Learning how to clean an epoxy garage floor coating isn’t hard. In fact, one of the primary reasons for having a floor coating is the ease of maintenance. Using the right equipment and cleaners will help ensure a clean, glossy surface for years to come. These cleaning tips apply to polyurea, polyurethane, and polyaspartic garage floor coatings as well.
Though easy to maintain, there are some don’ts about cleaning epoxy garage floors that you need to be aware of. As a result, we will cover cleaners and solutions that you do not want to use. Some of these can leave a hazy film on the surface that attracts dirt and makes it slippery when wet. There are even some cleaners that may de-gloss the shine or cause it to fade.
So let’s take a look at what cleaners to use, what not to use, and some recommended cleaning methods.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you use these links to make a purchase, we may earn a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, All Garage Floors earns from qualifying purchases. You can read our full disclaimer here.
Epoxy floor cleaning and maintenance
As resilient as garage floor coatings are to dirt and stains, they do require routine cleaning to maintain their shine. If left unattended for long periods, some coatings can start to lose their gloss. This is due to the sanding effect caused by loose dirt and grime that gets caught under shoes and tires. Once the gloss of a coating is gone, there is nothing you can do to bring it back short of applying a new top coat.
The first thing we suggest is getting yourself a quality dust mop. You can find these at your local home improvement centers, or you can purchase the one that we recommend here from Amazon
You will find that a dust mop makes quick work of removing dust and loose dirt, accounting for a large percentage of your epoxy floor cleaning duties.
Since dust and most dirt will not stick to the floor, just use the dust mop once a week (or sooner if needed) to keep it clean. It only takes a few minutes. They even work well on floors with an anti-slip additive in the top coat.
If you have a floor coating with an aggressive anti-slip aggregate or you don’t care for dust mops for a particular reason, then a soft-bristle push broom works well.
Amazon has a great selection you can find here.
For garage floor coatings with contraction joints or saw cuts, vacuum them monthly or sweep them clean with a broom.
Spot cleaning for spills or fluid leaks from cars can be easily wiped up with a paper towel, asoft cloth, or a clean rag. A shot of general-purpose cleaner works wonders if the spill has left a film.
Recommended cleaning solutions and mops for epoxy floors
For epoxy garage floor coatings that see a lot of traffic and dirt, it’s a good idea to give your floor a good cleaning once every 3 or 4 months. Of course, you can do it sooner if needed.
Listed below are our favorite mops and cleaning solutions that have proven to get the job done.
Mops
We have found that microfiber mops are one of the best for cleaning floor coatings. As with most floor mopping, frequent rinsing in the cleaning solution is the key to obtaining the best results.
Our absolute favorite is this one here from Amazon. It’s commercial quality and has an 18″ width which helps to cover more of the floor to get the job done faster.
You can also get this mop in a larger 24″ model if you have a very large floor. The only downside is that you lose a little bit of scrubbing pressure due to the larger footprint.
What’s nice about this mop is that it also comes with a microfiber dust mop pad for your routine cleaning maintenance. It’s like getting two mops in one!
Ammonia
The cleaning solution that works best for epoxy and other garage floor coatings is ammonia. Use ½ cup of ammonia to one gallon of hot water in a bucket.
Our favorite is Parson’s ammonia. You can find it here on Amazon.
Apply it using the microfiber mop. Be sure to remove the mop pad and rinse it frequently in the cleaning solution to remove the debris it picks up. This even works well on floors with salt film and residue. You really shouldn’t need anything stronger than this for most jobs.
Windex is another solution that will give you a little bit more cleaning power if it’s needed. Mix 1 part Windex with 3 parts water. The chemicals in Windex will not leave a film on the coating and do a good job of cutting through residue.
For spot cleaning any stubborn dirt that you encounter, a soft scrub pad can be used. Just don’t scrub too hard or you may degloss the surface.
Simple Green
If you have serious cleaning to do, Simple Green is a product that works well for removing grease and other grime.
This really shouldn’t be needed unless you have a cleaning disaster on your hands or a worn, low-quality epoxy floor with many scratches, allowing dirt to get embedded.
Start with a solution of 1 part concentrated Simple Green to 8 parts water. A deck brush helps for scrubbing in this case. We like this lemon-scented concentrate here.
You can mix it stronger if necessary; however, keep in mind that Simple Green can leave a film on the coating. It’s important to use a separate bucket of clean water and a mop to rinse the floor as you go. You can also just rinse clean with a hose if you like.
