How To Clean Up Vomit On Concrete

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With everything that happens on your concrete patio – weather, barbeques, kids playing, oil spills – it's no wonder that it needs a good cleaning once in a while. By mixing up the appropriate cleaner, carefully cleaning the concrete, and addressing special stains, you can get your patio cleaned up in no time.

1
Make a baking soda and bleach paste. If you want to remove stains that have developed over a season or so (for example, after leaves have been collecting on your concrete throughout the fall), mix up a standard concrete cleaner using three parts baking soda and two parts bleach.^[1]
- The consistency of the paste should be like pea soup – thin enough to pour on your concrete but thick enough that it won't just run off.
2
Make a vinegar and baking soda paste. If you're looking for a more environmentally-safe cleaner, try mixing up vinegar and baking soda. The exact amounts of vinegar to baking soda don't matter as much as the consistency. It should have a paste-like consistency.^[2]
- Start by pouring some white distilled vinegar into a bucket or bowl and then slowly add baking soda. The mixture will foam up, so add the baking soda slowly so you it doesn't overflow. Give the bubbles some time to deflate so you can see what your consistency looks like before adding more baking soda.^[3]
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3
Make a vinegar and water solution. For smaller stained areas, you might want to try a vinegar, water, and salt solution that you can mix together in a spray bottle. This allows you to be more targeted in the application of the cleaner and prevents it from seeping to places you don't want it to go – like flower beds or the lawn.
- Use equal parts white distilled vinegar and warm water, then add a pinch or two of salt.^[4]
- Let this solution soak into your concrete for about twenty minutes.
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1

Clear the area to be cleaned. Sweep up any debris – leaves, twigs, etc – and move any outdoor furniture out of the way. Make sure that pets and kids can't get into the area, particularly if you're going to use bleach.^[5]
2
Protect nearby greenery. Make sure to protect nearby plants. Hose them down to give them a protective covering of water (it will help any bleach or vinegar slide right off) or cover them with light plastic.^[6]
- You can also create barriers between the area you're cleaning and any grass by laying down rolled up towels or sheets at the edge of the grass.
3

Hose it down. Using your garden hose or buckets of water, rinse down the area to be cleaned. You can also use a bucket of water and a mop if you're worried about the water draining properly.^[7]
4
Apply the cleaner. Depending on the type of cleaner you're using, you'll want to spray, pour, or spread your cleaners over the area to be cleaned.^[8]
- Use gloves and a protective face mask for this step, especially if you're using bleach.
- You can let any of the mixtures soak for a few minutes or up to half an hour if you have particularly dark stains.
- If the stain persists after scrubbing, you may need to apply a second coating of cleaner. Wait 15 minutes before scrubbing again, and then hose it off.
5

Scrub with a short scrub brush. Once your cleaner has had time to soak, scrub at the stains with a short scrub brush. This will loosen up any stubborn dirt or grime that isn't already lifted by the cleaner.^[9]
6
Rinse off the cleaner. Once you're done scrubbing, use a hose, spray bottle, or bucket of water to rinse the area you cleaned. This might take a few rounds, depending on the size of the stains you cleaned and how much cleanser you had to use.^[10]
- You can let the area dry naturally, particularly if you're cleaning on a hot day.
- Make sure that you hose off any plants or planting beds that are around the concrete patio and may have been sprayed with cleaner.
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1
Use an enzymatic cleaner on pet stains. If you have stains from pets or other animals on your concrete, try an enzymatic cleaner like OxiClean. These types of cleaners target and help to break down protein in stains.^[11]
- You should apply these types of cleaners directly to the stain without diluting them with any liquid and then let them soak into the stain.
- However, it can take up to a few days for these types of cleaners to break down the stains on your concrete.
2

Use an oil-based cleaner on non-washable crayon stains. Oil-based cleaners like Goo-Gone and WD-40 are great for stains made by non-washable crayons. Spread on the cleaner and let it soak before scrubbing at it with a short, stiff-bristled brush. Then rinse with water.^[12]
3

Try laundry detergent on grease stains. If you have concrete stains made by grease, laundry detergent can help remove them. Make a paste of powdered laundry detergent and water for grease stains. Apply the paste to the stain, cover it tightly with plastic wrap (you can tape the edges to your concrete surface), and let it soak for 24 hours. Then scrub and rinse.^[13]
4

