Cleaning site equipment - concrete, laitance, bitumen

Concrete that has set on a paddle, a mould or the side of a tipper stops being a question of appearance the moment it starts changing the geometry of the tool. A growing layer reduces drum capacity, jams mould catches and speeds up corrosion underneath - and chipping it off with a hammer does the rest.

Preparations for this work fall into two groups that cannot be swapped: those that remove what is already there, and those that stop it sticking. The second is where you save the most.

Four different soils, four different preparations

Hardened concrete and mortar residue.
A hard, set layer - it comes off with a concrete and cement residue remover.
Cement laitance.
A thin, cloudy deposit. A different preparation from set concrete, and usually milder.
Bitumen and asphalt.
Entirely different chemistry. Concrete removers will not touch it.
Corrosion and sticking.
Prevention rather than cleaning - you apply it before the work, not after.

Which preparation for which job

For each of these soils, Guard Industry has a dedicated preparation: GTR Premium for concrete and cement residue, GTN for concrete deposits on equipment, GTL for cement laitance and GBR for bitumen and asphalt.

The set is completed by GT VG MAX, an anti-corrosion preparation for raw and worked metals and for equipment in storage or transit. That is the second group: it protects equipment before a problem appears.

Quick match

What is on the equipment	What to use	Tip
Set concrete, thick build-up	Concrete and cement residue removers	The older the layer, the longer the dwell time
Fresh concrete deposit after a shift	Concrete deposit removers	Cheapest to deal with on the same day
Cloudy film, cement laitance	Cement laitance removers	A different preparation from set concrete
Black, greasy marks from road work	Bitumen and asphalt removers	Concrete removers will not cope with it
Rust, equipment standing idle	Anti-corrosion preparations	Applied before storage, not after

Preparations for site equipment

Five Guard Industry preparations for removing concrete, laitance and bitumen, and for corrosion protection.

Before you start: two things to check

The substrate. Check the technical data for the materials a preparation can be used on. Aluminium, painted metal and galvanised surfaces are sometimes excluded - if your material is not on the list, choose another preparation or write to us and we will find the right one.

Dilution and time. Both depend on the thickness of the layer you want to remove. Mix the solution and time the dwell by the figures given for the product, not by eye.

For businesses

Equipment is cleaned regularly, so the price per litre in a larger pack matters. A company account brings wholesale prices once approved, a shared order history for the whole crew, and reordering in one click.

Applying creates the account immediately; if wholesale terms do not go ahead, the account stays and you buy at list prices. See the terms.

Common questions

Will hydrochloric acid not do the same job?

Not quite. Hydrochloric acid is sometimes effective on concrete and it is cheap, but it is hard to control: the concentration is arbitrary, the fumes are aggressive, and on metal it can do more harm than good. Dedicated preparations come with a set dilution, a dwell time and a list of permitted substrates - so you know what to expect.

How do I remove concrete that has been setting on equipment for months?

In stages. Thicker layers need a longer dwell time, and the treatment can usually be repeated. Very old build-up is best taken off over several rounds rather than in one go.

How does a laitance remover differ from a concrete remover?

In scope and strength. Laitance is a thin deposit and set concrete a hard layer, so each needs its own preparation. For cement laitance reach for GTL; for concrete and cement residue, GTR Premium.

Does an anti-corrosion preparation replace cleaning?

No - it is a different role. An anti-corrosion preparation protects equipment in storage or transit, so it goes on clean equipment before it is put away. On dirty equipment it will not work - remove the deposits first, then protect.

Cleaning site equipment: mixers, moulds, tools