How To Clean A Concrete Garage Floor

Whilst it’s low maintenance, there is no denying that concrete can get very dirty over time. How to clean a concrete garage floor depends on a variety of things.

Firstly, you need to identify what the purpose of the clean is, are there stains on the concrete floor and is it general maintenance or a deep clean? The cleaning of stained concrete will also depend on what type of stain it is.

Concrete is one of the most used commodities in the world, used to build many things around us from roads, to houses, to pathways and oftentimes, garage floors.

According to the CCAA (Cement, Concrete & Aggregates Australia), approximately 70% of the world’s population lives in a structure that contains concrete. Concrete is a versatile building material that has a unique ability to be shaped, moulded and sculpted.

Concrete is also fire resistant, cheap in comparison to other construction materials, can be used to form large buildings as well as small bowls and even footsteps. Although it is incredibly strong and durable, making it a long-lasting material, it still needs maintenance.

Before diving into the process of cleaning a garage floor and removing stains on concrete, we need to understand what concrete is and how it is formed. Historically used by the Egyptians, Romans and in Ancient China, concrete has evolved and developed into one of the world’s most popular building materials. Concrete has four primary ingredients:

• Water (H2O)
• Sand (Fine Aggregate)
• Gravel (Coarse Aggregate)
• Cement

The difference between concrete and cement is often confused. Cement is a fine grey powder that is used to make concrete. Portland Cement is the most common version of this material and is essentially a combination of limestone and chalk which is fired in a kiln at a temperature of approximately 1500 degrees celsius. This is then ground down into a fine powder.

When water is added to this powder, a chemical reaction called hydration takes place, causing it to form into a solid when dried.

Many people ask the question if cement and water harden then why is an aggregate (fine or coarse) added? The reason an aggregate is essential to the formation and strength of concrete is that it serves as a binder that holds the other ingredients together.

Developing a concrete formula is not as simple as mixing some sand, concrete and water. It is highly complicated and is done through a process known to engineers and scientists as ‘mix design.

It is important to keep in mind that concrete is more complicated than meets the eye. Cleaning concrete needs to be done with care as it is a unique material.

Cleaning your garage floor will be much easier if you keep on top of it with regular good and thorough sweeps. Dust, grass clippings and leaves can all accumulate very quickly. If your garage is large, a large ‘Shop Broom’ may be a great investment for you.

It is really important to keep on top of the general maintenance of your concrete garage floor as it will allow you to expose oil, rust and grease stains sooner rather than later.

Now and again you may need to do a deeper clean. This can be done simply and efficiently by employing a concrete cleaner that is strong enough to give it a good, deep clean but light enough that it won’t take hours to complete.

The process to do this is quite simple. Begin by sweeping the surface area and dusting up any piles of grass cuttings, dead bugs, leaves or other debris. Once you have done this you can go ahead and wet the floor with a bucket of water or hose and add your chosen cleaning product. It is important that you keep the floor wet at this stage to avoid any product drying and leaving residue.

Once you have distributed the product over the floor, you can scrub it either with a sturdy broom or a scrubbing brush. Depending on how bad the soil is, don’t be afraid to be generous with the amount of product you use. Once you have scrubbed, scrub again for a deeper clean.

Once this is done, you can thoroughly rinse it with water and let it dry to reveal a clean and dirt free garage floor.

Oil and grease stains may occur in your garage from time to time, especially if you store your car, mower or motorbike in your garage.

Oil and grease stains need to be cleaned and in doing so will help avoid transfer onto clothing, footwear, into the house and also minimize potential injury from slipping, especially if the garage floor is painted.

Targeting oil and grease stains requires a specialised product that has been specifically formulated for concrete floors and driveways. You will need something that has been specifically designed for oil spills and greases such as the JAMAC Concrete Cleaner, which as well as being very effective at removing dirt, has also been specifically formulated to remove grease and oil.

The JAMAC Concrete Cleaner comes in an easy to use powder form, just wet the soiled surface, sprinkle it over the affected area, work it in with a brush and hose off. This product works equally well on raw, sealed and painted concrete surfaces. It not only works wonders on garage floors but driveways and any other external concrete surface.

This article details the bare minimum required to keep the house and your clothes clean. I would recommend having a bigger arsenal but this may come in handy.

As I’ve mentioned throughout this article, if you have any additional questions about which cleaning products would be best for your particular circumstances, please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] or (02) 9838 1220.