Nov 13, 2015

Potted Plant Stains

Ever decide it was time to move a collection of beautiful potten plants to the other side of the yard only to discover the horrible stain left underneath them on your beautiful concrete? Have no fear! With a few household ingredients and some elbow grease, you can remove plant stains from concrete with relative ease.

What you need:

• a medium stiffness, nylon scrub brush (dont use metal bristles as you can damage your concrete!)
• a dish
• dish soap
• dry detergent
• oxygenated bleach
• white vinegar
• very hot (but not scalding) water

 How to:

1. Try the simpliest, easiest option first!
   -Use the brush and the dish soap to scrub away the stain.
   
   
2. If that doesn't work,
   - take a generous helping of that dry detergent, and completely cover the stain.
   - Make sure that the concrete underneath is wet.
   - Allow this mixture to set for about 10 minutes.
   - Take the hot water and pour it over the detergent to rinse.
   - Scrub with a brush
   
   
3. Still not working?
   - Use some distilled white vinegar and completely saturate the stained area
   - Allow this to soak the concrete for a few hours without allowing the distilled white vinegar to dry
   - Use some oxygenated bleach (about a 1:2 ratio) and water.
   - Apply to stain and allow to soak for another 10-15 minutes
   - Scrub Clean

Rust

One of the most common stains on concrete, especially familiar to anyone with a pool or living near the ocean. Rust is a pain, and it seems like it is impossible to remove rust stains from concrete, but it isn't!

What you need:

• Un-sweetened kool-aid lemonade (yes, we're serious)
• distilled white vinegar
• nylon scrub brush 
• hot water

How to:

1. As always, easiest solution first:
   - mix unsweetned kool-aid lemonade with hot water
   - you'll want it to be slightly thicker in consistency than you would drink
   - coat the stain and allow to soak for about 10 minutes
   - scrub with brush and rinse with more hot water
   - while scrubbing, use a rag to blot up rust
2. Not working?
   - Distilled white vinegar
   - allow it to soak for a few hours, again without allowing it to dry
   - scrub

Grease from the BBQ

Dinner was amazing... but the grease your juicy steak just left on your patio... not so amazing. Luckily, its an easy fix.

 

What you need:

• dry laundry detergent
• a srubby brush
• patience

How to:

1. Mix the laundry detergent and water together to make a thick paste. You want this to keep moist, but not be runny. Think oatmeal.
   - cover the stain completely
   -allow the mixture to set for 24 hrs
   - use a brush and hot water to scrub.
2. Didnt work?
   -Repeat.

Leaves 

Fall is a beautiful time of year... however, unsightly leaf stains on your concrete arent so beautiful. Thankfully the solution to removing leaf staing from concrete is very simple.

What you need:

• Oxyclean
• high pressure hose

How to:

1. coat the stain in oxyclean
   -allow to soak for ten minutes
   -rinse with hot water.
2. Doesnt work?
   -Repeat step one as needed

Wine & Coffee

Again, another painfully simple solutiion to what seems like a huge problem. 

What you need:

• glycerin or tea tree oil (you can get these at local drug stores)
• a sponge
• water

How to:

1. Make a 1:4 ratio of glycerin to water
   -apply to stain making sure to saturate it
   - allow to soak for about 45 minutes
   - make sure to keep the area moist, so reapply to keep it wet/damp
   - use a damp sponge with some glycerin to scrub 
   - rinse
   - repeat if necessary
2. Didnt work?
   - After thoroughly rinsing the previous mixture, apply a 1:1 ratio water to white vinegar
   -allow to soak for ten minutes
   - rinse

SO- as you can see, there is no need to use incredibly toxic chemicals or spend a fortune to take care of the little surprises life leaves for us. Removing concrete stains is simple, and can be done with household materials.