Cleaned some really dirty residential concrete recently and just wanted to share the process. It was covered in tree sap and some grease from the bobcat that was moving the trees that were cut down.
Equipment: 8gpm / hot water ~175-180 / WW 24” ground force / yellow tip / 12V with smart blend manifold
Process: hit the heavy spots with degreaser and let dwell for ~15min, used the yellow tip to take off the large sap piles, surface cleaned the whole drive and then rinsed. After that, hit the spots that didn’t come up with some aluminum brighter and then used yellow tip to chip it off. Rinsed it all off again and then post treat with 4% SH via 12V.
Those spots you hit will aluminum brightener changed the color of the concrete. If you’re going to use an acid you have to treat the whole area. They’re very noticeable now and will be even more when dry. To the new guys looking at this post, do not do what’s shown in this post.
@Max1 Don’t worry I explained that to the customer and they were okay with it. I wouldn’t have done it without their permission. I even told them I could do the whole drive to even it out and they didn’t want it.
Why did you use it in the first place though? Was there rust or red mud stains? Where are you located? Asking a customer to do something that’s going to look bad is never a good idea. You’re replacing one stain with another and it’s now your fault. I’d rather leave a stain than replace it.
I told you my process, I cleared it with the client and they were happy with the end result. I get what you’re saying, but there is nothing else to go about with it. If you want to let folks know that this isn’t the way to clean, then your entitled to that.
It’s a learning lesson for you and others. It’s never a good idea to replace one problem with as it then becomes your fault. A lot of us have been there, it’s just best to not post the process as if you recommend it.
Sorry for the delay. I used the AB on the heavier soiled areas where the sap/grease had really settled into the concrete. After the degreaser didn’t lighten it up enough for what the client wanted, I did a test spot with the AB, showed them the result of that, and they were happy and I continued on.
Once I got the photos from them before cleaning, I made a plan and put it into phases. The method of cleaning was put together by reading other post here about sap on concrete. The few that I read talked about the combination of heat and degreaser. I went that same route and then when they wanted to lighten up more, thats when I went to the next phase of testing the AB and went from there.
