I've read several of the good responses to this subject and I'd like to add
a couple of PS comments based on a few decades of maintaining concrete shop
floors:
1. To clean a seriously dirty, greasy floor, even one with a built-up layer
of crud, my tractor shop guys discovered a magic method entirely by
accident. After an careless spill of 2 or 3 gallons of naphtha, a lazy
mechanic nearing quitting time, dumped a sack of "oil-sorb" in the puddle
and left it overnight. The next day, the "oil sorb" was scooped up for
reuse and amazingly, there was bare concrete where there had been a hard
layer of buildup before! They refined the process to include scraping off
the worst parts first and leaving the kitty-litter on the spot for a full 24
hours. The naphtha breaks down the oily base of the crud and the
kitty-litter sucks it up leaving only powdery dirt.
Make sure the kitty-litter layer is thick enough that the top surface stays
mostly dry on application . . .you can reuse it several times if drying time
is allowed.
2. I too, could never get a good muratic acid etch by brooming, or mopping.
The acid was "spent" immediately on contact and the result was mottled. The
solution to the problem was the use of a big plastic garden sprinkler can .
. .it allows you to get the fresh acid to every square inch of concrete.
Protect all bare metal during this process . . . . the fumes are corrosive .
. . .use breathing masks but don't trust them . . .use fans to blow fumes
away.
3. I might even skip the acid etch sequence on clean, used and non glossy
concrete. The new "super-adherent" primers my paint man sells me stick to
glass or anything.
Deal with a "real" paint supplier . . . there are some magic products out
there.
Tony
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