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How Targeting Stains and Grease?

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Use an alkaline degreaser for oil and grease. Oil and grease, often found on garage floors, should be cleaned with an alkaline degreaser. You can purchase this online or at a hardware store. Consult the label to see how much water to use to dilute your degreaser. Apply to oil and grease stains and then rinse it out completely using water. Make sure to wear goggles and gloves when applying degreaser.


Look for chemical strippers to remove graffiti. In general, chemical strippers should not be used on cement. In the event of graffiti, however, such cleaning solutions are necessary. Go for citrus-based strippers, as these are the mildest. Apply these cleaners to the graffiti and allow them to sit in for several hours before rinsing them out. Use protective gear when working with chemical cleaners.


Apply an acid neutralizer, which you can buy at a hardware store, according to package directions after using a chemical stripper. Remove rust stains. Rust stains are difficult to remove and sometimes require professional cleaning. Cleaners with oxalic acid are usually used to remove rust stains. Apply these according to package instructions, making sure to wear goggles and gloves.


As removing concrete can be difficult, it’s usually best to seek professional help if you have concrete built up on your cement. Spray down the cement with clean water to remove any traces of your cleaner. Make sure to keep spraying your cement until water runs clear. Any cleaner reside can damage the cement over time.


Although proper usage will vary from product to product, in many cases you can combine a product, like Barkeeper’s Friend, with a small amount of water to make a paste. Apply this to remaining stains or buildup for a few hours. Generally, by allowing your cleaning product more time to work on the stain, the results will be better.

How Removing Tiles by Hand?

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Wear gloves, safety glasses, and a face mask. Tile shards can be very sharp, so wear thick work gloves and safety glasses when handling them. Wear long sleeves and pants while working to avoid any cuts. Though breaking apart ceramic doesn’t produce a lot of dust, wearing a face mask will prevent you from breathing in any that does get kicked up. If you’re working on a large tile floor, wear knee pads so you stay comfortable.

 Some tiles may break apart and others may come up undamaged. Use a chisel with a wide-backed handle so you can easily hit it with your hammer. Chiseling out your tiles takes the longest amount of time, but ensures that you don’t damage anything underneath the tiles.

Use a chisel and hammer to lift the tiles. Hold the chisel with your non-dominant hand so the sharp edge is against the bottom of the tile. Hit the end of your chisel’s handle with a hammer to loosen the tiles from the floor.

Break the tiles with a hammer or sledgehammer if you don’t need to save them. Start with tiles on the outer edge of the room or wall. Use a hammer on small wall tiles or a 3–5 lb (1.4–2.3 kg) sledgehammer for larger floor tiles. Work across the whole room until all the tiles are destroyed. Wear earplugs if the sound starts to bother you. Don’t use a sledgehammer if you don’t want to damage drywall or flooring underneath your tile.

Scrape off the mortar with a chisel. Put the edge of your chisel against the mortar that was underneath your tiles. Apply a firm amount of pressure to your chisel to lift the mortar off of your floor. Hit the end of your chisel with a hammer if you cannot lift up the mortar by yourself. Make sure to remove all the mortar so the surface is smooth. That way, you can easily lay another type of flooring or wall coating on top of it.