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.
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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 are considering polished concrete with epoxy coating and clear top coat for our beach condo. Are felt footings for all furniture recommended? Or will the coating handle occasional moving without scratching? Thanks
Hello Eric. Yes, felt footings are a good idea. A high performance polyurethane or polyurea top coat is very resistant to scratching, but it’s not scratch proof. You may be aware of this already, but keep in mind that you can’t apply epoxy to polished concrete. If the surface has a nice grind to it, a water clear epoxy coating with a glossy clear top coat will give the appearance of polished concrete.
I was wondering if there is any way to remove the haze left on the floor after cleaning an area with dish soap. or is this permanent damage
Hello Tom. Mop with a solution of 1/2 cup of ammonia to 1 gallon of hot water. It should remove most of the haze from using dish soap.
I just put down the epoxy floor in my basement and had a water leak while the floor was drying. Now I have one spot that has lost the shine what can I do to bring the shine back? Thank you in advance for your help.
The moisture more than likely created a reaction that gave the surface a cloudy effect while it was curing Angela. There isn’t much you can do short of sanding through the cloudy part and recoating the entire floor. Epoxy does not touch up like paint on a wall. You will see the roller or edge marks where the new epoxy overlaps the old.
We get a of adhesive our floors. I know denatured alcohol works best to dissolve it, but will it damage our floors?
If it’s a quality floor coating you won’t have an issue with denatured alcohol Chase. GoofOff works well also and will not damage the floor. As with all chemicals, just use them diligently and quickly. Don’t let them sit.
I have a bit of spray paint on my professional epoxy floor, what do I use to clean it off without damaging the floor? Thank you!
Hi Midge. Sometimes ammonia mixed 1:1 with warm water will remove paint from epoxy. Use a sponge or rag to scrub it off. Don’t use a green scrubbing pad as you will run the risk of deglossing the surface. If the ammonia does not do it, then denatured alcohol on a clean rag will. Just be quick about it and don’t let it sit long on the coating. Once it is wiped up, rinse the area with clean water to remove any residue.
Hi,
I have a metallic expoxy floor throughout my house. How do I keep the. Floor glossy and shiny? Can I use a floor wax?
Thanks
Yes, you can use wax Kim. It’s very common for indoor coating applications. We suggest contacting the manufacture of the coating to learn which wax will work best.
We used a metallic epoxy and then coated it with the clear top coat. It seems to scratch quite easily, what can we do? Also the furniture pads we used left a mark is it possible to bug the epoxy to get it to shine again?
What brand and type of clear coat did you use Rebecca?
I have a dog kennel for rescue dogs and recently put e-poxy and the clear coat finish with non slip. Well the non slip doesn’t work and the water after mopping doesn’t air dry- so it is always wet or damp at least, this is with industrial fans blowing and rinsed and squeezed out mops – I can’t allow people in as the place is now a constant slip hazard especially with rain/mud season here in Maine.
Please help!
Hello Jenny. We need more information if we can try to help. What type of products did you use exactly? Also, what type of anti-slip was used, how did you apply it, and how much was used for the volume of product you added it to? It doesn’t make sense that the floor won’t dry, particularly with air blowing across the surface. Epoxy is a very common surface for dog kennels.
I’ve got a floor that is polymer / epoxy finish – looks like sand. Any ways . It is constantly in need of mopping ( I own a shave ice shop) hence a lot of spilled syrups etc. the shine and luster is gone and it only looks good when fresh mopped or wet, what can I do to bring back the original shine and loose the haze. Your reply will be much appreciated – thank you
Hi Kevin. If you apply a new clear top coat to the surface you can bring back the color and gloss. It would require roughing up the current surface with 100 grit sandpaper in order to provide the mechanical bite for the new coating. We suggest going with a 1-part polyurea. Nohr-S by Legacy Industrial and SPGX by ArmorPoxy are examples. These type of clear coats are extremely tough, they are easy to apply, and they cure quickly. You should be able to rough up the surface and apply a new coating and be able to open the next day with this type of product. As always, we recommend contacting the vendor and tell them about your project before you make a purchase.
I have a house that has a beautiful garage epoxy floor, pre- existing condition very low to no sheen, golf cart battery acid has dripped and changed the color . What are my options? Clean with dnatured alcohol?
Hello Berry. If the floor has no sheen, no amount of cleaner will bring that back. The only way to create a glossy look and make the floor look new is to apply a new clear top coat to the surface. It requires roughing up the surface with 100 grit sandpaper first. You may be able to bring the color back where the acid spilled if you sand down to the color coat. Once you apply a new clear coat it should make that area pop with color again.
