio with undiluted vinegar.

While youve already got the supplies out, did you know that you can also clean patio furniture with vinegar? For example, plastic furniture benefits from a combination of white vinegar and water.

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Is It Possible To Remove Old Rust Stains That Have Been There For A Long Time

Rust stains can be removed no matter how old the stains are, you just have use a little effort and try a few approaches. If vinegar or lemon juice dont do the trick, try something stronger like hydrogen peroxide or baking soda.

The older the stain, the more powerful the option you should go for. Probably even a combination of two.

Rinse And Seal The Surface

After around a half-hour, switch the pressure washing machine to rinse mode and use high-pressure spray.

Use the sweeping method on step 4, thoroughly wash away the cleaning product,

and remove any stubborn stains you might find with the spray.

After the patio surface has dried, use a sealant product to fend off stains.

Use a roller to apply the sealant over the concrete and let it dry for one full day before you can start using your patio again.

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Essential Tools And Supplies For Cleaning A Concrete Patio

Supplies

  • Broom and a washer

Clearing The Patio

First, remove all the plants, furniture, and other objects lying around on the patio. Next, use a leaf blower or broom to remove dust and debris.

Finally, hose off the concrete surface with the spray nozzle to remove dirt and debris from any tiny cracks.

Preparing The Cleaning Fluid

Add a cup of baking soda along with 2 cups of distilled white vinegar in a bucket. Mix and apply it to the surface using a sponge mop. The quantity of the ingredients will vary depending on the size of the area to be cleaned.

Scrubbing

Let the mixture sit on the surface for 30 minutes, and then use a nylon scrubber to clean the surface.

Wash And Dry The Surface

Use a garden hose to rinse off the cleaning solution before letting the surface air dry.

Ways To Remove Rust And Mud Stains From A Concrete Patio

Rust stains on concrete patios can come from the legs of iron furniture. These stains are complicated to remove. In some places, high iron content in the soil can also stain a concrete patio.

Always treat the stain properly before rinsing.

Supplies Necessary For Cleaning The Stains

Oxalic acid is the most suitable ingredient for removing rust stains.

First, clean the stained area with a broom to remove debris and dust. Read the instructions on the label of the packaging before applying the cleaners on the patio.

Ways To Remove Mildew Stains From A Concrete Patio

  • Power washer
  • Garden hose

Removing Grease And Dirt From A Concrete Patio

Best Concrete Rust Remover For Older Stains

7+ Easy but Effective Ways to Clean a Concrete Patio

Older rust stains have set in the concrete, unlike newer stains. For this type of stain, you need a more powerful acid than you can get with white vinegar and lemon juice. A commercial rust remover will lift stubborn rust stains in concrete and is what most professional cleaners use. You may want to try products like, RustAid or Krud Kutter.

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Cleaning Concrete With Vinegar

Vinegar is renowned for being an excellent natural cleaner. You can use it on your patio as well as the entire parts of your home because it is relatively safe.

So, how to clean concrete patio without pressure washer, but using vinegar instead?

To clean your patio, you will need to mix water with equal parts white vinegar. Place the mixture in a spray bottle.

After that, spray the stain, leave it for a couple of minutes, then scrub it with a hard bristle broom or a special brush for decks and patios.

If it appears not to work properly, then you may require to try spraying the stain with undiluted vinegar. Leave the solution for 10 minutes or so. Finally, scrub it.

You can also try making a cleaning solution by mixing one cup of baking soda and two cups of distilled white vinegar to remove the heavy stain on a concrete patio.

When you concoct them, you will find the mixture foam up. It is perfectly fine. Slowly mix them up until you get a cream-soup-like consistency.

Once the mixture is ready, remove all furniture, planters, and grills from your patio. Make sure you clean it fastidiously from any loose debris.

You can utilize a sweeper or a leaves blower to do this. After that, wet down the concrete with a spray nozzle of your garden hose.

Next, use a sponge mop to spread the mixture over the patio. Let it for at least 30 minutes. Then, rub the stain with a nylon-bristled brush.

Removing Red Wine Stains

Theres no use in crying over spilled wine. If the spill is caught early, simply blot or wash it into a drain right away. After rinsing or blotting the initial spill, apply a 1:1 ratio of water to white vinegar and scrub with a sponge soaked with water and dish soap. Then simply rinse and blot dry.

If the stain is older or set-in, you can take the following steps to remove it.

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General Cleaning For Dirty Cement

Before you begin cleaning cement stains, general cleaning of the entire surface.

