Bubble Stained Concrete

Just about every child in America loves to play with that bubble solution which allows you to blow huge, beautiful bubbles. These bubbles though have a tendency to create a stain on whatever material it comes into contact with. While most of these materials are fairly easy to clean, there is one that can present unique problems. That material is concrete. Dealing with bubble stained concrete may seem like a bit of a no-brainer, but unlike with other materials it simply will not wash away. That's where these methods and guidelines comes into play.

• Degreasers. Degreasing cleaners such as Dawn, Palmolive, Blue Wolfe, and engine degreasers can all be used to help break up the bubble stain on the concrete. The reason for this is that the commercially sold bubble agent is not made from regular soap and water. In fact it is often made with a type of oil which can lead to stains. By using degreasing agents and scrubbing away at the stain you should be able to remove most, if not all, of the bubble stain.
• Diluted muriatic acid. Sometimes the only way to remove a bubble stain is to remove the first layer or two of concrete. Purchase some muriatic acid from your local home improvement store, and make the weakest possible version of the acid. Be sure that you are wearing rubber gloves and some eye protection before you begin using the cleaner, remember this is acid you are working with. Brush the acid onto the stain, and allow it to work for a little bit. If necessary you can also scrub the acid on to the stain. After a little while, rinse the acid away and examine your work.
• Use more solution. Another method for dealing with this type of stain is to actually use a little bit more of the bubble solution. Use the opportunity to create decorative designs on your driveway or sidewalk. While this may not remove the stain, it will allow the stain to be hidden among some artistic designs.
• Allow time to pass. The easiest solution, or at least the one that will require the least amount of work from you, is to actually do nothing at all. Simply allow the bleaching effect of sunlight and weather work their wonders. However, keep in mind that this method will usually require a long time (possibly a couple of years) to really work. At the very least, when that time has passed, you more than likely won't even remember that it was there to begin with.
• Paint the concrete. Perhaps one of the most expensive methods for dealing with bubble stained concrete is to purchase some special concrete paint from your local home improvement store, and apply it to your driveway or sidewalk. Another, similar, method would be to apply some non-skid finishing to the concrete. While these methods will not remove the stain, they will put them out of mind and sight.