How to Clean Paint Spill from Concrete?

[John Harry]

Some white interior latex paint was spilled on my concrete driveway. I was able to clean most of it off with soap and a brush, but there's an area about the size of a dinner plate that's still visible. All the paint on the surface cleaned off, but it's soaked in there. I don't want to rent a grinder, but I could probably borrow my brother in law's power washer if that would help. Any suggestions?

 

[lilredex]

A power washer will probably do it, but use caution if it is really HP.

My concrete drive is 10 years old and has developed a pleasant "patina" which will also be removed by power washing.......another consideration.

 

[CT2012]

is concrete smooth or lightly textured? it'll wear off eventually. i had same thing happen (white paint on nice concrete walkway, which has a lightly brushed texture finish), so after failing to scrub it off i did the best i could and i left if for 4-5 months, then powerwashed and all was fine.

sometimes trying to fix one problem ends up creating another.

 

[Jinks]

I own a 2500 psi pressure washer. I also used to own a small cottage at the beach. The previous owners were the worst DIY'ers I've ever had the misfortune to come across. Yeah, they painted, but never used a drop cloth, or cared where paint fell. The drive along one side of the cottage was a rainbow of all the colors they'd used over the years. Two long days with the pressure washer & the drive was paint free. Part of that two days was just washing the rest of the drive so the clean section wouldn't stand out, but a good pressure washer will do the trick. It's one of the power tools anyone that wants a good looking house should own.

 

[djjsr]

Goof-Off cuts dried latex paint.

 

[John Harry]

Thanks, everybody.

The surface is typical untextured driveway, but has the normal concrete driveway roughness. It absorbed the paint below the surface pretty quickly. Don't know how better to describe it.

It was power washed last fall, so there isn't much patina to disturb, but that's a good point.

Goof Off is a thought; might be worth trying. Of course, leaving it alone may be a good answer too.

 

[Todd.Brock]

My ******* loaded a gallon of white paint and shingles on a wheelbarrow to take in the backyard. The curb caused the paint to fly out and hit the concrete followed up by a bundle of shingles smashed the can open. I ruined two bundles trying to contain the paint. I soaked up what I could, hosed it down for about an hour, used paint thinner and then pressure washed with the zero degree tip. Came right off. Takes a while though b/c those tips are so narrow !

 

[CT2012]

a zero degree tip? what psi is your power washer? i let a masonry crew borrow my washer using a zero to to blast out some mortar on stone foundation walls, and one of their guys accidentally did a quick pass along a small part of my concrete sidewalk (which butted up against some of the stone). it cut right into it, sent my blood pressure thru the roof since it was a nearly new sidewalk/path at the time. looked like a giant termite trail cut right into the portland cement.

(my washer is 3k psi by the way.)

for concrete, i'd never use anything less than 25 degree.

 

[Todd.Brock]

I have the SAMs club special. 5hp Honda motor. I think it's 2300 or 2800 psi. Either way, it may not be the zero degree tip, but it was a white tip. It has a selection of white, green , red and something else. It took the paint right off. It took a while b/c it was like painting a room with a water color brush. The concrete was not affected.

 

[John Harry]

Soaked stain in Goof-Off and scrubbed with brush and water. No change. I'm not surprised since the paint is soaked into the concrete. Sometime I'll borrow a pressure washer - that should make a difference.

 

[rlitman]

a zero degree tip? what psi is your power washer? i let a masonry crew borrow my washer using a zero to to blast out some mortar on stone foundation walls, and one of their guys accidentally did a quick pass along a small part of my concrete sidewalk (which butted up against some of the stone). it cut right into it, sent my blood pressure thru the roof since it was a nearly new sidewalk/path at the time. looked like a giant termite trail cut right into the portland cement.

(my washer is 3k psi by the way.)

for concrete, i'd never use anything less than 25 degree.

I have a 2750PSI power washer. 15 degree tip is fine on concrete. 0 degree can leave a scar. BUT, I just bought a turbo tip. It is a 0 degree that rapidly rotates in a cone pattern, and it is simply amazing on concrete. Yeah, it kicks up a little sand from the surface, but so long as you don't move too fast and leave swirl marks, it does a great job.

The turbo tip has the power of a 0 degree tip, but lets you cover some real ground, and not totally mess up the concrete.

 

[tncatadjuster]

Time is your friend, I would never use a pressure washer on a fresh paint
stain. It will come off next year considerably easier.

 

[John Harry]

It will come off next year considerably easier.

Any option involving "do nothing for a year" sounds good to me.

 

[benwah]

Any option involving "do nothing for a year" sounds good to me.

Just kick back, and watch the paint slowly discolor and fade away

 

[Hornman]

Or, you could cover the paint with a thick layer of SoyGel paint remover, cover with Saran Wrap for an hour and then hose off with your regular hose nozzle. Voila, no paint on the concrete.

 

[bennyd14]

Looks like I got here a little late to help. I'm pretty good at recommending what to use to clean up an immediate paint spill (love me some SpillFix - it works like a charm!). Maybe try Goof Off if you haven't already and if this old stain is still there?

And hey, now you can prep and make sure this doesn't happen again, right? It's all about getting to the spill ASAP!

 

[John Harry]

Thanks, benny. I tried soaking in Goof Off, it did nothing. Too late for SpillFix as the paint was already pretty much dry by the time I discovered it. If the stain is still there come spring I'll borrow the brother-in-law's power washer. Or just ignore it.