Cleaning Concrete

[T1000]

My garage is about 6 years old, it has some oil spots and some other stains from working. I just recently did a little make over (installed some cabinets, repainted, new shelves). Anyway now that I have done that the floor looks like ****, so I was thinking about some different options but thought maybe a serious cleaning might be all I need. I was looking at renting a commercial buffing/striping machine and using Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) along with a pressure washer. Anyone every use TSP on concrete?

 

[6t7gto]

Muiratic acid..available at home centers.
Does wonders.

david

 

[oldgoat]

My son in law works at a paint store and his dad does commercial painting including floors. Both of them swear by using TSP to make a clean floor and using a power washer if available. Otherwise use the TSP and a mop and squeegie.

 

[T1000]

Thanks oldgoat, do you know if they used it with a machine or just mop and bucket? in reading about TSP is seems it was the cleaning choice for most people in the business.

 

[oldgoat]

I'm not sure exactly how they did the last business. I know that it was a maintenace shop and they had to prep it for puting down a kero and tung oil sealer. For right now I believe that it was basically a mop bucket and scrub brush and then going over it with a mop. I will have to talk to them though to be sure and it might be a day or two before I can do that.

 

[mike944]

You can get a concrete cleaning solution at Home Depot. They have a concentrate, made for use with power washers, it's in a clear gallon bottle, and it's yellow. I used it straight when i cleaned my concrete before epoxy. This is a chemical "base", the opposite of an acid. I used this first, and it did wonders removing all my old oil stains. Then i rinsed, and then used phospohric acid, to etch before epoxy. Doesn't sound like you're planning to epoxy, so you wouldn't need the second step, the etch. The acid will remove oil stains, but i think the strong base works better.
________
GT185

 

[Luckydevil]

Mike- Do you remember what the stuff was called? Was it a Zep product by any chance?

 

[bmwpower]

Do yourself a favor and rent a floor buffer with an abrasive pad. Use it with your degreaser/acid/base of choice. Scrubbing with a floor broom *****.

 

[Blue]

What's TSP? Trisodium phosphate? More importantly, where do I get it?

 

[oldgoat]

My son in law works for a paint company called ICI paints. They sell it there, but I haven't looked for it anyplace else. You can go to their web site and it will tell you if they have a store in your area.

 

[BearHit]

Yeah - the stuff I used was a Zep brand - I'm pretty sure... from HD.

I also rented the industrial buffer with abrasive pad. That may have been sufficient with just WATER!

That floor looked like brand spankin' new!

 

[EBodiesRule]

Tsp

You can get TSP by the pail at Home Depot or Menards in these parts...Go to the paint department and ask for it.

 

[kartracer55]

Powdered tide and a pushbroom

 

[oldgoat]

Talked to the son in law tonight and he said that using the TSP and a good stiff scrub brush will clean the floor good and then take the mop and clean water afterwardsand then squeeqie it to remove excess water, and then let get good and dry. I said something about the buffer with the scrub pad on it and he said he didn't really like it, but again that just might be a personal preference.

 

[T1000]

Thanks everyone for the input, and thank you oldgoat for the 1st hand advise, I will try it with the stiff broom 1st and then use the powerwasher. Now if I can just get a weekend above freezing and find a local place to buy the TSP? I have found it on the web, but would like to pick it up local, so if I need more in the future I know where to get it quickly. I'm sure I'll find it, just need to make some calls. Thanks again for all the input.

 

[04 Navi]

For TSP any hardware store will have it, heck you local grocery store may even have it.

 

[Hammerdown]

The floor buffer with scrubbing attachment is the way to go! Use a good concentrated citrus degreaser and scrub the heck out of it. I don't like cleaning with the acid because it is too caustic and depending on the solution you use it creates a texture in the floor and makes it rough. It actually deteriates the surface of the concrete which is counter-productive to the adheson of a coating. When the floor dries there is still typically a powdery residue that can cause adhesion loss. I guess it would also depend on what product you are using, some epoxies need a prominate profile in the floor to form a mechanical bond.

 

[T1000]

Thanks for all the input on this. Hammerdown I'm not looking to paint the floor, but just to clean it so it looks as close to new as possible, it is only about 5-6 years old, so with the exception of a few oil spots I think I can get it pretty clean, then after I may look for some kind of sealer to help keep it looking clean, but I want it to be super thin as I drag alot of things across the floor and I don't want to have to worry about scratching or peeling. Thanks again for all the input.

 

[maa139]

Yeah - the stuff I used was a Zep brand - I'm pretty sure... from HD.

I also rented the industrial buffer with abrasive pad. That may have been sufficient with just WATER!

That floor looked like brand spankin' new!

Do you have any before and after pictures? The guy that I bought my house from kept a porsche in the garage, and for the first year I lived here, I expected that thing to wind up back in the garage....It marked it's spot pretty well...I'm trying everything that I can think of to clean up my floor - and I don't want paint either, Just want it to look nicer than it does now.

Thanks.

Matt

 

[BearHit]

Yeah - the only stain that would not disappear completely was the orange oxidation spots caused by battery acid.

Other than that it was quick and easy!