How do you clean concrete around a pool in a lanai

J

JOhnH

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My lanai seems to accumulate dirt and mud. Some of it is from my wife's potted plants and I guess some of it is just tree dirt that filters down through the screen.

If I hose it down, the water pools up along the edges of the screen walls.

I'm thinking about something like a carpet cleaner that shoots water down, and then sucks it back up into a tank. But all the ones I have found say not to use it on hard surfaces because the metal edges would scratch the concrete, or the concrete would ruin the cleaner.

I only need to clean it about twice a year, so I don't want to but a $3k hoover. I would like something I can rent, or something more economical to buy.

Any ideas?
 
Pressure washer at low setting?

BTW, what's a lanai?
 
Get rid of the plants. I always use a pressure washer, but my yard isn't screened. Can you remove the screens for cleaning? When I visit Hawaii, they call pretty much any covered deck or balcony a lanai. I have never seen one screened.
 
Pressure washer ,and a good wet dry shop vac.
 
OxiClean and a shop vac?

That's what I'd try first. It cleans everything else.

Rich
 
JOhnH said:
My lanai seems to accumulate dirt and mud. Some of it is from my wife's potted plants and I guess some of it is just tree dirt that filters down through the screen.

If I hose it down, the water pools up along the edges of the screen walls.

I'm thinking about something like a carpet cleaner that shoots water down, and then sucks it back up into a tank. But all the ones I have found say not to use it on hard surfaces because the metal edges would scratch the concrete, or the concrete would ruin the cleaner.

I only need to clean it about twice a year, so I don't want to but a $3k hoover. I would like something I can rent, or something more economical to buy.

Any ideas?
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What is the surface? stone, cement?

our back deck is cement, it gets moldy and green slime.
I use ZEP concrete and drive way cleaner, full strength, then pressure wash and hose off, then dry with a leaf blower.
 
Have a pressure washer? Get a water broom. It blasts the dirt and water wherever you direct it. Friggin awesome tool!
 
Stewartb said:
Have a pressure washer? Get a water broom. It blasts the dirt and water wherever you direct it. Friggin awesome tool!
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But the problem is that the only place to chase the dirty water is into the pool, or out one of the doors to the Lanai, and that isn't easy. It pools up along the edges of the screen walls and spreads out over a wide area. I could hose it down, then use a shop vac, but something like a rug cleaner that shoots water down to loosen the dirt, and in the same pass vacuums it up into a tank would be much easier. I could rent a rug shampooer but all the ones I found have a metal rim that will scratch the painted concrete, or the concrete will damage the machine. I have seen some for sale, but they cost thousands. I was hoping to rent one somewhere.
 
JOhnH said:
But the problem is that the only place to chase the dirty water is into the pool, or out one of the doors to the Lanai, and that isn't easy. It pools up along the edges of the screen walls and spreads out over a wide area. I could hose it down, then use a shop vac, but something like a rug cleaner that shoots water down to loosen the dirt, and in the same pass vacuums it up into a tank would be much easier. I could rent a rug shampooer but all the ones I found have a metal rim that will scratch the painted concrete, or the concrete will damage the machine. I have seen some for sale, but they cost thousands. I was hoping to rent one somewhere.
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Following up on the problem description; there are little drain holes around the screen walls that allow the water to leak out, but the mud stays behind. I need a good way to suck up the muddy water before the water leaks out.
 
JOhnH said:
Following up on the problem description; there are little drain holes around the screen walls that allow the water to leak out, but the mud stays behind. I need a good way to suck up the muddy water before the water leaks out.
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My solution has been to block the drain holes with tape until I could vac the dirty water up. Don't have to stop the draining, just slow it down some
 
use a stiff concrete broom - and hose the water to a corner and use a shovel to pick up the mess.
 
JCranford said:
I guess im too redneck to know what a 'lanai' is....
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I knew what a lanai was from way back in the day when I used to do other people's lawns and clean other peoples swimming pools. So I don't feel guilty for finally having earned enough to have my own.

With a little hard work, maybe someday you can have something nice too.
 
I'm thinking what I will do is hook up the shop vac and secure the hose at a low point, then use the pressure washer, or at least the hose with a high speed nozzle and direct the water and mud to the shop vac. Kind of clugey, but a step better than explosives.
 
JOhnH said:
I'm thinking what I will do is hook up the shop vac and secure the hose at a low point, then use the pressure washer, or at least the hose with a high speed nozzle and direct the water and mud to the shop vac. Kind of clugey, but a step better than explosives.
Click to expand...

That seems safer than explosives. And a lot less fun. ;)
 
JOhnH said:
I knew what a lanai was from way back in the day when I used to do other people's lawns and clean other peoples swimming pools. So I don't feel guilty for finally having earned enough to have my own.

With a little hard work, maybe someday you can have something nice too.
Click to expand...

Maybe
 
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Two person job. 1 with the pressure washer, the other with the shop vac.

You mentioned painted concrete. If the concrete is indeed painted and not stained, I would be very careful with a pressure washer.
 
weilke said:
You mentioned painted concrete. If the concrete is indeed painted and not stained, I would be very careful with a pressure washer.
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A lot of times lanais aren't painted, but have a skim coat of dyed grout or concrete. If you get into a crack with a pressure washer, the water will get under the layer and you'll get a 20 sq in piece flying through the air. And THAT, my friend, will ruin your day. Very difficult to repair in any way that looks tidy.

If you're using a 2000 psi pressure washer, stay at least 12" from the surface.
 
weilke said:
Two person job. 1 with the pressure washer, the other with the shop vac.

You mentioned painted concrete. If the concrete is indeed painted and not stained, I would be very careful with a pressure washer.
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"Painted" was probably the wrong word. I think it is indeed stained because it is kind of old and there are no signs of peeling pain. There are a few chips on the edges where the color seems to carry through. But they did a good job of staining it the same color as some painted brick ledges.
 
JCranford said:
Maybe
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John, I didn't mean to be rude, but I have to admit that I do get a little tired of people making fun of me because some things I have accumulated. No matter how much a person has, somebody has more and somebody has less. I am proud of what I have because I worked for all of it. Yeah, I have had some luck along the way, but I could have easily screwed all that up too.
 
wsuffa said:
This.

Or battery acid if you have some around.
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Now there is a way to mess up a stained concrete surface.

Brush + soap or careful application of a pressure washer.
 
JOhnH said:
John, I didn't mean to be rude, but I have to admit that I do get a little tired of people making fun of me because some things I have accumulated. No matter how much a person has, somebody has more and somebody has less. I am proud of what I have because I worked for all of it. Yeah, I have had some luck along the way, but I could have easily screwed all that up too.
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There are people who look at me and consider me rich. They'll crack jokes about my problems and my money...

Then there are people who make me look very poor. I might crack a joke about their first world money problems from time-to-time.

At the end of the day - it's best just not to be so sensitive. I'd consider it pretty unlikely that you've never made a joke about someone's use of their money or their first world problems created by their money.

Myself...if I wanted a lanai I'd pick up my shovel and get to work. However I don't want one because it makes no sense in my region.

As to the task at hand. I'd use a pressure washer, two people, a concrete broom, and a shop vac. Tape off the drains. Piece of cake.
 
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weilke said:
Now there is a way to mess up a stained concrete surface.

Brush + soap or careful application of a pressure washer.
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Oh, it's stained, not stained. :D

Yes, if it's intentional color-added staining, I agree. If it's stained from the crap (as mine frequently is, then nothing wrong with acid.
 
If you want to lose the dirt you will have to get it loose first. Lose the loose pieces, then, once they're lost, loosen up about all of the losing you just did. Winner.
 
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