Concrete is one of the most popular options when it comes to garage floors. It looks great and is durable, but it still requires a particular process when it comes to floor cleaning. As a professional Garage Floor Cleaning Company, Enviro Clean & Capture are well experienced in the best ways to clean your concrete garage floor to ensure its longevity and aesthetic prowess.
The garage is one area that is particularly susceptible to oil, grime and dirt that can stain and build-up over time. While it can take some time for concrete to appear visibly unclean, regular cleaning to ensure it is free from damage is quite important.
In this article, we will look at the cleaning products required, the DIY clean process and why a professional clean is also necessary from time to time to ensure the best care for your concrete garage.
A professional pressure cleaning service is required to bring your concrete garage as close as possible to its original condition, ensuring you push back the date of a costly replacement as much as possible. Take care of your investment, and enjoy the stunning look of clean concrete all year round. Read on to find out how.
The best garage cleaning products
When it comes to your base-level DIY spot clean, all you will need is a dry granular cleaner, of which there are many options available. If, however, you are dealing with some particularly tough stains, it may take something a little more robust. The type of stain is the most significant factor when choosing not only your cleaner but also your method.
The following options are your best bet:
Removing oil stains
One of the most common situations you’ll have to deal with on a garage floor is oil stains. Your best here is bleach, in a spray bottle, sprayed onto the stain and allowed to sit for 20 minutes. After this, take a scrub brush to the stain, then give it a rinse with plain water.
If required, you may have to repeat this process for, particularly tough stains, just ensure you exercise caution when using the bleach. It is vital that it does not come into contact with your eyes or skin, and we recommend wearing old clothes.
Removing tyre marks
Tyre marks will require a degreaser, and we often recommend an orange citrus concentrate. This is safe for both you and any pets or children that may be around. Leave the degreaser on the marks for a few hours, then scrub with a brush or broom. Give it a rinse with water and the marks should be no more. If they are, repeat the process.
We recommend that you steer clear of muriatic acid as your cleaning option. This is a hazardous chemical that is highly reactive and best left to the professionals.
Removing grease Stains
Another common issue will be the grease stain. For this, we recommend either dry concrete or kitty litter. Spread your chosen option over the stain and allow it to sit for three days.
Simply sweep or vacuum it up, and it should have soaked up the grease.
An important note to remember for those who do opt for the dry cement option is not to dispose of it in the sink or toilet. The plumbing issues this will cause will be very costly indeed.
How to clean transmission fluid from your garage floor
Transmission fluid can be a little harder to remove. The beginning of the process is exactly the same as how we deal with grease stains (mentioned above), requiring the dry cement or kitty litter spread out over the stain, given time to soak it up.
From here, you will follow these steps:
- Mix two cups of dish detergent with hot water and pour over the fluid stains
- Scrub with a stiff nylon-bristle brush
- Rinse with clean water
- Scrub once again with hot soapy water and rinse until the stain is gone
If you are dealing with an older transmission fluid stain, you can start with a small amount of paint thinner poured over the stain and allowed to soak for 15 to 20 minutes. After this, scrub the area with a nylon-bristle sponge then use paper towels to soak up all the liquid. From here you can give a final clean with the dishwashing liquid and water mix to finish it off.
How to clean a garage floor after winter
Depending on where you live, the winter months can mean that magnesium and calcium chloride, or road salt, are brought into your concrete driveway. This can cause stains and damage that needs to be handled properly.
Another winter issue can be sub fluorescence, which occurs when moisture on your garage floor evaporates leaving salt particles which have crystalised. The salt crystals will then find their way to the pores on the floor.
The best way to deal with this is by cleaning the entire floor, as this will reveal where the salt stains are. From here you will need both detergent and vinegar, along with a bucket of warm water.
Follow these steps to remove the stains:
- Mix the vinegar and detergent into the warm water
- Use a stiff-bristled broom to scrub the mixture into the salt stain
- This will loosen the salt
- Use a mop to remove the excess water
- Rinse the area with clean water
- Allow the area to dry completely
If this doesn’t quite do the trick and the stains and residue are still present, simply repeat the process. Eventually the vinegar and detergent will wear down even the most stubborn of stains.
The process for concrete garage floor cleaning
To keep your concrete garage floor looking its best, a mix of both the DIY and professional concrete cleaning service approaches is required. If you have a standard concrete garage, always give it a regular sweep to make the bigger clean much quicker and simpler.