I just bought a house that previous owner had applied the garage floor with epoxy coating but now worn down from years of wear and tear. On the outer edge by one corner of the garage door, there is a spot of at least 1.5 SQFT where the coating has flaked off. What are my options if I wish to restore it to new condition?
Would I be required to completely remove the old coating?
If you don’t know what type or quality coating was installed initially Tom and you want to apply a good quality coating yourself, the general rule is to remove the old coating first. The reason is that the new coating is only going to be as good as what it is adhered to. If the old coating continues to peel, so will the new since it is attached to it. If you are planning on applying an inexpensive home improvement style epoxy kit, then you could most likely get by with just roughing up the finish of the old coating and applying over it. We would recommend scraping the area that is peeling up to remove any loose material first.
I had fire engine red epoxy flooring put down and it holding up well. There are a few spots where it’s exposed to the light and where water gets in when it rains. Those spots have left a nasty white film. Any suggestions for getting the white film off and is there anything I can do to the area exposed just outside of the garage door. One last thing, should I choose to do so, can I re-epoxy over the exiting flooring (prep?). Thank you in advance.
Hello Dennis. You can try a solution of distilled vinegar and water to remove white haze. 1/2 cup vinegar to 1/2 gallon warm water is usually a good mix. Lightly scrub the area with a stiff bristled brush then wipe it down. You don’t want to let it linger. In terms of a recoat, we would suggest polyurethane. You can purchased it tinted the same red color from a good concrete flooring vendor. Polyurethane is U.V. resistant so it will not amber or be affected by the sun. It’s also more scratch resistant and chemical resistant than epoxy. You want to degloss the surface by roughing it up with 120 grit sandpaper before application. Wipe it down with denatured alcohol on a lint free towel just before application and you will be good to go. This article talks more about recoating older floors.
I recently had the garage floor expoxied. About a month later we paved the driveway and the workmen tracked a few small spots of asphalt stain onto the garage floor. How can I remove it?
Hello Ira. Use a little acetone or MEK on a rag and gently wipe it up.
I have epoxy garage floor by rustoleum, rock solid. I was trying to clean with shark steamer only using water. This completely took out the shine, how can I restore the shine? Help
Hello Angie. Steam cleaning is not recommended for floor coatings. The average residential steam cleaner has an average steam temperature of 245 degrees. Epoxy flooring can start to soften at temperatures as low as 158 degrees. Floor coatings are rarely subjected to such temps under normal use. RockSolid is a proprietary mix of epoxy, polyurea, and polyurethane. We don’t know exactly the maximum temperatures it can withstand at the surface, but we know it’s not 245 degrees. The heat from the steam softened the surface of the coating temporarily thus causing the surface to cloud and degloss. The only remedy would be to sand the surface with 120 grit sandpaper and apply a new coat. If the surface is a clear coat, you will need to aggressively sand with 80 grit sandpaper to remove the upper layer and then recoat.
My car leaked transmission fluid onto my beautiful epoxied garage floor. I further made a mess by trying to mop it up. Now the floor is dangerously slick. Any good ideas on what I should use to remove the slippery oil residue?
Hi Gilda. What cleaner or solution did you use when you mopped the spill? Did you do the entire floor or just that area?
I have an epoxy garage floor that has some oil paint spills. What should I use to clean it?? Mineral Turpentine??
Many thanks
Hello Cherie. Since we are not sure of the quality of your epoxy coating, use paint thinner or mineral spirits sparingly on a rag. Try not to rub too hard. The solvents will not remove any of the coating, but they can degloss the surface somewhat if rubbed out too long.
I want to use Virkon on my epoxy floor as I have young dogs coming to visit-is Virkon okay?
Hello Kim. Yes, you should be safe using Virkon on your floors. From our understanding it’s mainly a disinfectant so it should not harm the coating.
Just got an epoxy floor coating. I have read your suggestion to clean with ammonia and warm water. But what about swifter? Is that good or bad?
Hi Paul. A swifter is OK to use. It won’t hurt the floor at all. Just check an area to make sure it doesn’t leave a film. When a film is left on the floor, it will dull the finish a little and attract dirt. If it does, a little bit of ammonia and water will take the film right up and bring back the gloss.
I have an epoxied garage floor with color specks by Sherwin Williams. What is the best method for cleaning brake dust, grease and tire marks from the floor. Also, there is some yellowing.
Hello Jim. If it’s just an epoxy coat with no clear top coat, then more than likely all the microscopic scratches that have accumulated in the epoxy is holding much of the dirt. We would recommend scrubbing the surface with a degreaser and short bristled deck brush to remove the majority of the grime. For anything more stubborn, you can apply some mineral spirits on a rag and quickly try to wipe it up. Be careful though… if you scrub too long it could cause some color fade. There isn’t anything you can do about the yellowing. It is a reaction to being exposed to U.V. light from the sun. Epoxy is not U.V. resistant and no matter how much U.V. inhibitor a manufacture may include in the coating, it will still eventually amber (turn yellow) when exposed to U.V. light. That is why full color flake (U.V. resistant) floors with a polyurethane clear coat are so popular as well as the newer polyurea coating. They will not yellow, even in direct sunlight.
