Concrete Floor Degreaser

steve remchak · **Posted:** Thu Jun 11, 2009 9:01 am

before i check with my usual sources i thought i would ask here.

anyone have experience with a good degreaser for smooth concrete floors? its about 1100 sq/ft in size.

Bernie Baake · **Posted:** Thu Jun 11, 2009 9:31 am

I don't know about concrete, but TriSodium Phosphate (TSP) will clean the grease out of a bilge in a heartbeat, might work on the garage floor also.

Todd Breakey · **Posted:** Thu Jun 11, 2009 10:39 am

Steve, check out the latest issue of GRM. They had a write up on floor paints and said what they used to degrease the floor in preperation. I can't remember what it was but I think Bernie is right. I don't have the issue with me but I can check it when I get home.

Adam Ligon · **Posted:** Thu Jun 11, 2009 11:53 am

TSP will work fine if its not too bad of a surface. Muriatic acid will do an amazing job of both cleaning and etching concrete for coating

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Thu Jun 11, 2009 1:40 pm

Adam Ligon wrote:

TSP will work fine if its not too bad of a surface. Muriatic acid will do an amazing job of both cleaning and etching concrete for coating

My two cents is that Muratic acid works great for etching prior to painting, but does little with respect to cleaning. I used Simple Green on my floor, but real TSP is supposed to be good.

Karl Shultz · **Posted:** Thu Jun 11, 2009 8:29 pm

Steve - now for something completely different.

Have you heard of Majestic Solutions? Local (Raleigh) detailing supply place that mixes many of their own chemicals on site. Their degreasers are just about the best I've used, and I've used a shedload of them. My guess is that their "Super Green Stuff" APC will be perfect. They have other, much more powerful cleaners there if that doesn't do the trick, but it probably will. SGS is also safe on painted surfaces, so you can use it as a wheel cleaner, tire cleaner, all over the place. I clean my buffer pads with it.

Since I don't know exactly what you're trying to get off this floor, it's hard to know, but SGS will probably work. If it doesn't, Majestic has some other, seriously powerful cleaners on the shelf.

Any questions about their stuff, feel free to ask me, I've got a garage full of them. The two guys who own the place (Jeff and Phil) are also friendly and knowledgeable.

steve remchak · **Posted:** Thu Jun 11, 2009 8:53 pm

Karl Shultz wrote:

Steve - now for something completely different.

Have you heard of Majestic Solutions? Local (Raleigh) detailing supply place that mixes many of their own chemicals on site. Their degreasers are just about the best I've used, and I've used a shedload of them. My guess is that their "Super Green Stuff" APC will be perfect. They have other, much more powerful cleaners there if that doesn't do the trick, but it probably will. SGS is also safe on painted surfaces, so you can use it as a wheel cleaner, tire cleaner, all over the place. I clean my buffer pads with it.

Since I don't know exactly what you're trying to get off this floor, it's hard to know, but SGS will probably work. If it doesn't, Majestic has some other, seriously powerful cleaners on the shelf.

Any questions about their stuff, feel free to ask me, I've got a garage full of them. The two guys who own the place (Jeff and Phil) are also friendly and knowledgeable.

yes Karl, i know of Majestic Solutions. i am moving into a building which has automobile fluid spills on the concrete of the warehouse area.

i need to pressure wash and de-grease the floor prior to storing my inventory there.

Steven Carter · **Posted:** Thu Jun 11, 2009 10:53 pm

Full strength Purple Power cleaner has done a reasonable job of taking care of oil and power steering/brake fluid stains about 6" or so in size, based on my personal experience in my garage and driveway. Some discoloration remained, but after spraying it down with water following the cleaning, there was no beading over the stain surface which I inferred meant that the oil within the surface of the concrete has been removed.

There's also a product (more expensive) called Pour N' Restore that the makers of U-Coat It recommend prior to using their epoxy system. No personal experience with it though.

Good luck!

clinehall · **Posted:** Fri Jun 12, 2009 9:07 pm

pretty sure GRM used Muratic acid, that will degrease anything, also eat cheap tennis shoes.

TomFreeman · **Posted:** Fri Jun 12, 2009 11:06 pm

clinehall wrote:

pretty sure GRM used Muratic acid, that will degrease anything, also eat cheap tennis shoes.

...and make a really neat semi-toxic smoke when you mix it way too strong with water. Not that I would know that by personal experience.

When I helped a friend finish his garage floor, we used a Home Depot brand floor degreaser, and I was less than impressed by what it did.

We etched the floor with the water/muratic acid solution after the degreaser, and it helped a little on the still greasy spots, but not that much.

I'm in the camp that recommends a good degreaser over muratic acid. Only use the acid if your etching before a finish is applied.

steve remchak · **Posted:** Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:12 am

agreed, muratic acid was never a consideration. i may just do a detergent mix for the dirt build-up and try some simple green type stuff for the stains. thanks all.

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Sun Jun 14, 2009 9:35 am

If there are some really serious oil spots, you may need to try a strong solvent such as brake cleaner to get rid of them on the surface and any "in the pores". Lacquer thinner is also a good grease solvent. I've used brake clean to dissolve the oil/grease and then cheap paper towels to wipe up the mess. Repeat as necessary. If REALLY thick build up, use a paint scrapper first. LOTS of ventilation, of course.

Dick

ColinOConnell · **Posted:** Sun Jun 14, 2009 12:04 pm

If it's just some heavy spots and not all over the floor Lowes sells OSR "oil stain remover' from Seal Krete http://www.seal-krete.com/osr.htm I've got a serious inability to keep oil off of my garage floor and driveway and this does a good job of pulling the oil out and eliminating the stains. You just pour it on and let it dry (make sure it's well mixed or it doesn't dry).

Chuck Frank · **Posted:** Fri Jul 17, 2009 12:29 pm

MANY years ago when I worked at the service station, one of my jobs was to wash the concrete bay floors every Sunday AM. My boss was a top flight mechanic, so he did a lot of mechanical work and every automotive fluid imaginable got spilled on it. I used good ol Tide detergent (the powder, not the liquid, a large box for two bays) and solv-asol (parts cleaner). I would treat the worse spills with the parts cleaner and let soak for ~ 1/2 hr., then wet down the floor and sprinkle liberally with the detergent. I would then give the floor a once over with a long handled scrub brush like you might use for acid treating a floor, and rinse clean with a high pressure nozzle on a hose. Floors would dry white and clean as a whistle.

THSCC Forums

Concrete Floor Degreaser

Who is online