DECORATIVE CONCRETE MADE EASY.
Browse our Kemiko Neutra Clean FAQs for answers to common questions about cleaning stained concrete and how to neutralize acid stain:
How much Neutra Clean™ should I use?
To clean concrete floors or neutralize Kemiko Stone Tone™ Concrete Acid Stain, dilute Kemiko Neutra Clean™ Neutralizer and Degreaser with water before use according to the instructions on the bottle.
Recommended Dilution Ratios
Lightly soiled floors at 10:1 – for floors lightly soiled with dirt, dust and small amounts of grease, use 10 parts water to 1 part Neutra Clean™.
Moderately soiled floors at 5:1 – for floors with a little more dirt, oil, grease or sticky messes like a light overspray of drywall mud, use 5 parts water to 1 part Neutra Clean™.
Heavily soiled floors at 2:1 or 1:1 – for floors covered in lots of grease, oil, grime or difficult cleaning jobs like latex paint overspray, use 1 to 2 parts water to 1 part Neutra Clean™.
Neutralization at 8:1 to 10:1 – for neutralizing Stone Tone™ Concrete Acid Stain after application on a concrete floor. To neutralize and remove residue and excess colorant, use 8 to 10 parts water to 1 part Neutra Clean™.
More about Kemiko Neutra Clean™ Neutralizer and Degreaser.
Do I need to use Neutra Clean™ when staining concrete floors?
Neutra Clean™ Neutralizer and Degreaser was especially developed to prepare concrete for staining using Kemiko Stone Tone™ Concrete Acid Stain. Then, Neutra Clean™ neutralizes Kemiko Stone Tone™ Concrete Acid Stain and removes residue when staining is complete. For the best stained concrete results, it is highly recommended that you use Neutra Clean™, as directed, to prepare floors and neutralize Kemiko Stone Tone™ Concrete Acid Stain.
Applying Kemiko Stone Tone™ Concrete Acid Stain to floors without properly cleaning and degreasing causes uneven color. Using Neutra Clean™ before staining concrete floors removes dirt and residue that make staining less effective; follow dilution and use instructions to achieve the Kemiko Stone Tone™ Concrete Acid Stain color you want.
Neutralizing Kemiko Stone Tone™ Concrete Acid Stain with Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) and baking soda leaves behind additional residue that must be cleaned away. Neutra Clean™ is liquid and will not leave behind more residue when neutralizing stain.
More about Kemiko Neutra Clean™ Neutralizer and Degreaser.
More about Kemiko Stone Tone™ Concrete Acid Stain.
Will Neutra Clean™ harm my plants?
While Neutra Clean™ Neutralizer and Degreaser is biodegradable and most likely will not harm vegetation, we recommend that you try to keep residue off of your landscape and lawn as a precaution. Like other detergents, the best practice is to try to remove the solution from the surface of your slab without introducing too much of it into the ground.
More about Kemiko Neutra Clean™ Neutralizer and Degreaser.
Can I use Neutra Clean™ as a concrete floor cleaner?
Yes. Neutra Clean™ Neutralizer and Degreaser is a metasilicate cleaner formulated for cleaning stained concrete. It removes grease, grime, soil and other construction byproducts. Our customers swear by Neutra Clean™ for use in commercial kitchens, grocery stores, restaurants, showrooms floors, walkways, and other heavy duty jobs.
More about Kemiko Neutra Clean™ Neutralizer and Degreaser.
How much floor area will Neutra Clean™ cover?
Coverage depends on dilution. Typically, Neutra Clean™ Neutralizer and Degreaser covers 500 – 2000 square feet per gallon, at recommended dilution ratios.
More about Kemiko Neutra Clean™ Neutralizer and Degreaser.
Do I have to neutralize Kemiko Stone Tone™ Concrete Acid Stain after application?
Yes. It’s important to know how to neutralize acid stain. Neutralizing the acid reaction with Neutra Clean™ locks in the color that has been achieved and stops Kemiko Stone Tone™ Concrete Acid Stain’s chemical reaction with the concrete. Neutra Clean™ also removes the powder residue left behind from the reaction of Kemiko Stone Tone™ Concrete Acid Stain with the concrete. Plus, Neutra Clean™ removes any additional Kemiko Stone Tone™ Concrete Acid Stain colorant that did not absorb.
If you’re planning on sealing your concrete, this is the most important step. If you do not neutralize and clean the floor with Neutra Clean™, your Kemiko sealer cannot bond correctly.
More about Kemiko Neutra Clean™ Neutralizer and Degreaser.
More about Kemiko Stone Tone™ Concrete Acid Stain.
More about Kemiko Single Component Sealers.
I cleaned and neutralized the floor. How clean does it have to be before I apply a sealer?
Knowing how to neutralize acid stain and thoroughly cleaning the floor with Neutra Clean™ Neutralizer and Degreaser is an important step in the concrete staining process. The floor can never be too clean before applying a Kemiko sealer.
After neutralizing the Kemiko Stone Tone™ Concrete Acid Stain with Neutra Clean™, some powdery residue is left behind. Without a thorough cleaning, the Kemiko sealer coating will eventually lift off the floor. It’s like putting tape on a dusty table – the tape might stick for a little while, but it will eventually fall off.
To determine if the floor is clean enough for sealing, test by wiping (not scrubbing) a damp rag or towel across the surface. If the rag or towel comes away with color, there is still residue and cleaning the stained concrete again with Neutra Clean™ is necessary. If the rag or towel is mostly clean and you are confident that all of the residue is removed, you are ready to apply a Kemiko sealer.
More about Kemiko Neutra Clean™ Neutralizer and Degreaser.
More about Kemiko Stone Tone™ Concrete Acid Stain.
More about Kemiko Single Component Sealers.
When I cleaned my floor after applying Stone Tone™ Concrete Acid Stain, most of my color came off. What happened?
Concrete acid stains work by penetrating concrete and reacting with the lime to produce color. If cleaning stained concrete with Neutra Clean™ Neutralizer and Degreaser removed most of the color, the application of Kemiko Stone Tone™ Concrete Acid Stain wasn’t able to penetrate the surface of the concrete and react with the lime.
If the surface of your concrete is smooth and slick, it’s likely that the concrete has been power troweled or coated with a curing compound, preventing the acid from penetrating. In this case, dry sanding the surface with 150 grit sandpaper will solve the problem. This opens the pores of the concrete and allows Kemiko Stone Tone™ Concrete Acid Stain to penetrate the surface of the concrete and react with the lime.
Fly ash will also prevent Kemiko Stone Tone™ Concrete Acid Stain from reacting. Fly ash is an additive that is sometimes used to help cure cement. Fly ash and other additives reduce the proportion of lime in your concrete, which means that acid staining isn’t an option for these types of slabs. You might consider using Kemiko Buildable Overlay to provide a cementitious surface that will react with Kemiko Stone Tone™ Concrete Acid Stain.
More about Kemiko Neutra Clean™ Neutralizer and Degreaser.
More about Kemiko Stone Tone™ Concrete Acid Stain.
More about Kemiko Buildable Overlay.
