Cleaning Concrete Patio: What You Need to Know First

A concrete patio is durable, affordable, and of course practical. But because they are normally exposed to lots of use and harsh weather, their deterioration process significantly increases.

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to the best blogger Guy About Home who offers the best garden and home improvement tips! If you are a home decor and design fan, don't miss the tips on home ideas. If you are a home garden owner, then you might be interest in our complete guides to house plants!

However, with just a bit of knowledge and care you can ensure their extended lifespan, which will certainly benefit you in the long run.

So, how do you clean and maintain your concrete patios? Well, we have the answer so make sure to stay tuned! 

How to Get Rid of Grease Stains

Grease stains must be handled immediately after they occur due to the fact that concrete is porous and if you allow the grease to sit for an extended period of time, the deeper it will go into the surface.

But the most important part when doing this is to be patient since you may need to treat grease stains a lot of times before they disappear.

Here are the things you need when removing grease stains:

• Garden hose
• Nylon-bristled scrub brush
• Broom
• Commercial cleaner with degreaser
• Cornstarch or kitty litter

As for the steps:

1. Spread the grease stain using a thick layer of cornstarch or kitty litter (approximately 1 inch). Let it sit for around 1 to 3 days in order to completely absorb the grease.
2. The next thing you want to do is tidy up the cornstarch or kitty litter, and check the stained area. If there are still grease stains, then take your time and repeat step one.
3. However, if the grease stain is almost erased, spray the area with a commercial cleaner that has a degreaser in it. After that, with a nylon-bristled brush scrub the stain. Rinse the spot using a garden hose and let it dry. Repeat as necessary.

How to Get Rid of Mildew Stains from Concrete Patios

Usually, heavy mildew stains would appear on concrete because of the moist outside. So in order to get rid of the mildew spores and eliminate the black stains, you should have chlorine bleach. 

The fact is, oxygen-based bleach will get rid of stains but won’t kill the spores.

Here are things you need when removing mildew stains from concrete patios:

• Power washer or garden hose
• Nylon-bristled scrub brush
• Plastic sheeting or old towels
• Sponge mop or spray bottle
• Chlorine bleach

Here are the steps:

1. After removing everything from the concrete patio, mix a solution of two-parts water and one-part chlorine bleach in a spray bottle or plastic bucket. 
2. Remember that you must protect the shrubbery and the lawn from this solution using a plastic sheeting or an old towel because the bleach might kill your greenery. Also make sure wear old clothes in order to preclude bleach spotting , in addition, you must wear protective eyewear for extra safety.
3. The next thing you want to do is to use the mop to spread the solution or spray on the bleach solution onto the mildew-stained spots. Let the cleaner work for 5 to 30 minutes based on how heavy the stains on your patio.
4. As for the last step, scrub your concrete patio with a nylon-bristled brush and then rinse thoroughly with a garden hose. For huge heavy stains, you can use a power washer since it gives much more powerful stream of water that will certainly blast away the grime. 
5. And lastly, use your garden hose to rinse your field after the patio is clean.

How to Get Rid of Rust Stains and Red Mud

Rust stains from grills and furniture legs can be particularly hard to get rid of, so following the cleaning steps in this guide would be very convenient on your end. In certain areas of a particular country, the soil usually have so much iron that they’re almost like rust stains.

You see, rust stains must be handled before getting rid of mildew stains. Additionally, chlorine bleach can permanently set in rust stains.

That said, here are the tools you need:

• Power washer or garden hose
• Nylon-bristled scrub brush
• Commercial cleaner containing oxalic acid

How to do it:

Now the first step is to sweep away any debris from the stained spot. Follow the instructions on the packaging and place some amount of cleaner to the stained spot and scrub the area using a nylon-bristled brush.

And lastly, rinse away the cleaner and let the area to dry. If there are still stains that remain, just repeat the process. 

How to Maintain Unsealed Concrete Patios

When cleaning a patio, you only need some amount of elbow grease and a few supplies. If the concrete patio is quite heavily stained, you would want to use a commercial cleaner and a power washer. It’s not really recommended to use a baking soda and vinegar mixture in a power washer.

For the cleaning solution not to evaporate too fast, do the task on a mild, slightly overcast day.

Here are the specific tools you need:

• Nylon-bristled scrub brush
• Sponge mop
• Baking soda
• Distilled white vinegar
• Garden hose
• Leaf blower or just a regular broom

As for the steps:

1. First is to remove all the toys, plants, grills, and furniture from the patio. Use a leaf blower or a regular broom to get rid of all the debris, leaves, and dirt. After that, utilize a garden hose that comes with a spray nozzle in order to wet down the patio concrete.
2. After that, pour one cup of baking soda into a bowl or a plastic bowl. Gradually add 2 cups of distilled white vinegar. Doing this, the mixture will eventually foam up but will settle if you stir it delicately. 
3. The consistency of the mixture must be similar to a cream soup, just thick enough to hang to the surface but not too much to spread. After getting the right consistency, spread the mixture over the concrete patio using a sponge mop. 
4. Based on the size of the concrete, you’ll most likely have to double or even triple the ingredients.
5. Now for the third step, let the mixture to sit on the patio’s surface for about thirty minutes. Get a nylon-bristled scrub brush to clean the whole surface. You see, metal brushes can actually leave small pieces of metal in the concrete patio, which might lead to rusting. 
6. Remember to use a scrub brush that comes with a long attachable handle to save your knees and back from strain.
7. As for the last step, simply rinse away the cleaning solution. Just be sure to spray clean water on any grass or shrubbery next to the patio that could scatter with the baking soda and vinegar. Let the concrete to air dry entirely before replacing any accessories or furniture to preclude possible staining.

Conclusion

With the listed ways of cleaning your concrete patio, you’re assured that you’ll be able to maintain it and make it last long, ultimately saving some of your effort, time, and of course money!

Prevent possible deterioration of your concrete patio and follow the listed ways we mentioned above if you want to effectively maintain your concrete patio. On a side note, if you’re having a problem on your potted plants due to soil mites then the tips and tricks in this post can help you resolve your problem.

If we’ve missed something or you just want to add your own ways of cleaning concrete patio, please make sure to comment down below.

For more amazing ideas you can have, visit Guy About Home today or you can check the related blogs:

• Awesome Pergola Lighting Ideas
• How To Clean All Types Of Decks
• Do Your Potted Plants Have Soil Mites And Should You Get Rid Of Them?
• How To Make Homemade Leather Cleaner And Conditioner
• How to Clean And Organise The Living Room
• How to Clean Microfiber, Leather, and Suede Sofas
• How to Clean A Fireplace