Gas has spilled on our epoxy floor. A lightened cloudy area remains. Can I get rid of it?
Hello Charlie. It sounds like the gas may have deglossed the finish. Was this an epoxy floor without a high performance clear coat? You can try a strong solution of Simple Green or an equivalent. It that gets rid of most of it, make sure to rinse well with water since Simple Green can leave a film. It that doesn’t work, apply some mineral spirits to a rag and lightly wipe it. Don’t linger long though. If neither of those do it, then the finish was most likely deglossed by the gasoline.
Hi. I just put down rustoleum rocksolid in the grey on my garage floor and wanted to know what is the best method to cleaning it as i have dogs that go in and out and im guessing ill have light oil end up on the surface.
I usually use a pressure hose with a mixture of concrete degreaser and a kennel disinfectant. I obviously recognise the degreaser will probably wreck havoic but can i still use a pressure cleaner across it? I would also like to use a bucket and mop combo for the ease of it as well.
I also have a few spots that are a bit rough compared to others that feel very slick this might have been the application due to no undercoat and trying to apply the kit sparingly so i wanted to see if using a mop would still be effective on those areas or would that be pushing the dirt and such into the concrete vs removig the stain.
Sorry for the long winded question 🙂
There is no need to use a degreaser in most cases. A mild cleaner is generally all that is needed. A hose with a pressure nozzle is fine, but do not use a pressure washer. Kennel disinfectant will not harm the coating. Coatings should never be used sparingly or stretch the coverage rates. The coloring will look dull due to the thin application and it may not completely seal the concrete as well. Those areas may or may not resist staining whether you use a mop or not.
If i want to reapply a coat of it further down the track does it need to be sanded back or just cleaned etched and applied over the top?
Thankyou
Rocksolid allows for up to 7 days to recoat. After that you need to degloss and rough up the surface with 120 grit sandpaper. Vacuum well, then wipe down the surface with denatured alcohol using a lint free cloth. FYI, coatings cannot be etched. Etching only works on bare, unsealed concrete.
Hi, I had the garage done with High-Gloss Epoxy Garage Floor Coating Kit and apply clear top coat on it. But the guy who did the top coat, he missed few spots like 2″ * 2″ and few other places to apply the top coat. So, i asked him next day to re-use the left over from last day, now it’s been more then a week. The place where he reapplied the top coat is not drying and is still sticky. Please help on what are my options now? Can this be fixed? Is there a way to clean the sticky portion?
Hi VT. You can’t reuse day old epoxy unless not all was mixed. If it’s still tacky, chances are that not enough hardener (part-B) was mixed in or the induction time was not honored. If it’s been a more than a week it will never cure. Unfortunately you will need to scrape up the gooey parts and wipe down those areas with denatured alcohol to clean it up.
How do you clean yellow discoloration spots on our epoxy garage floor?
It’s hard to say, Patty, without knowing what type of flooring system you have. Generally, there is not a lot you can do about spots that are discolored. Epoxy will amber (get a yellow tint) when exposed to direct or strong indirect sunlight. Is it possible that this is what may be causing the yellowing that you are referring to?
I recently had a flake epoxy floor installed with clearcoat. However, there are now some dull spots that have not improved after mopping with ammonia and water. They do not appear cloudy, but more like a film. We had a very late snow and I suspect it may be due to the salt/road treatments. Is there anything additional to do to try to restore the shine on those areas? The floor is only two months old. We waited 5 days before moving the cars into the garage and a month before mopping.
Hi Gabriel. It’s hard to say without knowing what kind of products were installed. Have you tried contacting the floor coating installer yet to ask about the spots? From your description it sounds as if they have always been there. Generally, when you get a dull spot on the coating there is not much you can do to fix it other than sanding it out and applying another coat. If it was an epoxy clear coat it can sometimes develop an amine blush from moisture being introduced during the curing process. This is a film that can be removed with water and a little bit of scrubbing.
Hello, I have some scratches that are on my epoxy stained concrete. Is there a polish that i apply to those areas to minimize the visual discrepancies without a new clear coat?
Hello Adam. You can’t polish epoxy. If you try, all it will do is dull the coating. There isn’t much you can do about scratches other than to apply a new coat. If it’s a matte finish, you can apply an acrylic wax to it that will help to hide the scratches. Another alternative would be to rough up the coating surface and apply a much better scratch resistant polyurethane or polyurea clear coat.