  • Sweep the surface with a push broom to remove debris.
  • In a bucket, combine 1/2 cup baking soda, 1 gallon of hot water, and a good squirt of liquid dish soap. Use a push broom or stiff brush to spread this around and scrub dirty spots. Rinse, and let it dry.
  • For lingering stains, rewet the surface and sprinkle it with oxygenated bleach. Unlike the chlorinated version, oxygen bleach wont harm your lawn or any plants lining your driveway. Again, use the brooms bristles to scrub the area, then let the oxygenated bleach work for 10-15 minutes.
  • Rinse the surface and your broom. Let both fully air dry.
  • How To Clean Unsealed Concrete Patios

    How To Clean And Seal A Stamped Concrete Patio (New or Old)

    Just a few supplies and a bit of elbow grease are needed to clean a patio. If the concrete is heavily stained, you may wish to use a power washer and a commercial cleaner recommended for the washer. Do not use a vinegar and baking soda mixture in a power washer.

    Choose a mild, overcast day to tackle the job, so that the cleaning solution will not evaporate too quickly.

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    Sealing Against Future Dirt

    Perhaps you purchased your home and it came with a concrete patio and youre new to concrete. A tip for you: concrete can and should be regularly sealed to protect it against further soiling on a concrete slab patio, concrete sealer rolls on like paint. Once its dry, youll have a new looking, clean concrete patio that youll enjoy for a long time!

    A freshly cleaned concrete patio is something youll really enjoy, and its something you can take pride in. Yes, its a bit of work, but really worth the effort.

    How To Clean Concrete Patio

    During my research, I learned that people go to extremes to try and get their concrete patio cleanincluding using acid to wash the surface. Thats a little hardcore for me, especially as a mama with a baby around and someone who wants to keep their grass alive.

    So, I turned to what I had on hand, which was Tide Oxi. Its a laundry product that removes stains from clothing, so I thought it might work on concrete as well. It seemed weird, but why not? I decided to give it a shotand it actually worked! No acid needed.

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    Directions For Cleaning A Concrete Patio

    Pressure Washer Application

  • AddSimple Green Oxy Solve Concrete and Driveway Cleaner. Pour Simple Green Oxy Solve straight into your pressure washer detergent tank, or drop your siphon tube into the bottle.
  • Rinse with water. Switch equipment to plain water at low pressure and wet the surface.
  • Apply Simple Green. At low-pressure setting, apply Simple Green Oxy Solve to an area that is small enough to be rinsed before it dries.
  • Let sit. Allow the cleaner to dwell on the surface for 3-5 minutes.
  • Rinse with water. Rinse at high pressure, keeping the nozzle at least 2 feet from the surface and the spray perpendicular to the surface.
  • Repeat. Move to a new section and repeat.
  • Manual Application

  • Make Simple Green mixture. Mix 1 measure of Simple Green Oxy Solve with 20 measures of water in a bucket .
  • Scrub. Clean in sections with a soft-bristle brush, paying extra attention to stained areas. Do not allow the cleaner to dry on the surface before rinsing. Do not scrub with a wire brush, as metal pieces can sink into the pores in concrete and eventually form rust stains.
  • Rinse. Rinse with a garden hose at the highest pressure.
  • Repeat. Move to a new section and repeat.
  • TIP: Clean your patio on an overcast day. Your cleaning solution will evaporate more slowly when the sun isn’t beating down on it. It’s also a good idea to start cleaning early in the day before the sun has the chance to warm the surface.

    How To Deal With Grease Stains

    How to Clean a Concrete Patio

    Besides mildew, grease is another stain that is hard to tackle. It will be more difficult if you let it sit on a porous surface like concrete for a longer period.

    When it happens, so what are the steps on how to clean concrete patio without pressure washer?

    To overcome this problem, you will need kitty litter or cornstarch and commercial degreaser. First, add a thick layer of kitty litter or cornstarch over the stain. Leave it for up to three days to enable it to absorb the grease.

    After that, sweep the cornstarch or kitty litter and see whether the stain has nearly gone. If it has not, try repeating the first step.

    If the stain is almost gone, use a commercial degreaser to spray the area. After that, scrub it with a nylon-bristled brush. Finally, rinse it off with a garden hose.

    In addition to using kitty litter or cornstarch to remove grease stains from your concrete patio, you can also use the mixture of laundry detergent and water until it forms a paste.

    Apply the mixture onto the grease stain and use cling film to cover it. You can also use parcel and gaffer tape to secure it. Just make sure it is pretty tight.

    Let the mixture sit for 24 hours before removing the cling film. After that, scrub the stain and rinse it with water. If you can still see the stain, you probably need to repeat the steps.

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    Use Hydrogen Peroxide For Cleaning Cement

    Hydrogen peroxide is available at some pharmacies, big-box stores, and home improvement stores. Its a relatively mild disinfectant and cleaner, although it can still cause skin irritation, so be sure to wear gloves.

    If possible, replace the screw cap on your bottle of hydrogen peroxide with a spray nozzle so that its easy to spray the chemical across your patio, focusing mainly on dirtier sections.

    If you like, spray vinegar on top of the hydrogen peroxide to clean even more effectively. In any case, scrub with a nonmetallic brush to get rid of those tough stains that just dont want to go away.


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