[Futurevillager2013]

I had a straw mat in front of my front door. After last Saturcay's heavy rain it became drenched and I've discovered that the color ran and now caused a permanent stain. When I picked the mat up there is a brown outline on the concrete. It looks awful. I don't understand as I've had this type of mat before at my home in New York and never in all the years I lived there, have I seen anything like this. I notice that the concrete they use on the homes here get stained so easily. Getthing my driveway painted is not in my budget right now. Does anyway know how to get the stains out ? We went over to Lowes and the clerk suggested "Goof Off" we are going to give it a try but I'm not optomistic.

Thank you.

Anne

[Bonanza]

I agree with you, Anne. I sincerely doubt that Goof Off will do the job, although I love the stuff for other things. You might try Clorox's "Clean Up" or "Simple Green" using a very stiff scrub brush (both are also excellent for mopping tile floors). Scrubbing with regular bleach should work and if all else fails, muriatic acid. Be aware however, the acid must be used with extreme caution as it is very caustic. Good luck!

[Villageswimmer]

I had some stains from fertilizer I wasn't careful enough with. I squeezed lemon juice on the stains each morning for about a week. It--combined with the sun--bleached out the stains. I can still see where they were, but no one else would notice it now. Worth a try. White vinegar may also work.

[PaPaLarry]

Trying something with bleach is a good start. If you have a power washer (at least 1800 PSI) or can borrow neighbors, it probably will take it off.

[jimbo2012]

1 st try oxiclean powder scrub into it hard as you can if that doesn't do it.

2nd 50/50 bleach vinegar.

[Trayderjoe]

Originally Posted by jimbo2012

1 st try oxiclean powder scrub into it hard as you can if that doesn't do it.

2nd 50/50 bleach vinegar.

I'd be careful mixing a basic material (bleach) with an acidic material (vinegar).

Here is a link that you might want to check out:

Why People Mix Bleach and Vinegar

[jimbo2012]

50/50 bleach vinegar is what T&D concrete uses, in fact they keep it in their trucks?????

[Trayderjoe]

Originally Posted by jimbo2012

50/50 bleach vinegar is what T&D concrete uses, in fact they keep it in their trucks?????

They may and a lot depends upon the concentration of the starting materials. A reactive chemical event could cause toxic gase formation, an exothermic reaction leading to splash, fire or explosion. If they are starting with very dilute solutions the potential is less, but I would not recommend it-the potential for a negative reaction to occur is too great. Keep in mind that most people are not chemists and they are not necessarily wearing the proper personal protective equipment (some people might) when mixing things. How many people would put on rubber gloves, aprons, and very importantly, splash goggles in case something goes wrong? Rule of thumb, never mix an acid with a base.

[e-flyer]

I'd try vinegar by itself to start with. Pour some on the stain, let it sit a few minutes, scrub it with a brush and then rinse off. It worked on some driveway stains/paint residue that paint thinners and where other chemicals our concrete guys tried didn't work.

[batman911]

Why not just buy a larger mat to cover it?

[HMLRHT1]

Originally Posted by batman911

Why not just buy a larger mat to cover it?

[samhass]

Have you tried peroxide?