How to Clean a Cement Patio

Опубликовал Admin

4-03-2021, 20:00

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Also referred to as a concrete patio, cement patios are made of a durable material that can withstand a good amount of wear and tear over a long time. Unfortunately, because of their porous nature, cement patios can get dirty and aren't the easiest thing to clean. If you stay diligent, you can maintain your cement patio by cleaning it regularly with soap and water. However, if your patio has stains or is old, there are other methods of deeper cleaning that include power washing and creating an acetone paste to absorb stains.

Performing a Simple Cleaning

Remove the furniture from the patio. Clear off your patio of any tables, chairs, and any other furniture that makes contact with the ground. Having an empty patio while you clean will enable you to wash the parts of the patio that are usually under furniture.
- Don’t forget to move plants, decorations, and lighting fixtures that might get in your way.
- If there are things you can’t move off the patio, cover them with a tarp so they don’t get wet.
Sweep the floor. When dirt gets wet, it becomes sticky and is harder to clean. Before you get your patio wet, use a push broom, leaf blower, or vacuum to expel dirt and dust. Make sure to remove all debris like sticks or leaves.
Rinse the surface with a garden hose. After you've gotten rid of the majority of dust and dirt, you can start to get the surface of the patio wet. This will help wash away any initial dirt and any leftover dust.
- If you have a pressure washer or a high-pressure nozzle for your garden hose you can use them to rinse down your patio.
Mix dish soap and warm water in a bucket. Fill a five-gallon bucket half way with warm water and put two to three squirts of a degreasing dish soap into the bucket. Mix the water together until bubbles start to form and the solution starts to create soap suds.
- Look for a dish soap that says it's non-acidic on the label.
- Look for a pH-neutral dish soap when doing a simple cleaning of your patio.
Clean the patio floor with a wet mop. You can purchase a wet mop at most department or hardware stores. Dip the mop into the bucket and get it completely saturated with the water and soap solution that you created. Move the mop onto the floor, working in a back and forth pattern to clean the floor.
- Use a hard-bristled brush to scrub tougher stains.
Let the patio dry. Wait 24 hours to let your patio completely dry or use a leaf blower to dry your patio faster. If your patio is still dirty, you can either repeat these steps until it's clean or you may have to use a more intensive method to clean it entirely.
- Once your patio is dry, add a patio sealer if you want to protect it from stains and regular wear and tear.

Removing Grease and Oil Stains

Blot oil and grease stains as soon as you see them. The longer that a grease or oil stain sits on the concrete the harder it will be to remove. Blot any stains that you see immediately with a paper towel so that it isn't as difficult to remove later on.
- Concrete is a porous material and absorbs oil and grease very easily.
Combine acetone with kitty litter to form a paste. Put on a pair of gloves and dump 10 ounces (283.49 grams) of kitty litter into a bowl and add a couple of drops of acetone or nail polish remover to the bowl. Mix the solution together and then continue adding acetone until it starts to form a paste.
- If the paste is too dry, continue adding acetone to the bowl.
- If your paste comes out too watery, add more kitty litter to the solution.
- This combination of an absorbent material and a solvent is called a poultice.
- You can use shredded paper towels, old newspapers, or sawdust as an alternative to kitty litter.
Spread the paste over the stains. Put on protective gloves and use your hands to spread the paste over the stains. Cover the paste with plastic wrap and allow the paste to oxidize for two hours. It should absorb some of the oil and grease stain.
Sweep up the paste. Once you've allowed the paste to sit and oxidize, you can remove it from the patio. Use a broom to get the initial paste up.
Rinse off the patio. Rinse the patio off with buckets of water or use a hose. Make sure that all of the kitty litter paste is removed from the surface of your patio before allowing it to dry.
Let the patio dry for 24 hours. Allow your patio to dry from the sun for 24 hours. Alternatively, you can use a leaf blower to help dry off the concrete faster. Assess the results once you're done. If the stain has faded but is not completely gone, you can repeat the steps to continue reducing the appearance of the stain.
- Coat your patio with a patio sealer once it’s dry to help prevent future stains.

Using a Power Washer

Rent a power washer from a hardware store. Some chain hardware stores will offer rentals on power washers if you don't have one and don't want to purchase one. Make sure to talk to the representative about options for attachments as well as different detergents made specifically for your washer. Explain that you are power washing concrete so that they can give you their recommendations.
- A surface cleaner attachment is the best attachment for cleaning concrete.
- To clean cement you'll want a pressure washer that runs at least 3000 psi and can pump at least 4 gallons per minute.
Remove any furniture from your patio. Obstructions could get in the way as you clean and make it harder to reach different areas of your patio. You'll need to move all of your furniture out of the way before you start using the power washer.
Rinse down your patio with a garden hose. Use a garden hose to do a once over of your cement patio. Get the cement saturated with water and remove any initial debris like sticks or leaves.
Apply detergent to the surface of your patio. Use a detergent made specifically for the power washer that you have. Sprinkle the detergent over the entirety of your cement patio and let it soak in for five minutes.
Attach a surface cleaner attachment and hose to your power washer. The surface attachment will help prevent you from damaging the concrete and is the most useful tool for cleaning it. Either screw or push the attachment onto the end of the power washer before you start to spray.
Turn on your power washer. Some power washers will have a rip cord that you need to pull in order start it while others will have switches. Make sure that your power washer works by testing it in a small area on your patio.
Blast the concrete with your power washer until it's clean. Start by blasting the edges of the concrete in long, straight lines, before moving into the center. Work in small 4x4 foot (1.21 x 1.21 m) sections until your entire patio has been blasted by the power washer.
- Be careful not to get to close to your patio with the power washer. If you hold the power washer too closely to the patio when you’re spraying it, you could damage the cement.
Rinse the patio off with your garden hose. Rinse off the patio with clean water from your water hose. Remove any left over detergent that may have been left over by cleaning.
- After your patio is fully dry, add a patio sealer if you want to protect it from future stains and damage.