Use a squeegee or clean push broom to push out any excess water if using a hose. The floor should dry fairly quickly after that.
Tire marks can be the hardest to remove if not cleaned regularly. You can read more about removing tire marks in a separate article here.
For rust stains, we recommend using a 1:1 ratio of CLR and warm water. Apply it directly to the rust spots using a scrub brush or a soft scrub pad, then rinse with cold, clean water. Do not let it sit on the surface for more than a minute or two.
Do not use these cleaners on garage floor coatings
When cleaning your garage floor coating, do not use citrus cleaners or vinegar. These cleaners contain acids that can slowly degloss the finish of epoxy and other floor coatings.
Don’t use soap as a cleaner unless you follow up with a thorough rinse with clean water. This extra step is why we don’t recommend them. If not rinsed clean, soap can leave streaks and a hazy film on the surface, which can dull the finish. The soapy film can also make the floor much more slippery when it gets wet.
Cleaning an epoxy garage floor coating should be easy. Just use these cleaning tips and methods for quick, easy floor coating maintenance. Doing so will help maintain a cleaner-looking floor that holds its gloss and finish for a longer period of time.
We just moved into our new house, and the garage floor definitely needs a good cleaning. I doubt that the previous owners knew that they should clean it once ever 3 or 4 months (or as necessary). Quite frankly, I did not really know the frequency with which to clean the floor, so thank you for that. We currently only have a string mop, but I know my wife has been wanting a new one, so I guess we’ll add that to the materials! Thanks for the advice.
We just moved to a house that has an epoxy garage floor. It looks like paint was spilled on the floor and we are wanting to remove the paint but we are not sure how to do it without damaging the epoxy. Can you help?
Hi Linda. Removing paint from epoxy can be tricky, especially if you don’t know what kind it is or what type of clear top coat it may have. Try using some MEK solvent on a rag. Just work a little spot at a time without rubbing too hard to see if it will come up. The advantage of MEK is that it evaporates fast and usually will not damage quality epoxy, though it might dull the finish.
The A/C condensation from the car drains onto the epoxy covered floor. This dries white and cannot be removed. Do you have and tricks for removing plain old hard water and or A/C condensation ? Denature alcohol seems to be the only answer but is removing the shin.
Hi Steve. Usually a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and water will do it. CLR is known to work as well.
I just got my garage epoxy flooring done by Floortex in Vaughan. I was looking for articles like the one here!! I am very concerned about keeping my surroundings clean. I hope that the floor wont have tyre marks in future.
Anyways, Thanks for the article!
What can you do to a metallic epoxy floor so it’s not so squeaky? Thanks in advance.
Hi Kristy. Certain shoe soles can squeak with a clean floor. Our only suggestion would be to scuff the bottom of your shoes real well on some rough concrete so they aren’t so smooth. Sandpaper can work as well.
I have a new expoxy garage floor and tried to clean it with soap and water which I know now was a big mistake. Does anyone have an easy way to remove the soap? When I add water it just makes it soapier.
Thanksl
Hi Judy. Try mopping with a solution of 2 cups vinegar to 1 gallon of warm water. That will help lift the excess soap film. It might require a few moppings depending on the amount of soap film on the floor.
I have a 2 car garage and one of the garage doors is open almost always. Does this represent a problem with the coatings?
It depends on the coating Arend. It’s not going to affect the durability in any way, however, cosmetically it can. An epoxy coating exposed in this manner is eventually going to develop an amber tint. A clear polyurethane top coat will slow the process down quite a bit, but the epoxy underneath it will eventually amber. If the epoxy coating has a full coverage of color chips, then it will not amber since the color chips are not U.V. sensitive. Unless of course you have a clear epoxy top coat vs. polyurethane. A color coat of polyurethane, polyurea, or polyaspartic will not amber either as they are not sensitive to U.V. light.
My epoxy floor has a clear coat applied to it and over time, it looks like it is yellowing or dulling what can I do to help with that, or how should I clean it to get rid of the dullness.
Hello Karla. The yellowing is from U.V. exposure which will happen over time. How fast depends on whether it is direct or indirect exposure. If the clear coat has yellowed, there is a chance the color coat has as well. The dullness is what happens as it wears, which is dependent on the quality of epoxy as well. You can’t bring back the shine by cleaning up the surface. As far as the clear coat goes, what you need to do is sand it down close to the color coat and then apply a new coat of clear. We would recommend polyurethane or polyurea as they are U.V. resistant and will not yellow. They are much tougher in terms of abrasion and scratch resistance when compared to epoxy and they are more clear as well. It will make you floor look like new and keep a higher gloss for much longer time. The only thing it will not do is fix your color coat if it has yellowed.
