Hello freinds.
I had one of the commercial clients ask me to wash concrete that had a run off from a dumpster. They installed french drain so now they needed grease stains off.
I tried sc-200, I tried the usual sodium hydroxide, I tried SH with TSP to get the grease lifted - nothing worked.
My hot washer is down at the moment because friend who borrowed it did not drain the coil and it froze up. So I was working with a cold water. Not sure if hot water would have lifted the grease up. It felt like an asphalt! Attaching a few pictures - this is where the garbage truck drives up and gets the dumpsters…
What chemicals do you recommend I try?
Will hot water wash it off?
Should I get the steamer and try to steam it?
P.S. The last picture is a close up after I surface cleaned it.
Hot water will definitely help, but nothing is going to completely eliminate. They will get somewhat better each time you clean if on a regular basis. I use EBC and sometimes BD200 from Southside
What are your thoughts on sodium hydroxide? Is it significantly more harmful to health than EBC or Double Eagle? Does it perform significantly better so that it is worth extra safety precautions? Do you know if the premise that concrete gets dirtier faster after using sodium hydroxide is proven or more of a rumor?
Sodium hydroxide burns skin and eyes in contact. We all grew up knowing that acids were dangerous and could hurt you…well this is the other end of the pH scale and just as dangerous. Sodium hydroxide is sold as a solid or as a 50% water dilution. It’s a class 8 corrosive for shipping purposes and it will burn you and continue to burn you until it’s neutralized.
Sodium hydroxide used on metal or concrete works by stripping the surface. A smooth surface looks less dirty than a porous surface…so I could see someone thinking that after a sodium hydroxide rinse the surface gets dirty faster. It will leave behind some very small holes.
I have no knowledge of the two products mentioned.
Potassium hydroxide is just as dangerous as sodium hydroxide but is much better at dissolving animal fats.
Please let me know if you have any further questions.
In my experience, sodium hydroxide for organic oils like restaurant patios and walks. I like zep bio for the drive thru concrete. Don’t mess with either chemical without proper ppe, trust me.
Concrete gets dirtier faster; well… if its oil and grease, you cannot remove it ALL. It may look perfect when your done, but its not. Oil still exists in the concrete and with temperature swings, it comes back to the surface. Much like armor all on tires, dust sticks to the the wet silicone. Same with the oil left in the concrete. It literally collects dirt. Also, when used in high concentrations it causes etching. Etching exposes aggregate and can appear as being dirtier because its darker than the surrounding concrete. Hope this helps.
I use very little of it and it is nasty stuff and definitely not good for the environment. I generally just keep some in a pump up for really bad places where the grease is 1/4" thick., like near the grease pits in a dumpster area. Occasionally on a bad entrance way, usually the back door to a restaurant where they carry stuff to the dumpster. The EBC does such a good job that I rarely need the hydroxide.
