Looking for advice on how to clean a cement mixer? This is the most complete guide to cleaning out RMC equipment on the internet.
If you are looking for information on the following:
- How to clean out a cement mixer
- How to clean out a cement mixer truck
- Concrete mixer cleaning chemicals
Then you are in the right place.
Let’s dive in!
How to clean a cement mixer
Remember to always clean whilst the cement is still wet. This is because hard concrete requires complex chemicals to break it down.
These are not nice to work with.
A lot of concrete dissolvers on the market, like muriatic and hydrochloric acid, are dangerous to use, and difficult to dispose of once you’ve finished the job.
Hydrochloric acid is so dangerous that it is being banned on construction sites!
With that said, let’s get back to cleaning a cement mixer.
So, as long as you are cleaning out a wet cement mixer, a high powered rinse and a scrub should do the job for you.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Water
- Pressure Washer
- Stiff Bristled Brush
- Chemical Applicator
- Chemical Cement Remover
You might also need:
- Chisel
- Hammer or Rubber Mallet
- Protective Goggles and Gloves
- Bucket
Steps to Clean Wet Cement from a Mixer
- Fill the mixer with a reasonable amount of water
- Add in a couple shovels full of gravel
- Turn the mixer on and allow it to spin
- The gravel will move with the water and scrape the cement off the sides
- Tilt the machine so that the gravelly mixture reaches all the way to the edges
- Once the cement has been removed, drain the water and gravel in an appropriate place
- Use a pressure washer to remove any remaining residue from the interior and exterior of the machine
- Let everything dry off before storing
Additional Advice:
- If you need to scrub clean a surface, a stiff toilet brush works surprisingly well
- Crete-lease can be applied to the exterior of a mixer. It will prevent the cement from sticking to the surface
- Pressure washers offer an alternative to chemicals. Though they may not be able to remove cement that has cured, it works great for cleaning out wet cement
How to Clean Dried-On Cement from a Cement Mixer
- Begin by turning on the mixer and allowing it to spin
- Add a couple of gallons of water to the mixer and gravel as before
- While it is spinning, gently tap the outside of the drum with a rubber mallet or small hammer. Make sure you don’t dent the drum. This is just to break up and shake loose the larger chunks of dried cement
- After the large chunks are removed, allow the water and chunks of cement to drain out
- You can now use a chisel to knock off any of the remaining large pieces of cement if you need to
- Next, put on your protective gear
- To remove the final layer of cement, you want to coat the equipment that you want to clean with your chosen cleaning chemical. Follow the instructions of use that come with the chemical and use carefully
- Tilt the mixer so that the liquid reaches all the way to the edges of the barrel
- Rinse the equipment with water. A pressure washer is again useful for getting the last bits of cement off and rinsing away any residual corrosive chemicals
- Let the equipment dry before storing
Concrete mixer cleaning chemicals
The traditional method of dissolving concrete is with hydrochloric acid.
This causes all sorts of problems. These range from long-term equipment damage to serious health and safety issues.
Until now, this hazardous product has been the only effective tool concrete dissolver that works.
Consolv Concrete Dissolver
Consolv is a low hazard chemical solution for cleaning concrete from metal formwork, drums/mixers, trucks, moulds, props, and RMC equipment.
It is less damaging than traditional acids.
A safe cement cleaning solution
If Consolv comes into contact with your skin, you can simply wash it off (do the same thing with hydrochloric acid and you are heading straight to your nearest A&E!).
By replacing hydrochloric acid with a safe alternative like Consolv, you avoid the high risk of accident and injury at work.
Protecting RMC equipment at work
Consolv also preserves the long-term health of your expensive equipment and machinery.
All hydrochloric acids give off damaging fumes that attack any metals they come into contact with.
The gradual corrosion shortens the lifespan of all your plant machinery and mixer trucks.
It adds considerable expense to your business due to shorter lifecycles and increased maintenance costs.
We’ve inhibited Consolv to prevent attack of metals, making it incomparable to hydrochloric acid in terms of how corrosive it behaves around metal compounds.
Because it also doesn’t give off any harmful fumes, it won’t attack other metals and equipment in the workplace either.
A Cement Cleaner that’s healthier to work with
Lung damage, choking, respiratory inflammation, circulatory failure and even death are some the reasons why hydrochloric acid is such a dangerous substance to work with.
Just being in the vicinity is bad for your health.
Consolv doesn’t give off damaging fumes, so you can work safely.
Time to switch to Consolv?
This is a sustainable, premium quality concrete cleaning solution that will actually extend the life of your fleets and core equipment.
It is fast-acting, biodegradable and ready-to-use.
Consolv is inhibited to prevent attack of metals and is much less corrosive than hydrochloric acid.
This means it not only preserves the life of what is being cleaned but makes usage much safer for operators as there are no corrosive fumes.
Readily available through our established transportation network and manufactured here in the UK, you can avoid delays and expensive delivery charges.
Typical areas of use include:
RMC equipment such as metal formwork, wooden mould boxes, concrete skips, props, RMC plant and concrete mixer trucks
Consolv 2460
Consolv 2460
A slightly thickened synergistic mixture of acids that clings to vertical and overhead surfaces so that concrete and cement residues are softened and dissolved so that they can be rinsed away. Can be sprayed on or small items can be immersed and allowed to soak.
• No fumes
• Less aggressive than phosphoric and hydrochloric acids
• Inhibited to prevent corrosion
• Quicker than products based on citric acid
• Removes light grease and demoulding oils.
• Readily rinsed
• Compatible with most substrates
Chela is also a UK distributor of Prosoco International building products, including a range of specialist concrete cleaning solutions.
If you’d like to find out more about the benefits to your business that Consolv can bring,contact our team and we’ll happily discuss your requirements.
To find out more about us you can read some of our cleaning case studies and discover why we are one of the UK’s leading suppliers of concrete mixer cleaning chemicals for the most demanding applications in transport, construction and industry.
Image: Wikimedia Commons