The cleaner will release the dirt that gets trapped in the valleys and crevices of the stamped concrete.
Cleaning stamped concrete with xylene.
Because it is made from petroleum xylene is especially good at cleaning up oil based products like paint wood stain and other synthetic products without damaging the surfaces they are on.
Many oil based decking enamels and varnishes can be thinned or cleaned up with xylene which also works well as a solvent when used with compounds that are applied to metals to keep them from rusting.
For regular cleaning of stamped concrete surfaces a weekly wet mopping is usually sufficient.
Rinse well with a garden hose on high pressure.
To clear up whitened cracked and hazy looking concrete sealer sometimes it s better to try and re melt the existing acrylic solvent based sealer with an application of xylene xylol.
Never use a pressure washer to clean your stamped concrete.
Keeping the roller wet with xylene xylol roll over the area until it gets tacky.
Sweep and wash the surface occasionally to avoid dirt buildup using a push broom garden hose and a mild detergent.
Thoroughly mop the floor.
If the surface gets sticky tacky leave it to dry for 24 hours.
After sweeping the floor dip a rope or foam mop into a bucket of warm water.
Spray a thin coat across the surface and let it liquefy the sealer.
Always use a gentle cleaner when washing stamped concrete.
Use a broom to remove loose debris from the concrete.
Mike day everything about concrete 2 241 821 views 27 12 restoring stamped concrete with original solid color stain translucent color enhancer duration.
Routine cleaning of stamped concrete is simple.
If concrete was dyed or stained using xylene can damage or change the color of the concrete pressure wash the surface and allow concrete to completely dry.
If you aren t sure what your stamped concrete is currently sealed with you want to run a quick xylene xylol test.
Maintaining the stamped concrete by keeping it clean and re sealing when needed 2 3 years will keep the concrete looking as new as possible.
Here are the steps for cleaning stamped concrete.
The first step in cleaning a stamped concrete surface is removing loose dirt and grime from the surface.
If the excess antiquing release was thoroughly removed before the original seal coat was applied the best way to fix sealer problems is to fill a pail with xylene and use a natural bristle brush on a broom handle to scrub the xylene onto the surface.
Xylene can be applied in three ways all of which depend on the antiquing and or cleaning method used when the concrete was stamped.
Use a clean 3 8 inch nap roller and back roll across the area a few times to work out the problem area.
Find an area where the sealer is still visible and mark off a 1 ft x 1 ft area.
In the case of the 5 year old stamped patio my recommendation would be to try a solvent bath with xylene or use one of the new solvent bath products on the market.
Start by removing any visible peeling and flaking and use a solvent based stripper such as xylene to remove the previous sealer.
Over time the high pressure breaks down the sealer and reduces the protection the shine and expected life of the sealer.
