How to Clean Cigarette Ash from Concrete

Co-authored by Hannah Madden

Last Updated: March 30, 2023 References

Keeping the concrete around your home looking fresh is no small task, and it can be made even harder if someone stomps out a cigarette on it. The ash from a cigarette can get rubbed deep into the porous surface of concrete, and it can be tough to scrub out with your bare hands. However, with a little elbow grease and a free afternoon, you can clean up your concrete and make it look clean again.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Cleaning Fresh Cigarette Ash

1
Spray down the concrete with a water hose. If the ash is still loose and sitting on top of the concrete, you may be able to wet it down and spray it away. Turn your hose onto a strong nozzle setting, like shower or jet, then point the spray of water directly at the ash.^{[1]
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- Try to spray the ash away from the rest of the concrete onto the grass.
2
Mix a 1:1 ratio of washing soda and water. If the cigarette ash is still there, mix up some washing soda and warm water in a bucket at a 1:1 ratio. You can find washing soda at most grocery stores in the cleaning aisle. Make sure you don’t accidentally buy baking soda, as they’re very similar!^{[2]
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- For example, you could combine 1 cup (201 g) of washing soda and 1 cup (240 mL) of water.
- If you don’t have washing soda, pour baking soda onto a baking tray and put it in the oven at 300 °F (149 °C) to 30 minutes to 1 hour to create washing soda.
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3
Dip a soft-bristled brush into the mixture, then scrub the stains. Pick out a brush that has soft bristles that won’t scratch your concrete. Dip the brush into the washing soda and water, then scrub the cigarette ash to remove it from the concrete.^{[3]
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- Nylon brushes work well for cleaning concrete.
4
Rinse the concrete off with water. Use your hose again to spray off the area where you just scrubbed. If the stain is still there, you can try using your washing soda and water mixture again to scrub it off.^{[4]
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- If the stain is still there after multiple scrubbings, you may need to try something harsher.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Removing Tough Stains

1
Put on gloves and work in a well-ventilated area. To mix up this concrete stain remover, you’ll have to mix together some pretty strong chemicals. Make sure you’re wearing gloves and work outside or in a room with the doors and windows open.^{[5]
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- If you have a respirator and eye protection, you can put those on as well.
2
Dissolve 2 lbs (7.6 L) of trisodium phosphate into 1 US gal (3.8 L) of hot water. In a large bucket, mix together trisodium phosphate and hot water to dilute the chemical and make it safe to use. Use a wooden stirrer to combine the ingredients in your bucket.^{[6]
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- You can find trisodium phosphate at most hardware stores. It may be labeled as TSP.
- Using this much trisodium phosphate will make enough cleaning paste to cover a large slab of concrete.
3
Mix 12 oz (0.34 kg) of chlorinated lime with water to make a paste. In a separate container, pour out your chlorinated lime crystals and slowly add hot water, about 1 c (240 mL) at a time. Use a wooden stirrer to combine the water and the crystals until they form a thick paste.^{[7]
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- You can find chlorinated lime powder, or bleaching powder, at most hardware stores.
4
Pour the paste into the trisodium phosphate mixture. Carefully pick up the chlorinated lime paste mixture and scrape it out into the trisodium phosphate bucket. Use your wooden stirrer to stir the mixture gently and combine the chemicals.^{[8]
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5
Add enough hot water to make 2 gallons (7.6 L). Take note of how much liquid is in your bucket, then fill it up with hot water until it reaches the 2 US gal (7.6 L) line. It’s important to dilute the mixture really well to keep your concrete from getting bleached, so make sure you add enough water.^{[9]
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- Some hardware buckets have measurement lines on the inside so you can see where your liquid level is.
6
Cover the mixture and let the lime paste settle. Put a board or a lid over the bucket, but don’t seal it airtight. Leave the mixture for about 15 minutes to let the lime paste settle to the bottom. You’ll know when it’s ready when the liquid part at the top doesn’t look cloudy anymore.^{[10]
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- Covering the bucket is mainly to keep it from spilling or getting contaminated with anything else while it sits.
7
Pour the liquid into a separate container. Pick your bucket up and carefully pour off the liquid at the top of the mixture. You won’t need the liquid part of this mixture anymore, so you can set it off to the side.^{[11]
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- You can dispose of the liquid by either flushing it down the toilet or pouring it down the drain and flushing it with plenty of cool water.^{[12]
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8
Spread the paste onto the stain with a towel. Making sure your gloves are still on, carefully pick up some of the paste from the bottom of the bucket with an old towel. Spread a thick layer of the paste over the cigarette ash stain to completely cover it.^{[13]
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- The paste works by absorbing the stain and then evaporating, leaving the concrete clean.
9
Scrub the paste off when it’s dry. After about 1 hour, you’ll notice that the paste has dried and formed a hardened crust. Take a dry soft-bristled brush or a sponge and gently scrape the paste off to reveal your cleaned concrete.^{[14]
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- If the stain isn’t gone yet, you can repeat the application of the paste as many times as you need to.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Preventing Stains on Concrete

1
Spray the concrete down with water often. Concrete does get dirty pretty fast, especially if it’s outside. To prevent stains, spray it down with your hose about once a week, or whenever you notice a new area is getting dirty.^{[15]
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- For a deep clean, consider renting a pressure washer from the hardware store and spraying down your concrete to remove layers of grime and dirt.
2
Apply a concrete sealer. If your concrete is unfinished, it is more likely to absorb liquids and cause stains. Find a clear silane-based concrete sealer from the hardware store and paint it onto your clean concrete with a paint brush or roller, then let it dry for about 1 day.^{[16]
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- Try not to let the sealer puddle on the concrete, or it could make the surface uneven.
- Make sure you only apply a thin layer to avoid changing the color or appearance of your concrete.
3
Use a masonry primer and topcoat for indoor concrete. Make sure your concrete is clean, then apply a thin layer of masonry primer to the entire area with a paint roller. Allow this to dry for about 1 day, then add a masonry topcoat and let it dry for 1 day as well.^{[17]
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- Masonry finishing is best for preventing mold and mildew accumulation, so it’s great for humid environments.