Concrete Cleaning Pro Tips and Help

I am Scott Paul, a leading exterior paver restoration contractor and business owner with over 30 years of experience in cleaning, sealing, and protecting. For info about who I am, please read my full bio here.

My Top Concrete Cleaning Tips 2025

Thank you for continuing to visit Concrete Sealer Review throughout 2025 and beyond. I remain your trusted source for tips and advice for concrete and brick paver sealers. Here, I have an updated article about the best way to clean concrete. If you have any suggestions or questions, feel free to comment below.

Efflorescence On Brick

Prepping the surface is typically needed before applying a concrete sealer or water repellent. Prepping consists of cleaning with water and using a chemical cleaner specific to the stain you are trying to remove. Cleaners for concrete and brick pavers come in many different formulas.

Let’s look at the main reasons to clean and prep your concrete:

General Dirt and Grime Cleaning Concrete

When cleaning to remove dirt and grime, you may need water and a pressure washer. If the stains are stubborn, then a general all-purpose concrete cleaner or even bleach would help with the washing.

Rust Removal Concrete

Rust stains typically happen from untreated water on the vertical brick walls and horizontal concrete from the sprinkler systems. The trick is to clean off the rust stains before they become too heavy with mineral deposits. There are many different types of concrete rust removers on the market. These cleaners are typically a mild acid formula of citric or oxalic acids. Professional formulas are more effective as they contain a unique blend of acids. Many acid cleaners will work, but you do need to be careful not to harm the surface or yourself.

Efflorescence Removal Concrete

Efflorescence is a white soluble salt typically seen on newly installed concrete, pavers, and blocks. Like a rust remover, an efflorescence cleaner contains acids to break down the white salts. It is important not to buy a generic acid such as Hydrochloric Acid, as this may damage the surface by “burning” or heavily etching the substrate. For example, using the incorrect acid could make newly installed pavers look ten years old.

It is best to use a product labeled as an “Efflorescence Cleaner.”

Oil Spills and Grease Removal Concrete

One of the most popular reasons to clean concrete is the oil spill from the car or the grease spill from the barbecue grill. Using a pressure washer and a Cleaner Degreaser is best for this scenario.

Failed Sealer that Has Discolored (turned white)

This is not an easy fix! Unfortunately, many sealers will discolor or turn white due to a variety of issues. This most commonly happens to wet-look sealers that are applied to brick pavers or stamped concrete surfaces. Typically, this is avoided by using a high-quality sealer, but not everyone does their research first. These are “Concrete Sealer Strippers” that typically involve the use of Dichloromethane (methylene chloride)or soy gel as the stripping agent. We prefer the former as it reacts within a few minutes.

Extreme caution or hiring of a trained professional should be taken with these strippers.

Leaf Stain Cleaning Concrete

It’s widespread but an easy fix. Watered-down bleach, 1 part to 4 parts water, should get rid of the leaf stains!

Pollution Cleaning on Concrete or Brick Buildings

Typically seen in high-traffic areas, pollution stains are the black marks you see on churches and buildings in the inner cities. These stains are also cleaned with a proprietary blend of acids.

Graffiti Removal Concrete

Vandalism or graffiti removal can be difficult as the effectiveness of the cleaner/stripper is related to the paint type being removed. Typically, these are paint strippers that lift the graffiti from the surface so it can be pressure-washed off.

If you have any questions about which type of cleaner you should use, please ask them in the comment area below. Please answer these questions:

1. Type of surface
2. The stain type being removed
3. Age of substrate

Scott Paul ~ Restoring Concrete Since 1993 Owner

As an article and comment contributor to the site, Scott has been around the pressure washing industry since attending college. In 1993, he started his first company called Oakland Pressure Wash, specializing in exterior pressure washing and concrete/brick paver sealing. That company evolved into OPW L.L.C. shortly thereafter, concentrating more on exterior wood and concrete/paver restoration. Scott and his Pressure Cleaning Michigan company have restored over 10,000 projects in the Metro Detroit area since the early years. He has become an authority in the concrete and brick pavers restoration industry and has contributed to numerous forums and informative sites. All the products he suggests through this site are sold online and in retail stores, allowing consumers to choose their means of purchase. Scott’s eCommerce sites sell many of the top brands he endorses, and if you appreciate any of the help he has offered, feel free to purchase from one of them.

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