Sprinkle kitty litter over oil stains. For oil stained concrete, cover the affected area with a clay kitty litter and grind it in with your feet while you're wearing old shoes. Let it sit for up to 24 hours and then sweep up the kitty litter and rinse it away.^[14]
5
Use a degreasing agent for oil, grease, or hydrocarbon stains. Alkaline cleaners, which are also called degreasers, can help you remove stains caused by oil, grease, or hydrocarbons. These products will break down the stains. Apply the degreaser to the stain, then scrub it into the concrete. Allow it to sit for a few hours or as prescribed by the product instructions. Pat the spot with a utility rag to pull up the stain, then remove the excess with clean water. Reapply the degreaser as necessary.
- You can dilute the degreaser if the stain is fresh.
- Some stains may require multiple applications.
- You can purchase a concentrated degreaser online or from most home improvement stores.
- Alkaline products can also neutralize acids that have soaked into the concrete.
EXPERT TIP

Scott Johnson is the Owner and Lead Design Consultant for Concrete Creations, Inc., an award-winning landscape and design company based in the San Diego, California metro area. He has over 30 years of experience in the pool and landscape construction industry and specializes in large estate outdoor environment construction projects. His work has been featured in San Diego Home & Garden Magazine and on Pool Kings TV Show. He earned a BS degree in Construction Management with an emphasis in Architecture and CAD design from Northern Arizona University.

Scott Johnson
Landscape & Design Consultant

Our Expert Agrees: If you spill oil or grease on your concrete patio, clean it with a commercial-grade oil remover as soon as possible. You can also rent a high-pressure hot power washer from a tool rental company to extract more of the oil from deep within the concrete.
6
Use bleach and laundry detergent to remove mildew. If you have plants on or near your concrete patio, the moisture they trap under their leaves can leave mildew stains.
- Mix 1 quart (slightly less than 1 L) of bleach with 3 quarts (slightly less than 3 L) of water. Add 1/3 cup (237 mL) of laundry detergent and mix the solution well. Apply the solution with a stiff-bristled brush and let it soak until the stain turns white. Be sure not to let it dry.^[15]
- You can also try moving your plants to another area of the patio, and letting the sun and air clear the mildew away naturally.
7

Use vinegar to remove algae. If you have algae on your concrete, you can use undiluted distilled vinegar and a stiff-bristled brush to clear the stain. If you have a larger area affected by algae, you can also try filling a liquid fertilizer applicator with pool chlorine and spray it through a garden house.^[16]
8
Use a pressure washer. If you don't want to scrub or apply a cleaner, you can use a pressure washer to clean most dirt and debris off of your concrete. Keep in mind that the pressure is very high, so avoid aiming at any plants, which will be destroyed by the force of the water.^[17]
- Choose a pressure washer with a rating of at lease 3,000 psi and a flow rate of at least 4 gallons per minute (gpm).
- This method will remove dirt and debris but not grease.
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Question

is there any way to remove asphalt footprints from new concrete?

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Community Answer

Pour some gasoline on the asphalt marks, and scrub with a wire brush. Dab excess with a dry cloth. Use some gasoline and wire brush, and rag. Be sure to wear safety glasses and rubber gloves.
Question

9 month old new sidewalk squares. Camphor tree sheds leaves, acorn flowers. Just found staining on concrete. Simple Green did not help. Any suggestions? Never had issue with old concrete.

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Community Answer

Use some muriatic acid (you can get this at the hardware store) and a wire brush. Dilute 1 part acid with 3 parts water. Soak the sidewalk square with the solution, then work the stain with the brush. Make sure you use rubber gloves and safety glasses.

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Use protective gloves and mask, especially if you're using bleach.
You can use any of these methods for indoor and outdoor concrete, except for power washing.
If you have particularly stubborn stains, you can let any of the cleansers soak into your concrete for up to a half hour.
Cleaning your concrete periodically and keeping it sealed with the right concrete sealers are the key components of any good maintenance program. How often you clean and reseal will largely depend on the conditions the concrete is exposed to, especially weather extremes, sunlight intensity, and the amount of foot or vehicle traffic.

Stay away from wire brushes since they can scrape the concrete.
If you have pets and kids and you use bleach, keep them away from the area.

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Article SummaryX

To clean stains off a concrete patio, mix vinegar with baking soda to form a paste. Once your paste is ready, spread it on the stained areas, allowing it to soak in for 15-30 minutes. Then, use a short scrub brush to loosen any grime or dirt that wasn't already lifted up by the cleaner. When you're done scrubbing the stain, use a hose, bucket, or spray bottle of clean water to rinse the area. For more tips from our Professional Landscaper reviewer, including how to remove tough stains, keep reading!

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