How to Clean Garage Epoxy Floor
Epoxy floors are popular for garages and commercial spaces due to their water-tightness and durability. Unknown to many, epoxy floors are easy to clean since they are seamless without any lines to accumulate dirt, grime, and grease.
Hot water and soap are the easiest ways to clean epoxy flooring. Nevertheless, while maintenance and care of these floors may be straightforward, keeping them always clean is best to avoid stains.
An epoxy floor is among the best options for your garage, but how you maintain it determines its durability. Ensure you use the correct solutions and procedures to avoid damaging the epoxy coating.
Routine cleaning is the best way out. Here is a procedure to do that.
1. Maintain the Floor Grit and Dirt-free
Allowing grit and dirt to remain on your epoxy flooring for a long time and embed into the epoxy can scratch the floor coating. Such issues can be common when you regularly move heavy machinery in and out of your garage. To avoid this, attach a soft brush to a vacuum cleaner and use it to sweep away loose debris, sand, and dirt from the epoxy floor. You can also use a soft dust mop. It is advisable to do this regularly.
However, if your epoxy garage floor has an anti-slip aggregate such as aluminum oxide, it would be best to use a soft bristle brush instead of the regular dust mop. It is more effective against dirt on such floors. An epoxy floor is resilient, tough, and resistant to abrasion, but that does not mean it can suffer damage from prolonged exposure to grease, dirt, and grit.
2. Spot Cleaning
Cleaning liquid spills on an epoxy floor is super easy because these floors show excellent water resistance. Therefore, if you have spills, water, or any other dirt requiring immediate attention, you do not need to leave it until the next cleaning.
Spot cleaning is easy and does the magic on your epoxy garage floor. Using a shop vacuum, you only need to vacuum the spill alongside other dirt in that area. Afterwards, wipe the area with warm water and a mop. On the other hand, if the affected area is small, you can use a soft scrub pad instead. Nevertheless, scrub carefully so as not to damage the epoxy surface.
3. Cleaning Car Chemicals, Oils, and Other Chemicals
Unlike many resin floors, many epoxy floor solutions are not too resistant to chemicals. Specifically, engine oil contains harmful chemicals that can damage epoxy floors. Therefore, it is advisable to ensure that engine oil and other chemicals do not sit on your epoxy garage floor too long.
To safeguard your epoxy floor’s safety, wipe abrasive or coarse liquids, gas, engine oil spills, harsh household cleaners, paint, antifreeze, and any other chemicals when they come into contact with your garage floor.
In addition, it would help to use a gentle cleanser such as Windex if the substance is sticky or leaves a film on the floor. Cleaning these spills immediately is a sure way to ensure your epoxy’s durability.
Furthermore, it is advisable to have a neutralizing agent in your garage. It helps to neutralize the chemical before cleaning it with water and using a soft sponge or cloth or squeezing it to drain the liquid.
4. Cleaning Stains
Cleaning stains off the epoxy floor is straightforward with a kitchen sponge or soft deck brush and warm water. However, scrubbing lightly will give the best results. Again, avoid using harsh chemicals such as Comet or steel wool on your epoxy floor.
5. Deep Cleaning Epoxy Floor to Remove Tough stains
It is advisable to deep-clean your epoxy floor at least every month. The best way to do this is to remove all the tools and vehicles from the garage so you can reach all the hidden areas. Some stains might be too tough for a mop. You will need something more powerful in such cases.
Diluted ammonia is the most preferred epoxy coating cleaning solution and is simple to make at home. Add a half cup of ammonia to 3.8 litres of hot water. Start by sweeping or vacuuming the garage before applying the cleaning solution.
Use a microfiber cloth or a hard foam mop to apply the solution to the floor. Rinse off the cleaning solution with clean water, then dry the floor with a towel or leave it to air dry.
6. Use Stiff Nylon Brush for Stubborn Stains
After soaking the stains with your homemade epoxy cleaner, you can use a stiff nylon brush to clean off stubborn stains. Scrub the stained area repeatedly until all the stains come off, then rinse with clean water and dry.
7. Use Lactic Acid-based Cleaner for Rust Stains
If a rust stain does not come off after cleaning with scrub and water, you may need a lactic acid-based cleaning solution. You can prepare the solution by mixing one part of water with another of lactic acid.
Apply this solution directly on the rust stain and scrub with a brush. However, do not allow the solution to sit on the floor for more than two minutes and remember to rinse it with cold water immediately after scrubbing.