Cleaning Stamped Concrete With Xylene

Routine cleaning of stamped concrete is simple.

Cleaning stamped concrete with xylene.

Sweep and wash the surface occasionally to avoid dirt buildup using a push broom garden hose and a mild detergent. Use a clean 3 8 inch nap roller and back roll across the area a few times to work out the problem area. Never use a pressure washer to clean your stamped concrete. Can xylene be used on stamped concrete.

Rinse well with a garden hose on high pressure. Over time the high pressure breaks down the sealer and reduces the protection the shine and expected life of the sealer. For regular cleaning of stamped concrete surfaces a weekly wet mopping is usually sufficient. Here are the steps for cleaning stamped concrete.

If you aren t sure what your stamped concrete is currently sealed with you want to run a quick xylene xylol test. The first step in cleaning a stamped concrete surface is removing loose dirt and grime from the surface. If concrete was dyed or stained using xylene can damage or change the color of the concrete pressure wash the surface and allow concrete to completely dry. If the excess antiquing release was thoroughly removed before the original seal coat was applied the best way to fix sealer problems is to fill a pail with xylene and use a natural bristle brush on a broom handle to scrub the xylene onto the surface.

Xylene can be applied in three ways all of which depend on the antiquing and or cleaning method used when the concrete was stamped. Find an area where the sealer is still visible and mark off a 1 ft x 1 ft area. Step 1 sweep the surface. Spray a thin coat across the surface and let it liquefy the sealer.

Many oil based decking enamels and varnishes can be thinned or cleaned up with xylene which also works well as a solvent when used with compounds that are applied to metals to keep them from rusting. The cleaner will release the dirt that gets trapped in the valleys and crevices of the stamped concrete. If it is an outdoor surface you can use a leaf blower for extra assistance step 2 wet mop the surface. Always use a gentle cleaner when washing stamped concrete.

After sweeping the floor dip a rope or foam mop into a bucket of warm water. Use a broom to remove loose debris from the concrete. Start by removing any visible peeling and flaking and use a solvent based stripper such as xylene to remove the previous sealer. Because it is made from petroleum xylene is especially good at cleaning up oil based products like paint wood stain and other synthetic products without damaging the surfaces they are on.

Thoroughly mop the floor. Maintaining the stamped concrete by keeping it clean and re sealing when needed 2 3 years will keep the concrete looking as new as possible. If the surface gets sticky tacky leave it to dry for 24 hours. To clear up whitened cracked and hazy looking concrete sealer sometimes it s better to try and re melt the existing acrylic solvent based sealer with an application of xylene xylol.