How To Clean A Garage Floor: Best Tips And Tricks

How To Clean Garage Floor: Best Tips And Tricks
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Your garage floor is regularly exposed to lots of different substances, such as motor oil and grease, so you need to clean it to keep it hygienic. This will also remove any unpleasant odors that can seep into the rest of the home.

Is the garage a cluttered area of the home? In a study, it was found that 50 percent of polled homeowners confessed that their garages are the most disorganized areas of the home. 

It’s time to get rid of all that clutter. Cleaning your garage floor is a good start to making better use of your living space. We will show you how. 

Contents

Why Should You Clean Your Garage Floor? 

Why Should You Clean Your Garage Floor? 

Let’s be honest: the garage is the room in the house that’s usually neglected. Since it’s apart from the rest of the house, it’s easy to turn a blind eye to its clutter and dirt. But there are good reasons why you should clean its floor regularly.

  • It prevents wear and tear on the garage floor material. 
  • It prevents stains from making the garage floor look bad. 
  • It prevents your car tires from getting dirty because of whatever’s on the floor, such as oil and grime. 
  • It prevents bad or toxic odors from entering the house. For example, if your garage floor has a lot of spills and stains, this can cause unpleasant smells in the home. 
  • It makes working in your garage much more pleasant because you won’t be surrounded by dirt.

How To Clean Garage Floor: Step-By-Step Guide 

How To Clean Garage Floor: Step-By-Step Guide 

Step One: Cover drywalls

If you have drywall in the garage, it needs to be covered before you clean your garage. This is because they can become weakened by water exposure, and this could even cause them to experience mold growth.

Try to cover approximately three feet of your drywall with tarp. The benefit of covering it is that you will also keep water away from your power outlets.

Step Two: Remove The Clutter

Before you can start cleaning the garage floor, you need to declutter it. Remove items that are on the floor such as boxes, tools, bicycles, and other items that will get in your way.

Step Three: Sweep The Floor

Next, sweep the garage floor so that you remove dust and debris. 

Step Four: Remove Stain

Since the garage floor can easily get stained with different substances, you will need to tackle stains. Here are some effective stain removal methods.

  • Remove rust with lemons: Pour lemon juice directly onto a rust stain. If you don’t have lemon juice, consider using white vinegar instead. Both of these liquids will work well because they are acidic. Let the liquid work on the stain for five minutes, then scrub it with a stiff-bristle brush. 
  • Use cat litter for oil stains: If you’re a cat owner, reach for some clay cat litter to remove oil-based stains from the garage floor. Since this litter is very absorbent, it works well to remove oil spills and stains. To use it, spread enough cat litter onto the stain so that it completely covers it. Leave it to work overnight. The next day you should sweep away the litter. You will have to repeat the process if you can still see some of the stains. 
  • Choose powdered detergent for general stains: If you’ve got a variety of different stains on your garage floor, powdered detergent can work well. It’s a great versatile product to try! Simply add detergent to the stain to completely cover it, then use a stiff-bristle brush that’s dipped in warm water to scrub at it. 

How To Deep Clean Your Garage Floor

How To Deep Clean Your Garage Floor

Once you’ve swept your floor and removed any stains, you can deep clean it to make it look fresh and new. Here’s what to do.

Mix Your Cleaning Solution

Fill a bucket with one gallon of warm water, then add one-third of a cup of detergent to the water. Mix it well so that the detergent can fully dissolve.

If you don’t want to use detergents that contain chemicals in them, you can make your own DIY cleaning solution. Mix together half a cup of baking soda with a gallon of warm water.

The baking soda will fizz and agitate dirt on the floor, so it’s a great versatile cleaner that will remove dirt as well as some stains. 

Spread the solution around with a broom

After you’ve applied the cleaning solution to the garage floor, let it work for 10 minutes. This is important so that the detergent has a chance to properly dissolve debris and dirt.

Then, use a regular or push broom to scrub the floor. Make sure the broom has strong bristles as these will work well to remove and pick up more dirt and debris. 

While scrubbing at the cleaning solution, work in such a way that you can push the water and detergent out the garage door. This will make the floor dry faster at the end of the cleaning session.

Rinse the floor

There will still be some water and detergent on the garage floor, so use a garden hose to rinse it. If you have a squeegee you can use it to prevent water from pooling on the floor.

Consider a power washer

If you’re dealing with lots of dirt on your garage floor, a good alternative to using a broom is to make use of a power washer.

How you’ll use it is that after you’ve applied a cleaning solution to the garage floor, you will let it work for about 15 minutes before spraying the floor with your power washer. 

You should move the nozzle with wide strokes across the floor, and make sure you work in such a way that you move towards the garage door so the water will be taken out of the garage. 

Should You Apply A Concrete Sealer To Your Garage Floor?

Should You Apply A Concrete Sealer To Your Garage Floor?

If you want to prevent stains from appearing on your concrete garage floor in the future, you might consider sealing the concrete.

There are products you can buy from your local hardware store that will help you in this regard. Other benefits of sealing your concrete floor include increased durability and a more appealing appearance. 

How Should You Clean An Epoxy Garage Floor?

How Should You Clean An Epoxy Garage Floor?

If you have an epoxy floor, you should follow a few different tips. The most important thing to bear in mind if you have an epoxy floor is to avoid abrasive ingredients when cleaning it, such as vinegar, citrus, and soap.

Vinegar and citrus are both acidic so they will cause the gloss of the epoxy floor to become dull, and soap can cause a residue on the surface of the floor that can also cause a cloudy appearance.

When cleaning your epoxy floor, here are the steps to follow.

  • Sweep and mop the floor: Sweep away surface dust and debris, then mop the floor. A good cleaning solution to use when mopping is to mix together one gallon of water and half a cup of ammonia in a bucket. Mix it well before mopping with it. 
  • Remove any stains: If there are some stubborn stains that have managed to set into the epoxy, use some hot water that’s poured directly onto the stain. Wipe it with a cloth. Note that if there are stains that are a bit more difficult to remove, don’t use chemicals to remove them. This will damage the epoxy. Consider an all-purpose cleaner that you can apply to the stain and then rub with a sponge. 

How To Clean Sealer And Old Paint From Garage Floors

How To Clean Sealer And Old Paint From Garage Floors

If you want to repaint your garage floor, you will first have to clean away its current sealer and any old paint that remains. This can be done easily.

You can remove the sealer and paint in various ways. These include using a chemical stripper, a solvent, or a floor grinder. Conveniently, you can find grinder heads that are used specifically for removing paint sealers. 

Related Questions 

Can you use ammonia on a concrete garage floor?

Can you use ammonia on a concrete garage floor?

Ammonia is not a good cleaning ingredient to use on concrete because it’s not pH neutral and can break down the sealant that covers many concrete floors.

How do you fill in cracks in your concrete garage floor?

Remove loose edges in the cracks with a hammer and chisel. Apply an epoxy paste to the crack with a putty knife. Work it into the floor crack, then scrape away the excess.

A trowel can also be used to smooth the surface. When the paste dries, sand it to give you an even finish. 

Conclusion 

Your garage floor can become dirty and greasy easily because it’s where you house your car and a variety of items and devices that can send dirt and grime all over the place.

By following the tips in this article, you’ll be able to clean your garage floor much easier and quicker so you actually want to spend time in your garage.