How to Remove Concrete on Tools

Use nonhazardous concrete dissolvers to clean your tools.

Specialty tools and equipment used to form and mix concrete need to be cleaned and maintained frequently to promote their usability as well as a long lifespan. Concrete hardens quickly depending upon the environmental factors involved. The easiest way to clean off concrete tools is to clean them before the concrete begins to harden. Concrete can be extremely difficult to remove from equipment if it has been allowed to dry. Thankfully, many tools and chemicals are available to clean dried-on concrete in a matter of minutes.

Things You'll Need

• Scrub brush
• Buckets of clean water
• Chipping hammer
• Protective eye wear
• Protective gloves
• Chemical concrete dissolver

Instructions

1. Clean small tools with a scrub brush and a bucket of clean water before the concrete begins to harden. You may need to use several buckets of water, depending upon the number of tools being used. Try to remove excess gobs of concrete from the tools before submerging them in the bucket of water.

2. Use an electric chipping hammer to remove caked-on concrete from large pieces of equipment, such as the inside of a concrete mixer. Do not use the chipping hammer on fragile areas of the equipment, such as the thin metal housings of an engine compartment or piping. Always wear protective gear to avoid injury from flying concrete debris caused by the chipping hammer.

3. Apply chemical concrete dissolver according to the product's instructions. Purchase chemical concrete dissolvers that are nonhazardous and safe to use around other equipment. The chemical will soften the concrete and allow you to wash it off the tools using water.

References

• BNET: Clean Those Tools: New Products Dissolves Concrete the Old Way
• Concrete Network: Chipping Hammer
• Top of the Line: Cement Remover