We moved into a home where the garage has an epoxy coating. We noticed that in spots the coating is coming off on the car tires. I imagine it was put on around 2008 when the home was first built/occupied. Do we have to recoat the entire floor? Can it be sealed to prevent more spots from coming off?
Hello Kathie. More than likely an inferior epoxy product was used. Hot tire pickup is common with them. Epoxy is a sealer itself so there isn’t much you can do other than prepping those areas and applying a similar epoxy as a touch up. It will be obvious that it’s a repaired area however. Your other option is to just live with it until you are ready to recoat the entire garage floor or you can remove it all and apply a much better product that will last years.
I just had my floor finished and accidentally dropped something sharp on the ground and pierced the epoxy a tad. Is there a way to fix this without having to sand everything down and lay new epoxy? My only fear is walking or driving over it and it chipping worse and worse. It’s a very minor chip, but it did go through to the cement below. Is silicone an option? It’s literally about 1.5″ long and about 1/8″ thick slice.
Hi Ronnie. Silicone is not an option. It’s too soft and will contaminate the surface if you try to apply epoxy later. If a floor coating contractor did the work, we recommend asking for a touch up kit. If did the floor yourself and purchased for a quality vendor, then they may have a touch up kit as well. If you purchased a DIY kit from a home improvement center, then no such kit exists. The other option is to fill the area with a clear epoxy crack or joint filler such as this one. It may stand out a little, but it will protect the surrounding coating and will not liquids penetrated into the concrete.
I have a small number of light brown spots on my epoxy 2.5 garage floor.What can i do to remove them?
Hello Dr. Bream. Unfortunately we need more information than that in order to try and help you. Have you tried the tradition epoxy cleaning methods first? Are these spots bubbling up at all or are they deep in the coating?
How can we wax or seal the expoxy floors we own a business that will have boats placed on the floor with Rollers! We would like to apply wax or apply a extra protectant to the floors any thing you would recommend to do this?
Hello Carrie. The epoxy is the sealer and protectant. If it was not done already, the only other thing you could do is apply a quality clear coat. Nothing is going to be stronger than a good epoxy system. If it was a commercial quality system that was installed, the rollers that move the boats around will not damage it. Plus, it’s easy to clean. Wax is high maintenance, hard to clean once dirty, and easily marred up.
I regret not putting a coating my concrete garage floor. At this point, I think I need a professional cleaning to get rid of the stains. After I get it cleaned I’ll look into a gloss.
We have epoxy floors inside and they are looking dull and have some chipping in certain areas due to have traffic. What would your best recommendation for cleaning and shining the floors. Second your recommendation for the small areas that have chips.
Thank you
Hello Tom. Sometimes cleaners will leave a film residue on the surface that can create a dull look. You can always try testing an area by mopping with a solution of vinegar and warm water to see if it brightens up. Other than that, once a coating has become dull there isn’t much you can do in terms of cleaning to brighten it up. With older coatings, the dullness is created from the wear and all the microscopic scratches in the surface.
What you can do, however, is sand the surface and apply a new coat of clear to the floor. This has the effect of creating an entirely new looking floor. The sanding cleans up the surface and the clear coat adds gloss to it. We have an article about how to do that here. In terms of the chips, there isn’t much you can do about those. Unless you know what product was used and can contact the company, there is no way of being able to color match. Even if you could, patched areas of epoxy flooring stands out unless it was done with a heavy color flake.
I had my garage floor done this past summer with epoxy
and would like to tape a tarp over it for the Winter to
protect it from snow and salt. What kind of tape do
you recommend?
Hello Marge. If you had a quality epoxy system installed there should be no need to protect it. It will stand up just fine to winter weather. Just clean it well in the spring time and it should look great. One of the reasons for having a quality coating is so that you don’t have to do something as you are planning. If you still want to, however, a good quality duct tape will do the job.
I just did my garGe with epoxy and I think went a little heavy with the aluminum oxide. I what’s the best way to clean? You mention soft Brussels broom but what about drying? Towels? Air dry? Is there anything you recommend ?
Just let it air dry Colin. Just as you would a kitchen floor.
Hi there-
We have an epoxy gym floor at our school and an ink pen exploded, staining the floor. Worse yet, it was left over the whole weekend before anyone reported it. Any advice?
