18 Feb How to Clean Your Epoxy Garage Floor
Even though your epoxy garage floor is stain resistant, dust and dirt can accumulate on the surface. You may find that you need to periodically clean off the residue. So, here are some basic tips for keeping your epoxy floor shiny and new looking.
Regular Maintenance and Cleaning
#1 – Purchase a Dust Mop
Most dust and debris should require nothing more than a broom and a dust mop. Epoxy floors are basically a non-stick surface, so dust only sits on top. The dust mop easily lifts it off the floor. This is true even for garage floors that have the anti-slip additive.
#2 – Vacuum Joints and Corners
Large floors require contraction joints and dust particles can collect in these cracks. Also, you may find that dirt accumulates along the walls and corners of the garage. A dust mop may not be able to reach these areas so use a vacuum. Once again, the dirt does not stick to the floor and should come up easily.
#3 – Wipe Up Spills and Leaks
A soft cloth or paper towel is usually all you need to wipe up oil leaks or other fluid on an epoxy floor. If there is residue left after wiping, use some glass cleaner and it should come right up.
How to Clean a “Working Garage” Floor
For those of you who work on your car, or for garage floors that see heavy traffic, you may require a heavier cleaning. In order to keep build-up from occurring, you should clean your floor about every three months.
Use a hard foam mop and a natural degreaser, such as Simple Green. Do not use citrus products, as they will dull the gloss of your floor over time. Dilute the Simple Green with 8 parts water and spray it directly on the floor. Using hot water, mop up the cleaner and any grease or dirt it dissolves.
Be careful not to use an abrasive brush or pad to scrub your epoxy floor. Over time, they could dull the surface. For stubborn dirt, such as rust or road salt, use calcium lime rust cleaner (CLR) diluted with water. Make sure you rinse well.
The other thing you want to avoid using on your epoxy floor is soap. Soap products leave a dulling residue and can cause the floor the become slippery when wet.
Cleaning Stubborn Tire Marks From An Epoxy Garage Floor
The tire marks on your epoxy garage floor are similar to the black marks left on a basketball court by dress shoes. The rubber in the tires breaks down and leaves a residue on the garage floor.
Generally, all that is required to remove the marks is an application of Simple Green and a nylon brush. As stated earlier, don’t use anything too abrasive as it can dull the floor over time. For stubborn stains, you may need to do two applications of Simple Green.
It’s best not to let tire marks accumulate for a long period of time. The sooner you remove them from your epoxy floor, the easier they will come up.
Epoxy garage floors are one the of easiest types of garage floors to clean and maintain. With just routine cleaning they will stay looking new for years.