How to clean black residue from downspout's drains?

rmason

We have toooo many downspouts to count on property.  Under each one running onto the concrete surface we have a continual black area caused by the roof runoff?  Other than power washing, which proved to be too expensive and time consuming, and if you have a similar situation, what are you using to clean that's effective? 

themage

I can't think of another option that would be less time consuming or expensive. We pretty much have to pressure wash ours. You could try a concrete whitening product, or bleach, but beware if there is any iron in the runoff / deposits. It will permanently stain.

You could try to find a really good surface coating for the concrete. It would make cleaning much easier, but can be expensive and requires regular maintenance.

ESS

We have a power washing company come out once a year for the whole property. Other than that, we use bleach/water solution or Krud Kutter and some elbow grease for maintenance. 

rmason

ESS said:

We have a power washing company come out once a year for the whole property. Other than that, we use bleach/water solution or Krud Kutter and some elbow grease for maintenance. 

We tried the power washing company for a small portion of the property and cost for entire property would be too much.  Guess we need to order some more elbow grease !

i43storage

We have blacktop.  

prowlett

Do you have metal or shingle roofing?

rmason

Do you have metal or shingle roofing?

Metal.

prowlett

I'm not sure why you are getting black stains on your concrete, though I do know what you are talking about. That typically comes from shingled roofs or if there is any type of grease or tar substance on your roof or gutters. We have metal everything, so we do not have that issue. But, we do have issues with oil stains on our concrete. We have found that the product called Chomp works wonders for pulling stains out of concrete. Make sure you get the 32 oz. Concrete Stain Remover. You pour it on, let it dry into a powdery substance, brush away. sometimes you need to scrape, but not often. I would look into the feasibility of this for your property. The other thought for darkening concrete would be the cleanliness of your gutters. 

rmason

Thanks, I'll give it a try.

paulbell

Begin by removing any leaves, twigs, or debris that might be blocking the drain. Use a small tool or your hands to gently clear the opening. Then use a hose to flush water down the downspout and into the drain. The force of the water can help dislodge and flush away loose dirt and residue. In case this doesn't work feel free to contact https://www.emop.co.uk/.