Gloria asked, “One of our grandchildren sprayed Banana Boat Sport sunscreen (50+) and drew a happy face on the concrete surrounding our outdoor swimming pool at our condo complex. We are facing a $200 fine. Anyone know how to clean this off the concrete?
Sunscreen can leave an oily stain on concrete. Use the methods below to restore the concrete to a sunscreen-free state.
You Will Need:
- Cornstarch
- Baking soda
- A broom and dustpan
- Dish soap or liquid detergent
- Ammonia
Steps to Remove the Sunscreen:
- Cover the sunscreen with a generous amount of an absorbent powder, such as cornstarch or baking soda.¹
- Allow the powder to absorb the oils from the sunscreen for several hours or overnight.
- Sweep away the powder.
- If any stain remains, use a dish soap¹or liquid detergent²to scrub the stained area. The soap should help to cut through the waterproof sunscreen so that it can be removed.
- For a stronger solution, dilute ammonia to 10% and scrub the concrete with the ammoniated water.
Additional Tips and Advice
- Do not use salt as an absorbent powder on concrete. Any remaining salt residue will soak into the concrete and reappear later as efflorescence.
- Use caution when working with ammonia. For more ammonia safety information, see Wikipedia.
Sources
- Natural Stain Removal Secrets by Deborah L. Martin
- The Spot and Stain Remover Handbook by Jean Cooper
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