Concrete floors are tough and durable but they have one problem - they start to look old really quick. They are not very easy to clean up once they start getting old because unlike wooden flooring, they cannot be simply polished and brought back to life. You have get down to the grind and get to hard cleaning. It is not very easy and it takes a lot of time and hard labor. However, even this is not guaranteed to give your concrete floor the 'new' and fresh look. So what is a homeowner to do? Thankfully, there is a cheap and easy way around this problem. This solution is called acid washing and it is nothing as dramatic as it sounds. It is actually quite a simple and controlled process through which you get rid of grime and dirt very easily. Acid washing actually works on a variety of surfaces, including plastered surfaces. So if you have plastered walls, like in a swimming pool, you can use acid wash there as well to give it a brand new look. Acid washing takes very little time and the only thing it really needs is some attention and a lot of water to wash it off. So if you are in an area where water is scarce, make sure you get appropriate permission before using it. In any case, you will need to obtain proper permission before you use acid washing because the rinse water will be potentially hazardous, even though you will be treating it with soda ash. The idea behind acid washing is fairly simple. You will be using a diluted, weak acid solution to burn off a microscopic layer off the top of the concrete or plaster layer. That is the layer on which all the dirt and grime sits. So when you take that layer off, you have a pristine new layer waiting for you underneath. The only problem with acid washing is that it might burn in too deep if left for too long. The same might happen to an area where the run off is accumulating. So it is a good idea to keep the hose running on a low flow. You can also use soda ash frequently throughout the wash to neutralize the acid accumulation. To neutralize the acid wash after use in one go, buy about one pound of acid wash per gallon of acid wash used. Acid washing is a quick way to get a new looking surface. It is very easy to use and you do not need any training to do this. But you do need to read up on what safety measures to take while you are using the acid wash. You will need full body covering safety gear, gloves and a facemask too. Another thing to remember about using acid washing is not to use it too frequently. Too much acid will ruin the surface.
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