Clean a concrete floor?

[JohnT]

I was looking at all of the staining that my winery's concrete floor has accumulated over the years. I was just wondering what everybody else uses to clean a concrete floor?

Perhaps it would just be better to paint it.

 

[Arne]

Yep John, get it all cleaned up, make it nice, then you won't be able to spill on it anymore. My floor is all stained up, plain concrete and the Mrs. stays away. Life is good. Arne.

 

[Boatboy24]

I've not even been in my house a year, and I have a few stains on the floor. I say they are beauty marks.

I know you can 'etch' it using muriatic acid. If you're going that route, may as well epoxy it too - then you can clean up with a squeegee.


Edit: Of course, Bob Vila knows. Trisodium Phosphate, or muriatic acid.

http://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-clean-concrete/#.VuvxVXnVxaQ


Here's one more idea:

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/clean-unsealed-concrete-floor-27239.html

 

[Runningwolf]

I would not paint it. You think it looks bad now, wait till you stain a painted floor. Plus, once you paint it you'll have to keep it up. It wears off and sometimes peeling is an issue. I would just try using an acid based cleaner to clean it best you can. Make sure yourinse it good so it doesn't etch your floor.

 

[GreginND]

I just scrub it with oxyclean and it takes the stains out.

 

[grapeman]

John just give up winemaking you have flunked... Any winemaker worth his weight would never, ever spill any wine to make a mess, never have a fermenting wine get too vigorous and leave it's primary, nor drop a bottle etc................... oh wait a minute, maybe they would!

Seriously oxyclean does help, even a good strong solution of k-meta will take a lot of it out. Just be sure to rinse well after a while to get it all off the floor.

 

[LittleBearGameFarm]

I'm considering building a shop in the next year or so and one of the things I was thinking about was a stained concrete floor, which can be done on old concrete as well. Ones I've seen have looked pretty sharp and if you pick colors that would compliment a nice cabernet, any spills would just add to the look or blend right in.

 

[roger80465]

Seriously oxyclean does help, even a good strong solution of k-meta will take a lot of it out. Just be sure to rinse well after a while to get it all off the floor.

Oh My! All that kmeta on the floor at once - what a lovely aroma that would be! I vote for oxyclean!

 

[grapeman]

Oh My! All that kmeta on the floor at once - what a lovely aroma that would be! I vote for oxyclean!

Yes you spread it on the floor and leave the room. Be sure to have plenty of ventilation if you use it, but it is fairly effective. A respirator is even a good idea. Probably not a great idea in the basement.

 

[JohnT]

John just give up winemaking you have flunked... Any winemaker worth his weight would never, ever spill any wine to make a mess, never have a fermenting wine get too vigorous and leave it's primary, nor drop a bottle etc

Actually it was my clumsy brother (yeah, that's it) my clumsy brother.

I have tried the oxy stuff. It only work so-so. I am thinking of seeing if my pressure washer will help. I hate to use it as water gets sprayed over everything.

 

[montanaWineGuy]

I second using TSP and warm water. Gets out the blood of my yearly Buck easily enough.

 

[GreginND]

Yes you spread it on the floor and leave the room. Be sure to have plenty of ventilation if you use it, but it is fairly effective. A respirator is even a good idea. Probably not a great idea in the basement.

Yes, I do that too every now and then. I have been known to take my used sulfite solutions from bottle washing and pour it on the floor too.

 

[Johnd]

I was looking at all of the staining that my winery's concrete floor has accumulated over the years. I was just wondering what everybody else uses to clean a concrete floor?

Perhaps it would just be better to paint it.

If you want the best option for a floor coating, something you can do yourself, epoxy floor coatings are the way to go. I am a commercial contractor, we do lots of commercial projects where floor coatings are required, and we've done lots of them all.

As far as cleaning concrete, muriatic acid works well if you put some elbow grease into it, but it won't remove deep stains. Shot blasting is the best method. You can rent a small shot machine from a rental store. You can also rent a pressure washer that has an attachment on the nozzle which sucks sand into the water stream out of a bag of blasting sand. This works really well.

If you decide to coat the floor when it's clean, don't go to a big box store and buy epoxy, go to a specialty paint store like Benjamin M or Sherwin W and spend some money on a high quality epoxy. It'll resist all sorts of chemical spills, oils and the like and cleans up like a charm. Do it once, and do it right.

 

[ceeaton]

If you ever make a "not so good" red wine, which I'm sure wouldn't happen in your house @JohnT, let's change that to if someone gives you a less than superior red wine, just dump in on the floor, spread it around evenly, and let it hang out for a few hours. You will have a floor that every wine maker will envy. Beautiful purple red color and any additional spills will just add to the overall beauty.

I love my garage floor stain I made last fall and plan on adding to it next chance I get. It is a great conversation piece.

 

[Natrix]

If you want the best option for a floor coating, something you can do yourself, epoxy floor coatings are the way to go. I am a commercial contractor, we do lots of commercial projects where floor coatings are required, and we've done lots of them all.

As far as cleaning concrete, muriatic acid works well if you put some elbow grease into it, but it won't remove deep stains. Shot blasting is the best method. You can rent a small shot machine from a rental store. You can also rent a pressure washer that has an attachment on the nozzle which sucks sand into the water stream out of a bag of blasting sand. This works really well.

If you decide to coat the floor when it's clean, don't go to a big box store and buy epoxy, go to a specialty paint store like Benjamin M or Sherwin W and spend some money on a high quality epoxy. It'll resist all sorts of chemical spills, oils and the like and cleans up like a charm. Do it once, and do it right.

+1, I think it's the best way to do.

 

[stickman]

In my basement winemaking area I used the epoxy coating from Sherwin W. The epoxy is very durable; however, I also applied the optional clear acrylic top coat, which was instantly stripped off the first time I spilled a solution of oxyclean. A friend of mine that was with me at the time started laughing and said, you might as well mop the entire floor with oxyclean right now! Other than the floor being a little dull around the sink area, you really can't tell. The clear coat can be easily touched up, but I would say it is not necessary as the epoxy is very durable on its own.

 

[cimbaliw]

Long before I started wine making I painted my basement floors with latex paint. In the main area, I went so far as to paint a tile pattern and seal with a gym floor quality latex varnish. Painting or epoxying the concrete makes clean up much easier simply because it is a smoother surface. If you are going to paint, I'd prep with muratic acid, prime with a stain blocker like BIN or KILZ and then slap a couple of coats down. The only negative of the smoother surface; it's a skating rink when wet. Otherwise it's cheap, easy and man does it keep the dust down.

BC

 

[Floandgary]

Consider ...... In the "spill zone" put a piece of old carpet/throw (away) rug/cheap indoor-outdoor stuff, or even a piece of Luan plywood. Better yet, indulge the wine-gods and don't spill any

 

[roger80465]

Working in healthcare, I have 'access' to throwaway pads we call chucks. They are absorbant paper with a plastic backing, kind of a thinner, flat version of a disposable diaper. Use once and pitch. It absorbs all spills and then disposed. I suspect they are available in medical supply stores also and should be pretty cheap.

 

[Floandgary]

Working in healthcare, I have 'access' to throwaway pads we call chucks. They are absorbant paper with a plastic backing, kind of a thinner, flat version of a disposable diaper. Use once and pitch. It absorbs all spills and then disposed. I suspect they are available in medical supply stores also and should be pretty cheap.

I do believe that the Big Box Stores, Lowe's/Home Depot, have absorbent materiel for spill control..