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Our post today is a great DIY concrete patio cleaner based on science! We also have some important tips to cleaning your concrete in addition to this DIY cement cleaner.

Now that it is cooler here in Texas, we have been working on cleaning up the yard to prepare for the cold months.

Fall is the time in our area to really get things clean. We have had many many months of 100 degree weather and drought, so you will see everyone in my neighborhood doing yard work, painting, cleaning, having garage sales, and all types of activity!

It is our favorite time of year.

We have had so many readers asking for my DIY concrete cleaner, so I am excited to finally get this post published for you!

Let’s get started!

DIY Concrete Patio Cleaner Based On Science!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup baking soda
1/8 cup dishwashing liquid
1 cup hydrogen peroxide
1 gallon of water

Directions:

1.  To one gallon of water, add in the baking soda,  dish washing liquid, and peroxide.
2.  Make sure patio is swept clean and free from debris. If there seems to be things stuck on, be sure to spray the patio down too.
3.  With a large scrub broom or scrub brush, apply the solution to the concrete and scrub back and forth, side to side.
4.  Make sure all concrete is saturated, allow it to sit for 15-20 minutes.
5.  Rinse off

How to Clean a Concrete Patio Without a Pressure Washer?

The best thing about this solution, is you don’t need to pressure wash it. Regular patio concrete (that is not sealed) is very porous, so this DIY solution gets deep into the pores of the concrete, allowing it to get clean. You don’t need to pressure wash, just rinse with a regular hose at the end!

The Science Behind These Household Items for Cleaning Concrete

You might be wondering what the benefit of these simple household items are for cleaning your patio.

There is a reason behind each one!

Baking Soda for Concrete Cleaning

Baking soda alone is a great cleaner for a few reasons. Sodium bicarbonate is an antimicrobial and alkaline, so it has the power to break up dirt and stains on many surfaces. By adding it to water, you get a great solution. By mixing it with the other ingredients in this mixture, it enhances this power!

Dish washing Liquid

As you know, we always use blue dawn dish washing liquid in our solutions. Why? Because it has been tested to work best in all of Chemistry Cachet’s DIY solutions! Dish soap is a powerful surfactant, so it pushes dirt and grime off surfaces, even concrete. It is very important to this homemade concrete cleaner.

If you don’t have blue dawn, you can use any dish soap you have on hand. Keep in mind, it might not work as powerfully.

Hydrogen peroxide for “bleaching” concrete surfaces

You will notice many homemade concrete patio cleaners contain bleach. I do not like to use bleach for a few reasons! First, it can get onto the grass when you rinse and kill grass. Second, if you have pets or children coming through the area, it is not a good idea. Although bleach is great at the whitening effect, you can use peroxide to achieve this. Hydrogen peroxide is an oxygenated bleach. It is safe for plants, so when you rinse this solution, it won’t harm anything. It works together with the dish soap and baking soda to remove dirt and whiten dirty concrete.

What About Concrete With Mold or Mildew on It?

This solution can also work for concrete with moldy or mildewed areas. If your concrete is especially bad, you can add in some tea tree oil to kill the mildew. This also removes the stains too. You can read more about using tea tree oil for mold in this DIY mold remover post. If you don’t have tea tree oil or don’t want to use it, this homemade concrete cleaner will still be effective due to the addition of baking soda and peroxide. They work together as an anti-fungal, but also whiten and remove the stains from mildew.

We have had many people get upset when we mention using tea tree oil because it can be toxic to pets, so I am including an important tip for those who decide to try adding in some tea tree oil for mold on concrete. Yes, tea tree oil is toxic to animals. However, most essential oils and cleaning products in general are toxic to animals. If you know your pet will be around your patio during cleaning or shortly after, then don’t use it. If you keep your pet away while cleaning, they can return to the area once patio is rinsed and dried.

Always use precautions when cleaning around animals or children, but especially when using essential oils.

What About Sealed or Stamped Concrete?

Most professionals recommend not using anything besides water and a little soap for sealed or stamped concrete. The purpose of sealing concrete is protect it and make it easier to clean. Our DIY concrete patio cleaner should not be used on sealed concrete. Double check with the person who installed your sealed concrete or a local professional if you have this special type of concrete to see what they suggest.

This DIY in our post today will be best for regular concrete surfaces.

What About Cleaning a Concrete Driveway?

This cleaner can also be used for driveways! The dish soap addition can help clean grease or oil. If you have heavy grease or oil stains on your driveway, increase the amount of dish soap in this solution to about 1/4 or 1/2 cup.

Another thing I love using to clean driveway areas is Spic and Span. This was a product we talked about earlier in the year in our Old-Fashioned Cleaning Products post. This powdered formula is very effective at cleaning porous concrete with oil or grease stains. So, if you have some on hand or come across it, you can try it on concrete.

What Time of Year Should You Use Concrete Cleaner?

As we mentioned in the beginning of this post, autumn is our favorite time of year for outdoor cleaning in Texas. The weather is still in the 70s or 80s, so it is the perfect time for cleaning outside. This is also great to use in the spring or summer.

The only time I would avoid using this particular recipe is during the winter months when temperatures are well below freezing. This is mainly due to not being able to use your water hose or when pipes are covered.

So, be sure to save this post if you are going to wait until spring!

I hope you enjoy using this great science based DIY concrete patio cleaner as much as we do!

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