A proper deep clean from a garage floor cleaning company is important twice a year at the very least. We are dealing with an area of your home that is the most susceptible to more dirt, grime and grease, so to ensure its longevity, a proper cleaning process is crucial.
For your DIY spot cleans, all you will need is a broom, a hose with a spray nozzle, and a dry granular cleaner. A shop-vac or power washer can also be very helpful, but only if you have one on hand as they are not essential.
The DIY exterior spot-clean
- Clear the garage
- Sweep or vacuum
- Use the spray attachment of your hose on its highest setting
- Spray the whole garage starting at the rear and spray toward the exit point
- Spray in a side to side motion and tackle the corners to avoid a build-up of dirt
- Spread your cleaner over the whole area while it is wet
- Use a broom to scrub the cleaner in
- Rinse with the high-pressure hose
If you do have a power-washer, follow the same steps while using it in the place of the hose. All this does is make the task easier and more effective, so it is not crucial. When it comes time for your deep clean however, an effective process will require some significant machinery, which is why this type of clean is best left to the professionals.
Using a garage floor cleaning company
The deep clean that is required to really ensure that your flooring is taken care of is best handled by a professional garage floor cleaning company like Enviro Clean & Capture. This task is pointless if not performed properly, and you also run the risk of damaging your concrete if it is done incorrectly or with the wrong tools and materials.
Another important factor to consider, and most certainly to take into account when calculating the cost of the task, is the time it takes to complete the job. There are few people who want to spend hours after work or over the weekend cleaning.
Time is a valuable commodity, and if you can save it while ensuring the correct process is used to obtain a thorough result from a professional pressure cleaning service, why wouldn’t you?
The benefits of a professional garage floor cleaning company like Enviro Clean & Capture are as follows:
● The advantage of the experience
A company like ours features a team with years of extensive experience and training ensuring the right process, settings, temperatures, equipment and materials while also completely avoiding damage to your property.
● Access to industry equipment
While some people opt to hire equipment from the local hardware store, they do not realise that this machinery isn’t always maintained. It has been used by countless other DIY cleaners before them, often incorrectly, and all of this takes a toll on the machinery and its performance.
An unserviced pressure cleaner can be dangerous and useless. A professional garage floor cleaning company like Enviro Clean & Capture uses top of the line cleaning equipment that is often designed for commercial use, meaning it is more than capable of a residential task. All equipment is regularly serviced, guaranteeing peak performance and the best results every time.
● Using the right cleaning Solutions
If your concrete garage requires a little more than soap and water, a professional garage floor cleaning company like Enviro Clean & Capture will have access to the right cleaning materials to make sure it is cleaned correctly. Our industrial strength cleaning materials cannot be purchased at the supermarket, and are both safe and
effective.
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Consider concrete resealing
There are more ways to protect your concrete garage beyond cleaning. A specialist concrete expert will always recommend that you ensure your flooring is sealed correctly. This is a task that needs to be refreshed every few years as the seal wears down.
This act will both protect the concrete, while also making it easier to clean, and giving you the opportunity to space out your cleans a little more.
There is an easy way to test if your concrete needs resealing. Pour roughly a tablespoon of water on the surface and let it sit for approximately 20 minutes. Soak up the water, pressing hard to get as much as you can, and if a dark mark remains, it’s time to reseal the concrete.
Speak to a professional garage floor cleaning company
Take care of your concrete. This expensive investment can truly increase the aesthetic and value of your home if it is well cared for, and should last you for many, many years. The experts at Enviro Clean and Capture offer a well-trained team that has an extensive amount of knowledge and experience with all kinds of concrete cleaning and sealing.
We have been operating in Sydney and Newcastle for over twenty years and ensure fast response times and friendly service no matter how big or small a job may be. We also top this off with very competitive rates as we know that price is one of the most significant factors.
Our after-hours service and cutting edge technology are there for your convenience and to ensure environmentally friendly processes. We offer:
● Concrete cleaning
● Natural stone cleaning
● Glass restoration
● Paver sealing
● Natural stone sealing
● Concrete sealing
● Glass coating
● Tile sealing
● Tile cleaning
● Paver cleaning
Trust the professionals in Sydney and Newcastle to maintain the quality of one of your most valuable assets today. Speak to Enviro Clean and Capture for professional concrete, stone and tile cleaning or fill out a quick quote form to get an idea of your price. Our team is always happy to offer expert advice, and we top it off with great prices. The right solution for you is waiting, so let’s get started!
