I applied a special etching solution.
Cleaning concrete for acid staining.
Mop or rinse a couple of times with clean water.
A solution of tsp trisodium phosphate and a lot of elbow grease with a scrub brush would be your best bet.
How to acid stain a concrete floor step 1.
Trisodium phosphate and water.
Another option would be to use a pressure washer to clean the concrete slab.
This video discusses prep for an acid stain.
The second step in the process is also very important.
Do remove any materials that may inhibit concrete stain penetration such as grease oil coatings or curing membranes.
To achieve the best results with an acid stain be sure to adhere to these dos and don ts when preparing your concrete canvas.
The stain will not take at all if you use acid as a cleaner.
For many years it was a standard method of concrete preparation used by nearly all industrial commercial and institutional floor coating installers depending on the floor size and system to be installed.
Go over the area thoroughly with a wet mop and plenty of fresh clean water.
When acid staining concrete it s extremely important to clean the concrete very well before.
Because acid stains need to penetrate into the concrete surface to work it s especially important that the concrete surface is completely clean.
Clean the surface to be stained with a concrete cleaner labeled for use on the specific type of dirt or blemish you wish to remove.
We use our diamond pads tornado satellite and super blue to clean and profile the floor.
For final cleaning you should do a good scrub down using t s p.
If applying acid stain indoors cover adjacent walls with plastic sheeting held in place by painter s tape and.
Using a scrub brush with a long handle makes cleaning much easier.
Our concrete stain prep and our wax remover are both excellent concrete degreasers.
Floor prep is hard work it s messy and it takes some time but it s worth the effort to be sure your decorative concrete installation lasts.
