How to clean garage floor with muriatic acid?

Dirt, oil, and grease stains are unavoidable on a concrete garage floor due to cars, lawn mowers, tools, motorcycles, and other outside equipment.

You may not always be able to respond immediately to an issue, or you may need to clean oil from your concrete garage floor that has been there for who knows how long. Cure concrete is not a hard, dense rock unless it is sealed; after being mixed with water and cured, the mixture of cement, sand, and aggregate is porous. This causes rust and oil stains to penetrate deeper into the surface. You’ll need something that will sink in and lift the troublesome location to remove these stains and clean your concrete.

Now, having a garage full of stains isn’t exactly the best look for your house. Don’t worry if you’re seeking for solutions to clean up your garage floor; I’ve got you covered. There are numerous methods for cleaning a garage floor properly, depending on the status of your garage floor.

Cleaning With Muriatic Acid

Cleaning concrete garage floors with muriatic acid is a common practice. However, when concrete’s binder, Portland cement, comes into touch with an acid, it dissolves. Furthermore, acid-based cleaners extract calcium hydroxide from hardened concrete, resulting in efflorescence, a white, powdery substance. You’ll need to clear this stuff off your floor if it becomes too heavy and apparent.

Ways of Cleaning

The duty of cleaning the garage floor is crucial because your garage surface is contaminated with dirt, grease, and other substances on a daily basis. As a result, it’s critical to clean it up correctly. Using muriatic acid to clean your garage will make your day even brighter. When utilizing acids, however, you should always use caution. I’ve included a step-by-step guide below to show you how to properly clean a garage floor with muriatic acid.

Disodium phosphate is another cleaning solution that is usually regarded as the best way to clean a garage floor (TSP). Because it is highly alkaline, it will not affect the concrete floor, but it may cause skin irritation or even burns. TSP is also extremely harmful to the environment. If phosphates end up in lakes and streams, they cause an overgrowth of algae, which depletes oxygen levels in the water, putting fish and aquatic plant life at risk.

Simple Green Oxy Solve Concrete and Driveway Cleaner can be used to clean concrete surfaces such as driveways, sidewalks, patios, and walkways with a pressure washer or by hand. The formula is non-corrosive and non-degradable, and it cleans effectively using peroxide’s inherent power. Oil stains, grease, filth, and most discolorations may all be removed with this product. Its biodegradable* composition is harmless to pets and lawns.

Step 1 – Ensure the Surface is Clean

Make sure the floor is clear. Remove any automobiles, bicycles, tools, cartons, or other items from the garage. You must first clean the floor that you plan to acid wash in order to attain the best finished job. Remove all items from the surface and sweep the dirt away. Remove any difficult particles from the surface using a hose. Remove any oil stains from the floor with the appropriate cleaning. It’s usually a good idea to rinse the floor with water once you’ve finished cleaning with chemicals.

Step 2 – Using a sweeping motion and create a barrier

If you’re going to acid wash near asphalt, drywall, or tarmac, you’ll need to put up a barrier first. Any of these materials could be harmed by the acid you’re about to employ. To stop the flow of acid and water, you can use a tarp, plywood, or stones. Sweep your garage floor to remove dirt, leaves, grass clippings, dead bugs, efflorescence, and other debris.

Step 3 – Mix the Muriatic Acid

The acid will be mixed in a plastic watering can directly. 1-part muriatic acid to 4 parts water is the standard ratio. If necessary, raise the acid mixture’s strength to 1-part acid to 2-parts water. As the mixture can become volatile, make sure you’re combining acid with water rather than water with acid.

Step 4 – Use the Acid

You must first apply a layer of water to the flooring before applying the acid wash. Using a spray bottle, moisten the floor completely. You don’t want puddles of water, so use a push broom to brush it away. A thin layer of paint must be applied to the surface. Dip a stiff bristle brush or a push broom into the solution, or pour it over the concrete lightly. Scrub the floor in a sectionalized manner. To avoid stepping all over your freshly cleaned floor, start cleaning far away from the door and work your way closer as you clean.

Put on your safety gear and go about the damp floor, applying the acid and water mixture with the watering can. To penetrate difficult stains, immerse the cleaning solution for 5-7 minutes. Allowing it to dry on the surface is not a good idea.

Open the garage door if you haven’t already. Start farthest away from the entrance with your garden hose turned on extremely low. The water should be bubbling and golden. If the surface is not yellow, it is sealed, and you must remove the sealant before acid washing the floor. Push the water and acid mixture around the floor with the broom. You can drop the ammonia on the floor to neutralize the acid once the bubbling has ceased. Allow clean water to discharge onto the street after rinsing the entire floor. Simple Green Oxy Solve Concrete & Driveway Cleaner complies with the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Direct Release Criteria, making it safe for use outdoors and contact with soil, seas, lakes, and streams.

Step 5 – Final step

Repeat with each new section until the entire floor is clean.

It’s time to finish acid-washing the floor by rinsing the chemicals away with clean water. Allow the area to dry completely before adding any type of coating.