Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Stamped Concrete
Cleaning your stamped concrete should be a regular Spring chore. Not only does a thorough cleaning help to extend the life of your concrete, but it also helps to show off that beautiful stamped concrete design, and make the space more appealing. A good cleaning helps return that concrete to the state is was in when the stamped concrete installation was originally done. With this in mind, here are a few tips on Spring cleaning your stamped concrete.
Clear all the clutter
The first step is to move all your tables, chairs, toys, bikes, and anything else that may be on the concrete off to the side. When you are cleaning you do not want to be fighting and have things getting in the way. Next, you will want to sweep the area and clean up any large yard debris, such as leaves, branches, dirt or rocks, making sure all large debris is pushed away.
Soak with a cleaner
The next phase is to mix a safe, environmentally friendly cleaner with water, and gently scrub this cleaner into the concrete using a stiff broom. After you have applied, let the cleaner sit for at least 15 minutes, and then use a garden hose with spray attachment to rinse the cleaner away.
If you come across any spots that are more stubborn, you can use a small amount of bleach to wash this away. Just be careful not to apply too much bleach, or spill any on yourself. You may also find specific alkaline cleaners, designed purposely to remove tough oil and grease.
Pressure Washing
You may consider reaching for the pressure washer right away, and blasting away the dirt and grim. I would advise caution to this however. Often, a good cleaner and gentle scrubbing is enough to return the beauty of your stamped concrete design. Pressure washing can often remove more then just debris, as too high of pressure may actually chip away at, and damaged your concrete. If you do decide to use a pressure washer, make sure you set the PSI down low, and avoid chipping away.
Sealing
Finally, once your concrete is clean and shiny as the day it was installed, you may consider having it sealed. If you have not sealed it recently, concrete should generally be resealed every 2-3 years to help protect colour and sheen.
What about leaf stains?
Stains left by organic material like leaves are among the toughest to deal with. The longer they’re left to sit on your concrete, the more likely--and more deeply--they are to stain.
You can try dishwashing detergent for light stains, or use laundry detergent with bleaching agents or ammonia. OxiClean is a good one. Granular detergents tend to be more beneficial because of the friction applied with scrubbing. These cleaners are not likely to harm your concrete, but you may wish to do a spot check on an out-of-the-way area if you’re concerned. We recommend cleaning the entire slab, rather than just where the stains are so you don’t get a patchy look.
Steps to safely remove leaf stains from concrete:
- Sweep or pressure wash all leaves from the concrete.
- Wet the entire surface so the cleaning agents can penetrate more deeply.
- Apply the detergent and let sit for a few minutes, then scrub in a circular motion with a stiff non-metal brush or broom.
- Rinse all the soap away.
If this doesn’t remove all the stains, you can repeat the process. Removing organic stains is a slow process so wait 24-48 hrs before trying again.
Make your stamped concrete look new again this spring by making cleaning it a priority.
