Jul 28, 2022

How To Clean Concrete

How to Clean Concrete & Get Rid Of Ugly

We use concrete for a lot of things. From driveways to patios to walkways or even as an exciting feature for the garden. The last thing you want to see is concrete becoming dirty or stained due to moss or mould. This not only makes it lose the wow factor but can also be a slippery hazard. Cleaning concrete can be the biggest chore and not what you want to spend your weekends doing. At Wet and Forget we’ve made cleaning concrete easy. Let our products do the work, no water pressure or elbow grease required. Here’s how to clean concrete.

What types of concrete growths are there?

Everyone experiences concrete stains or growths. Before getting started on cleaning concrete, try and identify the type of stain/growth that you’re dealing with. Most common concrete growths include;

Moss—Green, fuzzy growth that has root like structures
Algae—This can grow on any outdoor surface, slimy and slippery. Green algae grows in the shade and black algae grows in full sun.
Mould—Slimy or fuzzy, usually black and grow in damp, shady areas.
Lichen—Grows on almost any outdoor surface, comes in a range of colours and can be recognised by its scaly texture.

What do I need to clean concrete? What are the best chemicals to clean concrete?

At Wet and Forget we’ve got all the things you need to clean your concrete. Our Wet & Forget (blue) and our Rapid Application (with its Reach Nozzle) will clean concrete like you’ve never seen it before. You can order these online or find them in store. They are safe to use on exterior surfaces and can be used without having to water blast or scrub the surface. Which means after you use the product, it’s time to forget about it!

(Note: You cannot use regular Wet & Forget 5L (blue) with the new Rapid Application hose fitting. It will not work as the dilution rates are very different).

How do I clean concrete?

Use the Wet & Forget (blue) to clean concrete. Mix it 1 part to 5 parts water in your garden sprayer. Every 5L pack yields 30L of product to spray. Make sure you pick a cool and dry day to clean concrete and apply this product. Once mixed, saturate the dry concrete. Remember to cover the entire surface that you want to clean. This is essential to kill anything that infests the surface. This product also contains a surfactant that gives more even dispersal. Watch your concrete clean itself with the help of Mother Nature. To make the most out of the product, applying it in the evening is beneficial as evaporation will be minimal which means the surface you’ve applied it to stays wet for longer without any interference.

With the Rapid Application and its Reach Nozzle all you need to do is attach your hose, turn it on and that’s it! Start cleaning by saturating the concrete. The most outstanding feature of Rapid Application is the reach nozzle with its unparalleled reach of 8m or 2 storeys without using a ladder! For large concrete driveways, and paths a quick change on the reach nozzle gives you an incredibly fast application. This is more than fifty times that of a garden sprayer! The best time to apply it is on a cool, dry windless day when no rain is expected. It requires no mixing or measuring which means no mess for you! Every 2L pack covers between 150-300 sq m depending on the porosity of the surface and the level of contamination. As the days go by, watch your concrete become clean. You only need to apply this once to see results come to life.

How to clean concrete fast?

If the concrete area you’re trying to clean is heavily contaminated, you can re-apply the product one month after the first application. After the first application, remember to keep up the maintenance. This means next time the product will work even faster since the concrete has already been cleaned previously. Remember to re-apply at the first sign of regrowth to keep the contamination from coming back.

Can you clean concrete without water pressure?

At Wet & Forget, we aim to make your life easier. This means when using our products, you can clean concrete without water pressure! Everything you need to make the magic happen is already in the product—there’s no need to worry about anything else.

Does bleach clean concrete?

Bleach is a common product used for cleaning. Bleach does clean concrete and remove stains. However, using bleach can require a lot of scrubbing and the fumes from bleach can be very strong. The Wet & Forget products do not contain any bleach and work perfectly. No bleach means you can use it safely on any exterior surface and no bleach also means that our products have an unlimited shelf life.

What if concrete turns orange?

If your concrete turns orange after cleaning—don’t worry. It just means you did good work! This colour symbolises the contamination changing colour and is a normal reaction. This colour will fade over time and is not permanent. Your concrete is on its way to becoming clean and new!

At Wet & Forget, we’ve got the answer to all your concrete stains. Use our products to clean concrete and you’ll forget there were any stains before! Check out our range of products online or contact us if you have any questions. If you’re looking to do more outdoor cleaning and maintenance, check out our full range of outdoor products.