PDA

View Full Version : REALLY helped clean the Garage Floor



richy
06-22-2016, 12:52 PM
4 years ago I had my garage floor coated. For anyone interested, here was that thread:

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/off-topic/49384-richs-garage-makeover.html

On another note, due to Mike`s recommendation and great results he was getting using Malco Brake Off, I bought some and did a review. Here is that review:

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/products-guides/82082-good-bad-ugly-malco-brake-off-review.html


(I have no idea why some the pics have disappeared from Photobucket...sorry for that).


Anyway, what does the one have to do with the other? Well, my cleaning regimen for the garage floor has been to:

1) Rinse with Power Washer
2) Spray with LATA
3) Scrub (HARD) with a very stiff long-handled scrub brush
4) Rinse again
5) Squeegee and mop dry

Doing it that way leaves me exhausted and in a sweaty heap (I`m so sorry to put that mental image of me in your head right now...forgive me, will you??)

Last night I needed to clean the garage floor again. The 90 degree temps we were getting here dropped down to a merciful low 80`s. It was just as dirty as ever. I snapped a few shots:

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/More%20Detailing%20Shots/DSC_0087.jpg (http://s156.photobucket.com/user/rhowitt/media/Detailing%20shots/More%20Detailing%20Shots/DSC_0087.jpg.html)


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/More%20Detailing%20Shots/DSC_0086.jpg (http://s156.photobucket.com/user/rhowitt/media/Detailing%20shots/More%20Detailing%20Shots/DSC_0086.jpg.html)


I was going to start my usual scrub/sweat routine when a thought occurred to me...why not try some wheel acid on this nasty floor? Indeed, why not. Being the quintessential geek, I then thought I`d split the floor in 2 and try my Car Brite wheel acid on one side (only cut 2:1) and Malco Brake Off on the other side. I sprayed each side on the wet and rinsed floor and let it dwell. The acid side was done first and the alkaline side (MBO) was done 2nd. There was some noxious fumes coming off the floor from spraying it I noticed... so I made damn sure I had a cigar going, LOL. I did not agitate the floor whatsoever. I wanted to see what these bad boys would do on their own.

My findings? The wheel acid was pretty much useless. Very little of the dirt came up from the surface and it looked like I`d need to revert to my old method. Well, that is until I started to rinse (with my powerful gas power washer which I had also used on the acid side) the MBO side. OMG, it was doing it! It was removing I`d say 85-90% of the dirt. After my initial use of MBO, I keep a spray bottle of vinegar in my cabinet to neutralize the MBO if some gets onto my skin (I didn`t put that in my initial review, but I HIGHLY recommend you do so if you`re gonna use this product). So, winner winner chicken dinner. In much less time and hardly any sweat, here`s how it came out after I squeegee`d it out and mopped it dry:


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/More%20Detailing%20Shots/DSC_0088.jpg (http://s156.photobucket.com/user/rhowitt/media/Detailing%20shots/More%20Detailing%20Shots/DSC_0088.jpg.html)


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/More%20Detailing%20Shots/DSC_0089.jpg (http://s156.photobucket.com/user/rhowitt/media/Detailing%20shots/More%20Detailing%20Shots/DSC_0089.jpg.html)


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20shots/More%20Detailing%20Shots/DSC_0090.jpg (http://s156.photobucket.com/user/rhowitt/media/Detailing%20shots/More%20Detailing%20Shots/DSC_0090.jpg.html)


The floor is starting to show its age and hopefully I`ll coat it again this fall/early winter. The bottom line is that an acid based wheel cleaner was completely ineffective to clean the floor whereas the alkaline based cleaner did a fantastic job. I ended up going over the acid side with MBO and it cleaned it very well, in spite of the floor being somewhat wet from being squeegee`d. I thought some of you may have been interested in what I found.
Cheers,
Rich

fdresq4
06-22-2016, 03:09 PM
I'm in great company Richy. My floor is similar just some more spec. Thanks for sharing.

