How to Clean Cement Residue From a Wet Saw

A wet saw, or wet tile saw, is used to cut and trim ceramic tile. The wet saw has a circular blade with an attached water pump and hose to keep the ceramic tile edges wet and reduce friction during a cut. The wet saw cuts tile without overheating the blade. The water helps to keep the blade from becoming dull with each cut. If you have a concrete subfloor under your tile, you may get cement residue on your saw. To get the best performance from your wet saw, clean it immediately after each use.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Wrench
• Sponge
• Water
• 1-gallon bucket
• Dishwashing soap
• Scrub sponge
• Rubbing alcohol
• 2 soft cloths

Instructions

Remove the Blade

1. Turn off the wet saw and unplug the power cord from the electrical outlet.

2. Remove the guard covering the blade by removing the screws on either side of the blade guard.

3. Remove the nuts from the front and back of the blade with a wrench. Remove the washers (metal rings) underneath the nuts.

4. Pull the blade off the wet saw.

Clean the Blade

1. Wipe the blade down with a wet sponge. Wipe both the front and back of the blade to remove as much of the cement as you can. Scrub hard enough to remove some of the bulk of the cement but not so hard that you bend the blade.

2. Scrape away any large chunks of cement that didn't come off with the sponge. Use a hard plastic scraper (not metal) to push the scraper down the length of the blade from top to bottom. Clean both sides of the blade with the scraper.

3. Mix ½ cup of dishwashing soap in a 1-gallon bucket of water. Use a scrub sponge (has a sponge on one side and a scrub pad on the other) to clean and pull any remaining small globs of cement off the blade. Wipe down both sides of the blade with the scrub sponge.

4. Put rubbing alcohol on a soft cloth, and wipe down both sides of the blade with the cloth. The remaining cement should just look like a white dusting of powder at this point. Go over it a second time with the rubbing alcohol.

5. Rinse the blade by going over it again with a damp cloth. Wash away all traces of soap and alcohol from the blade. Also use the damp cloth to wipe down the rest of the wet saw, including the plastic and any other parts you can access.

References

• "Taunton's Tiling Complete: Expert Advice from Start to Finish;" Michael Schweit and Robin Nicholas; 2008
• "Tile Your World: John Bridge's New Tile Setting Book;" John P. Bridge; 2003