If one of your add-on services as a window cleaner is stain removal, and you’ve met stains that have put you to the test, you’ve come to the right place. But stain removal chemicals are not “one size fits all” in every scenario. There are soaps, surfactants, abrasives, oxidizers, bases (alkaline/caustic), acids, and more. This list can become quite confusing, so in this week’s Window Cleaner University article, we’ll discuss the best stain removers for concrete that work for stone, masonry, brick, and more to clear some of the “haze” surrounding stain-removing chemicals.
What are the Most Common Stains on Concrete?
There are many culprits that stain concrete over time. You can thank these offenders for giving you work to do, but sometimes, they can be real time-suckers if you don’t know what kind of stain it is or what type of chemical will remedy the surface. Learning what chemical is best for getting rid of them and figuring out the most efficient way to do so will help you tackle more jobs in a day to bring in higher profits.
Rust Stains
First, let’s talk about rust. Rust is easy enough to identify as a reddish-orange spot, ranging from light to dark. Sometimes, rust could come from a metal object erected in the concrete, such as a sign pole, a railing, a metal trash can, or even a lamppost. However, more times than not, rust comes from the concrete itself. How can this be? Well, concrete suppliers are allowed to add iron and coal granules to their batches because they can absorb more water than other types of stone. However, this water absorption can cause the iron and coal to enlarge, causing concrete “popouts,” which means after numerous rainfalls, the concrete has been brought up above the rock, leaving unsightly rust stains.
