How to clean concrete with bleach

Concrete flooring is one of the most popular options for basements, garages, driveways, and patios. These areas are often more exposed to dirt and grime than any other part of the house since spills, stains, and scratches are unavoidable. Numerous cleaners and cleaning techniques are easily accessible to keep your concrete flooring clean and pristine. Using bleach to clean concrete floors is one of the most popular cleaning methods. A question we often get at Harford Powerwashing, a power washing company in Harford County, is if you can use bleach to clean your concrete driveway. Great question! Bleach is a very effective solution to cleaning concrete. Let’s take a look at how you can use bleach to clean concrete. Before we do that, let’s look at some general information about concrete floorings.

Why Concrete Flooring

Concrete is one of the most common materials used due to how affordable it is as well as how durable it can be. The high durability concrete possesses can withstand any weather condition and can hold a lot of weight. Concrete is very versatile with many different options to choose from for design and aesthetics as well as color and texture. Either way, concrete flooring can complement any home and create an amazing curb appeal. Concrete flooring is also easy to maintain and requires little to no effort to do so. The only downsides to it is that due to its hard surface, you have a higher chance of injuring yourself if you trip or fall. The same can be said to any fragile items like your phone or glass. One drop will definitely destroy it.

Safety precautions

It’s important to take proper safety precautions before bleaching your concrete. Make sure you are wearing rubber gloves to protect your hands and to cover up to protect your skin. When you’re done bleaching the concrete, do not bring the shoes you wore inside the house. Leave it outside so that you don’t bring in any toxins. Be sure to not use a metal brush because it can leave behind metal bits and leave stains and rust to the concrete. In terms of the bleach, make sure it’s not anywhere near plants. Take the necessary precautions to ensure that the bleach does not come in contact with your plants. Also, do not mix bleach with ammonia because it will create a toxic gas that you do not want to deal with. We recommend looking into what you can and cannot mix with bleach to be safe. If you’re not entirely sure about it, it’ll be better to contact a professional that’s familiar with using bleach for cleaning.

The Steps to cleaning the concrete with bleach

To start, you’re going to need a couple things before you jump right into it. You’re gonna need some brooms and brushes (preferably stiff brush), bleach, water, and a bucket or hose. You also wanna make sure that there are no plants, furniture, pets, or kids nearby. Make sure they all stay away from the area to make it easier for yourself. Now that you have that ready, here’s the steps to take for cleaning your concrete.

1. Remove any weeds and moss from the area. Go for the edges of your concrete as well as any cracks that appear.
2. Sweep the concrete floor to remove any debris and residue. 
3. Mix the bleach and water to create a solution. Make sure that the area is well ventilated when doing this because the fumes from the bleach can cause sinus irritation and is just something you don’t want to smell when mixing.
4. Spray the solution on the areas you plan to scrub first. If you are dealing with tougher stains, dilute the solution with more water to create a thicker consistency and then spray it in the affected area. Let it sit for about an hour or so.
5. Grab a stiff brush and start scrubbing. We recommend getting a nylon bristle brush to really get the grime out.
6. Use a hose or bucket of water to rinse the area.

Ready to bleach your concrete driveway?

Harford Powerwashing is a family-owned and operated company, whose mission is to treat each customer with respect and provide superior quality power washing services. We have years of experience in the field, and we are always working towards learning more so we can bring you the best. Our team of highly trained professionals are here for you and your home/business. 

Call us today at 443-206-4971 for a free estimate or you can email us at harfordpowerwashing@yahoo.com