By Scott Hares

One of the most challenging parts of home maintenance these days, believe it or not, is the garage. More to the point, the garage floor tends to be abused and neglected more than any other part of the home. Once recognized it’s best to pay a little attention to that garage floor, as you will see next.

The importance of maintaining your garage floor

Maintaining ones garage floor might seem like an odd or silly idea, but your garage serves a primary purpose as a storage space for your cars and other tings that do not have a designated spot inside the home. Yet the garage is very much a part of your home, just like a bedroom or the kitchen. Therefore, it deserves the same level of attention that those rooms do.

Neglecting the garage floor can bring costly, and bothersome future problems .

A dirty garage floor can lead to problems with mice, rats, or other pets, particularly if dog or cat food is stored in the garage, in containers that are not critter proof. Likewise, an oily or grimy garage floor can become a slippery mess which can be a slip and fall hazard.

But does my garage floor need a lot of attention?

Your garage floor needs some special attention because it probably never has gotten any attention before. Until the damage has been done, that is. Cracks from freeze thaw cycles, oil spots, and moisture, they all take their toll. Because the garage floor is a integral piece of your home, preventative steps against damage can mean money in your pocket down the line.

Some helpful hints for maintaining any garage floor to keep it in good shape

1. The first thing to do is the easy stuff – removal of the loose dust and dirt with a regular household broom. The ground in dirt is more difficult to get out without first getting the easy, loose stuff. Sweep it up and away first and the rest gets a lot easier.

2. Some cat litter can help with sweeping up oily, grimy messes. Just spill some out over the area and let it soak up any surface excess, and then just sweep it away – simple as that.

3. Next, scrub the area using a stiff wood bristle brush and a de-greasing cleaning agent link Clorox. Rinse and repeat to remove the next layer of dirt, dust, and grime. Do this a couple of times to get the full cleansing effect and remove the most top level dirt and dust possible.

4. Finally, if you’ve got some stubborn spots that still haven’t come clean then it’s time to get serious. Next you can try a solution of muriatic acid, but this must be done with great caution. Be sure to provide complete air flow ventilation and wear a respirator. Take about 12 oz of muriatic acid – 32% concentration, and dilute that with a gallon of regular tap water. Be sure to use rubber gloves, and a apron might not be a bad idea either.

With a clean and well maintained garage floor you’re ready for the next step, protecting the concrete floor with an epoxy resin floor coating system or even rubber tile.

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