Are you planning on doing some concrete floor decorations, but there are stains on the floor you don’t know what to do about? Or maybe your garage floor has some leftovers from your old projects on the floor you would like some help with picking a concrete oil stain remover?
Whatever the reason is, I’ve put up some basic facts about concrete degreaser in here. A bit about how it works and other bits about how to use it to get you started without too much trouble.
Concrete degreaser
If you have ever read about concrete staining, coating, or sealing, you have probably run into term concrete degreaser. If you’ve never done the before mentioned jobs or used some other solution while doing so, you might have wondered what it is and how it should be used. I’ll do my best to answer those questions in this article.
A concrete degreaser is a commercial solution that helps you free your concrete pad of grease, oil, and other similar stains. The neutralizing cleaner helps to break down the oily compounds to create an easy cleaning scenario.
This helps because when we want to apply some sort of new surface to old or dirty concrete, we always want it to be as good to adhere to as possible. Grease and oil are both annoying as nothing likes to stick into them.
Concrete, as a porous material, sucks every dirt in it and it can be troublesome to clean sometimes. Solutions like degreaser can make it little bit more tolerable.
What kind of degreaser to use
Sometimes, the degreaser is also used to neutralize the surface of a concrete pad that has been treated with an acid stain or with an acid cleaning solution. This usage is important because concrete is usually alkaline but becomes acidic after such a treatment.
An alkaline degreaser is a much better treatment than the old fashioned baking soda and water treatment that has been used in days bygone. In addition, it provides an economical solution to alkalizing your concrete.
A concrete degreaser can be used for both new and old stains. If the stain is new, you will want to dilute the solution with water before pouring onto the stain and scrubbing it with a stiff brush.
How to use concrete degreaser
Scrubbing and letting the degreaser work to emulsify the grease in the stain is essential to remove your stain. If the stain is old and stubborn, use the degreaser undiluted for best results and repeat the application and scrubbing process.
You can use hot water with the concrete degreaser when you scrub the stain. It should make it little easier as hot water works as better dissolvent than cold water.
After you have allowed the stain to emulsify and react with the degreaser, you will need to “lift” it out of the concrete. To do this, you can use a shop vacuum, a poultice, or a handful of rags to soak it all up.
After soaking or vacuuming up all the solution, rinse with water. Repeat the process until the stain is gone.
How to pickup correct degreaser
There are several well-known commercial concrete degreaser on the market today. To help you decide which one would be the best concrete cleaner for you, I have laid out a few tips to keep in mind when searching for a concrete degreaser.
Where it can be used
First, note whether the degreaser has been created for indoor or outdoor use. Generally speaking, indoor solutions need to have fewer fumes that can be gotten rid of easily.
Sometimes, the solutions work differently, too. Knowing what your project is and where it is located will give you a head start in finding the perfect degrease.
If you’re planning on a certain kind of decorative finish after the degreaser, ask whoever sells the product if it can be used combined with that. This way you don’t have to worry about getting your floor all wrong because of this.
Biodegradable
It is important, especially for outdoor applications, that your degreaser is biodegradable. It should be safe to use around grass and plants. This will make it safer for both you and the environment that others will be in.
The more you have to use the degreaser, the more you’re damaging the space around it. If you’re very concerned about this, you can think of preventive measures so the degreaser won’t get anywhere else than the concrete it’s supposed to be cleaning.
Track Record
Lastly, the brand of concrete degreaser that you purchase should have a track record of quality stain removal. After all, you do not want to purchase a cleaner because of its claims, only to find out that it was nothing more than bogus and a scam. Research the company’s integrity before buying.
If you’re buying online it’s good to check multiple resources for the product and the seller. An online store reseller isn’t as trustworthy as your local hardware store. The product not working isn’t the worst result, it ruining your concrete surface is.
Conclusion
This article is merely a brief attempt to answer the basic question, what is a degreaser. In addition, the tips mentioned should help you select a quality concrete degreaser that will effectively do the job.
After all, everyone loves a concrete floor that is clean as a whistle, without stains and oil spills marring the surface. And of course, if you’re planning on floor decoration or coating you have to get the surface clean for best adhering.
With most of the products, it’s vital that the concrete is as clean as possible as if the pores are already filled with something, how is the new substance going to fill the pores and adhere to the concrete?
Most of the coatings might even warn about situations like that. I’ve never had much trouble with resurfacing and coating, but I always do every step carefully.
Still, even with preparing, there are sometimes some problems with the products, and when they have price tags that might be $100 to $300 you want to be as careful as possible.