concrete brightener?

My sidewalk leading up to my front door is startin to get kinda dark. I cant tell if its mold , mildew, or dirt...or all 3. but it definately looks like its in there pretty good. is there some kind of brightener or bleacher that works to help restore the original concrete look?

any info would be appreciated.

thanks mike

Reply to
mike
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You may greatly enjoy the fun of renting a pressure washer from your local home depot. It's remarkable how it can clean up concrete.

Careful with distance and the tip and use just enough pressure to get the dirt up, but not so much to break the surface.

They do sell brightener and such but I htink you might be surprised at what a pressure washer alone can do.

Best Regards,

-- Todd H.

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Reply to
Todd H.

Power washer, just water.

Reply to
Dan Espen

In most cases, apply household bleach, diluted 50/50 with water. Brush it in with a broom, and just let it dry out normally. I have cleaned concrete like this for years.

Yes, the power washers are also great. In fact, if you have an extremely mildewed sidewalk, putting bleach on about 30 minutes before washing will do an even better job.

--James--

Reply to
James Nipper

Hi,

Without getting into chemicals that might damage your lawn, try high pressure washing. That will remove dirt, mildew, mold, etc and make the concrete look almost new again.

David

Reply to
David Alexander

Agreed.

Then, in the fullness of time, it's back to black.

Anything that's a preventative?

Reply to
HeyBub

thx guys, great advice.

Reply to
mike

Sequence of choices:

1) Powerwashing - safe, quick and easy. It removes dirt, mold, moss, etc. Generally, It does not remove stains. 2) Bleach - dangerous to lawns & plants. It is also pretty harmful to auto & home carpets when tracked in. Note that "dry" bleach is still dangerous - the bleached area should be rinsed extremely well. Bleach removes many stains such as the brown stains on concrete from leaves in the fall. It also kills mold, moss, etc. It does not remove dirt. 3) Sandblasting or sand-entrained powerwashing. This removes everything listed above since it works by removing a layer of the concrete itself and everything attached to it. If used intelligently and sparingly, it is somewhat safe, but I'd recommend it only as a last resort. Any form of sandblasting is similar to using rubbing compound (abrasive) to clean automobile paint - you are removing part of what you are cleaning.

Good luck, Gideon

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any info would be appreciated.

thanks mike

Reply to
Gideon

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