A concrete driveway is harder to clean as compared to
conventional floors. This is because the concrete driveway is regularly exposed
to dust, grime, grease, and marks left by the tires of vehicles. Concrete
driveways are also characterized by tenacious stains that cannot be removed by
ordinary cleaners. Without proper cleaning, concrete driveways tend to become
discolored within a short period.
There is no dearth of high-quality cleaners available in the
market, which are formulated for concrete. To choose the right concrete
driveway cleaner as per your requirements, some of the following factors need
to be kept in mind.
Type of cleaner
Concrete driveway cleaners are of four types, namely pH neutral, Acidic, Alkaline,
and Enzymatic. Each type of concrete cleaner is suitable for types of dirt and
stains.
pH neutral concrete driveway cleaners, as the name suggests, are
pH neutral cleaners. Such cleaners are suited for unsealed concrete, having no
embedded dirt or soil particles. They are suitable for mild cleaning only.
Thus, pH neutral concrete driveway cleaners cannot be used to remove stubborn
dirt and stains from the concrete driveways.
Acidic concrete driveway cleaners can be used to remove dirt and
stains which are soluble in acid. They are particularly suited for removing
efflorescence from the concrete driveways. Efflorescence is white staining on
concrete, which resembles salt. It is caused by anything having high salt
content such as hard water.
Alkaline concrete driveway cleaners are effective against oil
and grease. Alkaline cleaner emulsifies the oil and grease stains present on
the concrete driveway, which can then be cleaned easily. Alkaline concrete
cleaners are available in full-strength and diluted varieties. Full-strength
variety is necessary to remove deep or old stains. Otherwise, diluted variety
is suitable.
Enzymatic concrete driveway cleaners contain enzymes that break
down the stains present on the concrete. Apart from oil and grease, such
cleaners are also effective against other hydrocarbon stains. Such cleaners do
not leave any residue after cleaning.
Safe to use
The concrete driveway cleaner should not be harmful to skin,
eyes, and general health. To this end, the cleaner should be devoid of toxic
and hazardous chemicals; otherwise, it will pose a health risk to you, your
family members, and pet. A safe product will have certification from authentic
organizations or associations.
Effectiveness
The cleaner should be able to clean the concrete surface
thoroughly and not leave out dirt and stains. An effective concrete driveway
cleaner will have positive customer reviews. Thus, it is advisable to read
customer reviews for every option of concrete driveway cleaner. It is also
important to be wary of fake concrete cleaners in the market.
Time taken
The time is taken by concrete driveway cleaners to impart a
spick and span appearance to concrete driveways range between few days to
several weeks. You need to pick a cleaner that acts as swiftly as possible.
Capacity
The capacity of the concrete driveway cleaner pack depends upon
the size of the concrete driveway. A large capacity pack is suitable for
cleaning large spaces.
