How to Remove Leaf Stains From Concrete
The falling leaves of autumn can be a beautiful, serene scene to behold, but what they can leave behind may not be as pleasing. Leaves left on concrete surfaces can cause dark stains due to the organic substances that begin to decompose in a fallen leaf. In order to keep your driveway, walkways and sidewalks looking their best, try one or more helpful techniques that can remove unwanted leaf stains. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Water hose
- Water
- Liquid detergent
- Scrub brush
- OxiClean
- Pressure washer
- Gloves
- Goggles
- Old clothes
Instructions
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Use your water hose to spray down the general area of the stain and surrounding regions of concrete in order to get rid of any extra dirt, gravel, organic matter or other debris.
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2
Squirt liquid detergent over the stained areas. Make sure you use enough detergent to cover the stains thoroughly. Allow the liquid detergent to soak into the concrete for about 10 minutes.
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3
Use an all-purpose cleaning brush with nylon bristles to scrub the stained areas. Use small circular strokes to cover the stain.
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4
Rinse the affected area with the highest pressure that your hose can deliver. Inspect the concrete to see if the stain was successfully removed.
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5
Sprinkle OxiClean over the stained areas if the previous method did not remove the leaf stains. Let the OxiClean remain on the concrete for approximately 10 minutes.
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6
Scrub the OxiClean into the stain by using a nylon-bristled brush. Rinse the area using a water hose set to its highest pressure.
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Try a pressure washer if the previous methods do not produce the desired results. You can use the pressure washer in place of the water hose in either method. You also can mix one cup of chlorine bleach per gallon of water and use the pressure washer to apply it to the area.
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Tips & Warnings
Begin stain removal as soon as possible once you notice leaf stains on your concrete. The quicker you address the problem, the greater your chances will be for successfully removing the stain.
Wear protective clothing if you pressure wash using bleach. Wear gloves, goggles and old clothes (as the bleach can remove the color from fabrics). Try to use the gentlest techniques possible if you have flowers or plants near the concrete that you wish to protect.