Thanks!
Yikes! Ink can be tough to remove from epoxy if it has had time to sit Barb. You may want to try Goof Off. It does a good job on ink, but we’ve never known of anyone that tried using it to remove ink from epoxy. If it works, let us know.
Hi, you mentioned 8:1 ratio of Simple Green in a spray bottle. There are different types of Simple Green–all purpose cleaner, industrial cleaner and degreaser lemon. Which Simple Green do you use? Also, the ratio of 8:1–is it 8 oz Simple Green + 1 oz water as an example? Thanks.
Hello Elsie. We just use the regular all purpose Simple Green. Your example is actually backwards. We could probably make it more clear. Use a ratio of 1 ounce of Simple Green to 8 ounces of water.
I spilled wallflowers liquid air freshener on my epoxy floor and it’s like glue absorbed into the floor. I’ve used un do for glue removal and tar, used ooo size steel wool pad and helped some. What can I use
Wow, we’re not sure what that stuff consists of Elia. Be careful using steel wool as it will degloss your finish fast. You may want to try Goof Off and see how that works. If all else fails, acetone should work. Just be careful not to leave it on the surface for very long or it can degloss the finish depending on what your final coat consists of.
My epoxy floor has yellow circles where the tires meet the floor. What is the cause.
It sounds like you have tire staining Bill. This article talks about how it happens and how you can try to remove it.
Hi we have epoxy floors in our whole house. Only about 6months old but floors are already full of scratches and losing its shine. What can we do? Would a floor polish, polisher or a buffer work?
Hello Cindy. Sometimes waxing the surface can bring the shine back when dealing with epoxy coatings in the home. However, there may be another issue. Was a high quality clear top coat applied over the epoxy?
Had my garage floor epoxy paint 6 months ago by professional company, now I noticed long cracks and peeling off of paint, I called the company and they said they will fix it by spring or summer. Our soil here is clay and cracks appears always even on the walls of the garage during summer and had to be repaired. Anything I can do to avoid this after they repair this. Thanks
The red flag here Aurora is the peeling. Regardless of cracks, a professionally applied epoxy coating should not peel. How did they prepare the concrete before application? Did they actually use a commercial epoxy coating or was it concrete paint? You mention the walls cracking. Is the slab below grade? If so, did they do a moisture test? Concerning the cracks, are they new cracks or old cracks that had been repaired and opened up again? What you can do about the cracks depends on whether they are new or old.
Hi. We just had our basement concrete floor stained a couple weeks ago, with a coat of clear epoxy on top. My boy had a birthday party last night and while we were entertaining parents upstairs, before I knew it, there was a rollerblading shindig in our basement! I went down their and there were(still are) marks ALL over the floor from the rollerblades. How can I clean it effectively? Preferably something I already have on hand…
Hello Penny. In the article we refer to a solution of ammonia and water. It actually works quite well. If you can, use a mop with stiff foam pad. Try not to use a green scrub pad or you could take some of the gloss out of the finish. A nylon brush is a better choice if you need to scrub.
Thanks for the quick response. I am confused as in the article it says, “When cleaning your garage floor coating, do not use citrus cleaners or vinegar. These types of cleaners contain acids that can slowly degloss the finish of your epoxy over time.”
So do you mean that when you clean it on a regular basis its not good to use vinegar, but to get these rollerblade marks off, it would be okay?
I’m so glad you caught that Penny! You are correct about acid based products. It’s the mixture of 1/2 cup ammonia to 1 gallon of warm water that we recommend. I was just talking with someone about using a vinegar solution on porcelain tile and apparently that is what I typed. I’m going fix that comment so as not to confuse anyone. The Simple Green concentrate (if you have it) works well also. 1 part Simple Green to 8 parts water.
Thank you! I’ll give it a try!
I have an epoxy floor in my garage, it has old oil stains is there anything i can do to remove the stains?
The stains themselves can be sanded out Mark, but it will degloss the finish in the process. If you plan on applying a new coat, then it won’t matter anyhow since you will need to rough up the finish to apply a new coat.
We have a poured epoxy floor throughout our place of business. It looks like wood stain dripped onto the floor at some point. Is there a safe way to remove this without damaging the floor?
Hello Pamela. We suggest lightly rubbing those spots with denatured alcohol. If that doesn’t work, you will need to use MEK or acetone. Just be careful not to apply it long or it can dull the coating.