Cleaning Concrete Around Pool

[Rick Smith]

I'm looking to clean/power wash the concrete around my in-ground. I've looked at Wet and Forget and they say it doesn't effect pH and safe for around pools. The only drawback is the time it takes for it to work. I'm looking for something a bit more immediate. I have a scrubber attachment for my power washer and I'm looking for a cleaner that won't effect my water chemistry too much. Options that I'm aware of are Krud Kutter, Simple Green, bleach and water, dish soap and water, Zep. I know some of the cleaner will make its way into the pool and I don't want to overly effect pH, alkalinity, phosphates, etc. Deck is stamped concrete, 10 years old, in good condition, just dirty. Any suggestions/recommendations? Thanks.

 

[Homebrewale]

I would use bleach. If it gets into the pool, it'll just raise your FC.

 

[Bperry]

I'm looking to clean/power wash the concrete around my in-ground. I've looked at Wet and Forget and they say it doesn't effect pH and safe for around pools. The only drawback is the time it takes for it to work. I'm looking for something a bit more immediate. I have a scrubber attachment for my power washer and I'm looking for a cleaner that won't effect my water chemistry too much. Options that I'm aware of are Krud Kutter, Simple Green, bleach and water, dish soap and water, Zep. I know some of the cleaner will make its way into the pool and I don't want to overly effect pH, alkalinity, phosphates, etc. Deck is stamped concrete, 10 years old, in good condition, just dirty. Any suggestions/recommendations? Thanks.

If you’re pressure washing, try skipping the stuff and just use water as a test. That worked fine for mine.

 

[Homebrewale]

The problem with water only is that some people apply too much water pressure to the surface to blast the dirt away. My brother owned a pressure washer business and thought most people should not own a pressure washer. Just bleach and Dawn dishwasher soap in a pump sprayer and scrub brush. Rinse with water from hose.

 

[Mdragger88]

Just Bleach and water. Cheap, cheerful, & safe. 3 cups or so of 10% in a 1 gallon garden pump sprayer with the rest water - spray the whole area and let it sit for 15 minutes. Adding a little dawn to the mix (couple tablespoons) won’t hurt. Wash your pump sprayer out after so it doesn’t eat the seals.
Outline the pool border with the wand (spraying away from the pool) then go at the rest with the surface cleaner (which is what I assume you mean by scrubber).
You’ll need to rinse away the dirt that has been lifted by the surface cleaner afterwards with the wand- just do your best to direct it away from the pool.
If you have a solar cover you may want to deploy it.
Afterwards you’ll probably need to vac the pool as some debris will inevitably get in.
Just keep your fc up & the filter going.
Try this method out in a spot that is away from the pool first to get a feel for the mess it creates & how to control it.

 

[Mdragger88]

For me dish soap and water proved to be the most effective solution. It's mild, effective, and has minimal impact on water chemistry. While not as fast as a pressure washer alone, combining dish soap with a scrubber attachment provides noticeably quicker results than Wet and Forget.

Wet & forget requires some “wet” at some point-& of course patience.
maybe not the best desert solution lol
Definitely not for instant gratification. More of a maintenance & preventative product.
although I do love the stuff! I use it on my house siding & brick 2x’s a year usually & the concrete spots that tend to get the worst. Same at my mom’s - I cannot reach the 2nd story areas that get mildewy/mossy except with the hose end sprayer version. She also has the white vinyl rails that get super nasty. The wet & forget really Keeps things in check. I only do a real wash every couple years because its just alot of wet nasty work.
There’s a person on YouTube that uses it in their headstone restorations -they travel to cemeteries all over for free to help reclaim dilapidated headstones- its amazing to watch.