manufacturers recommend that baking soda or
mild ammonia be added to the final rinse water
to “neutralize” the acidity of the slab. In over a
decade of floor staining, my company has never
used anything but a janitorial detergent labeled
“pH-neutral,” and we suffered no ill effects from
this. We feel that the concrete slab is so alkaline to begin with that staining with acid and
scrubbing renders it neutral.
It is a simple matter to neutralize the acid
staining residue in your vacuum: You add baking
soda, TSP or washing soda (all caustic bases)
in small amounts and let them dissolve in the
residue. Some stain manufacturers say that the
residue from acid staining is nontoxic. However,
in some parts of the country where controls are
Solvent-based sealer is applied with a durable
roller. A solvent sealer will darken the stain color
and hold it at its "wet" look.
