Follow This Step-By-Step Process to Clean Concrete Floors with Peroxides (2024)

FAQs

How do you clean concrete with peroxide? ›

Grab Hydrogen Peroxide

Spread it over the stained area, and then scrub it with a nonmetallic brush.

Make sure you sweep your steps before you start cleaning, getting rid of as much dirt and grime as possible. Next, put on rubber gloves and mix three parts bleach with four parts water. Spread the solution all over the steps with a sponge or mop. You may want to wear a mask to avoid breathing in the strong fumes.

Castile soap or mild dish soap are good options for cleaning indoor concrete flooring, as are cleaning agents designed specifically for use on concrete. When cleaning dyed, painted, or stenciled indoor concrete floors, take extra care that the cleaning products and methods used are gentle.

Dish soap and water: Dish soap is a degreaser, and it works well to clean oily and grimy concrete. Create a cleaning solution of warm water and few drops of dish soap and apply it to the surface. Let it sit for a while, then mop the patio and rinse it with fresh water. Repeat the process as many times as needed.

Although it's possible to scatter the OxiClean powder on the wet concrete and then scrub with a stiff broom, you'll probably get a more uniform result by mixing the powder with water first. Use four scoops of powder per gallon of water. The powder mixes best into warm-to-hot water.

Cleaning unsealed concrete floors with pH-neutral cleaners is the safest option. These solutions protect your porous concrete floor because they are neither acidic nor alkaline. Commercial options include Simple Green Oxy Solve and Krud Kutter's Concrete Cleaner.

Alkaline cleaners like baking soda (pH 8 to 9) and castile soap (pH 8.9) break down oil, grease, and other hydrocarbon-based grime. Higher alkaline cleaners like borax (pH 10) and washing soda (pH 11 to 12) tackle deeper, harder-to-remove concrete stains.

A quick answer is yes! White vinegar can clean concrete and remove stains. It may not be as powerful as concrete cleaners, but it can clean up concrete stains on a budget. Not to mention that vinegar can also remove germs and bacteria from concrete.

BAKING SODA

This method of oil stain removal is inexpensive and effective. Be careful; baking soda's alkaline pH may cause it to react with concrete and create unexpected outcomes. While baking soda is only a weak base, concrete is quite reactive when exposed to an unbalanced pH.

How do you make dirty concrete look new? ›

Power Wash

You'd be surprised how well a strong pressure washer gets out stains. You can also find cleaning chemicals made specifically for concrete to help get out stains from tires, oil, and dirt.

You can also use hydrogen peroxide-based cleaners instead of dish soap. Let it sit on the wet stain for about 10 minutes or so, then scrub in a circular motion until the stain is removed.

Indoor Concrete

Avoid using bleach or ammonia. Good cleaners are liquid dish detergent, Castile soap, and stone cleaners. To remove stains, you can try a natural solution. Mix hydrogen peroxide and flour into a paste.

It's also worth noting that hydrogen peroxide contains bleaching agents so it has the potential to change the color of the concrete. While the effects are typically mild, it can slightly lighten the color of your driveway. If this concerns you, test it in a hidden area first.