Steve

Merlin
06-22-2016, 06:52 PM
I did mine a few years back...still looks brand new!

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc140/merlinhd03/Detail/Garage/Garage20.jpg

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc140/merlinhd03/Detail/Garage/Garage24.jpg

DARK HORSE
06-22-2016, 07:43 PM
Wow that thing was dirty with a capital "D". Looks great now buddy! I went a bit different route this time. I did Race Deck "type" flooring and absolutely love it. It is easier on my old bones. And for clean up, I just vacuum and mop occasionally with a spray and wipe mop using Ultima Waterless Wash+. Every so often I treat it to a coat of DG Aquawax:cool: If it gets really bad, I break out the APC and power washer. I also had a couple of windows installed this time, as well as a couple of heating and air conditioning ducts/vents added from the house HVAC system, two of the best things I've ever done.

http://i932.photobucket.com/albums/ad169/tadndonna/20141019_091516_zps5fdf7ca0.jpg (http://s932.photobucket.com/user/tadndonna/media/20141019_091516_zps5fdf7ca0.jpg.html)

http://i932.photobucket.com/albums/ad169/tadndonna/20141019_091805_zps7bdea34c.jpg (http://s932.photobucket.com/user/tadndonna/media/20141019_091805_zps7bdea34c.jpg.html)

http://i932.photobucket.com/albums/ad169/tadndonna/20141019_190718_zps7356e7b0.jpg (http://s932.photobucket.com/user/tadndonna/media/20141019_190718_zps7356e7b0.jpg.html)

http://i932.photobucket.com/albums/ad169/tadndonna/20141019_185739_zps1aa76ba5.jpg (http://s932.photobucket.com/user/tadndonna/media/20141019_185739_zps1aa76ba5.jpg.html)

richy
06-22-2016, 10:52 PM
I'm in great company Richy. My floor is similar just some more spec. Thanks for sharing.

Steve
Cool..great minds and all that!!


I did mine a few years back...still looks brand new!

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc140/merlinhd03/Detail/Garage/Garage20.jpg

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc140/merlinhd03/Detail/Garage/Garage24.jpg
Buddy, I remember laughing about the stripper pole before!! Love it. Glad to hear yours is still going strong.


Wow that thing was dirty with a capital "D". Looks great now buddy! I went a bit different route this time. I did Race Deck "type" flooring and absolutely love it. It is easier on my old bones. And for clean up, I just vacuum and mop occasionally with a spray and wipe mop using Ultima Waterless Wash+. Every so often I treat it to a coat of DG Aquawax:cool: If it gets really bad, I break out the APC and power washer. I also had a couple of windows installed this time, as well as a couple of heating and air conditioning ducts/vents added from the house HVAC system, two of the best things I've ever done.

http://i932.photobucket.com/albums/ad169/tadndonna/20141019_091516_zps5fdf7ca0.jpg (http://s932.photobucket.com/user/tadndonna/media/20141019_091516_zps5fdf7ca0.jpg.html)

http://i932.photobucket.com/albums/ad169/tadndonna/20141019_091805_zps7bdea34c.jpg (http://s932.photobucket.com/user/tadndonna/media/20141019_091805_zps7bdea34c.jpg.html)

http://i932.photobucket.com/albums/ad169/tadndonna/20141019_190718_zps7356e7b0.jpg (http://s932.photobucket.com/user/tadndonna/media/20141019_190718_zps7356e7b0.jpg.html)

http://i932.photobucket.com/albums/ad169/tadndonna/20141019_185739_zps1aa76ba5.jpg (http://s932.photobucket.com/user/tadndonna/media/20141019_185739_zps1aa76ba5.jpg.html)

Tad, yours looks great too! Gotta love a/c in the garage. I had mine down to 70 this past weekend. I've always said both the products AND the operator work better in that temp!