Estimated reading time: 6 to 8 minutes.

Key Takeaways:

The Best Routine Cleaning Solution: For standard maintenance, mix 5 ounces of clear ammonia per gallon of hot water or use a pH-neutral cleaner like Simple Green® with a microfiber mop.
Epoxy Floor Cleaners to Avoid: Never apply vinegar, citrus cleaners, or dish soap, as these acids and soaps can dull the glossy finish or leave a slippery film.
Winter Salt Removal: Always rinse winter road salts like magnesium chloride with warm water before scrubbing to prevent abrasive grit from scratching epoxy and polyaspartic floor coatings.
Hard Water Protection: Since Boise water is notoriously hard , always use a foam squeegee after mopping to prevent white mineral spots from forming on the surface.

In Boise, the garage is often the hardest-working room in the house. It catches the gray slush from Bogus Basin weekends, the magnesium chloride road de-icer from I-84, the fine high-desert dust that settles in every July, and everyday dirt and grime tracked in.

If your garage has an epoxy floor coating, the good news is that it all comes off easily, without expensive products or hours of scrubbing.

You don't need a specialty epoxy floor cleaner to keep your floor showroom-ready. The best method is also the simplest. Here's everything you need to know about how to clean an epoxy garage floor in the Treasure Valley, season by season, provided by your local experts at GarageExperts® of Boise.

The Best Epoxy Floor Cleaning Method and Cleaners

Before you buy anything at the hardware store, know this: a simple ammonia-and-water mix handles most routine epoxy floor cleaning better than most products on the shelf. Just mix 5 ounces of clear ammonia per gallon of hot water, apply with a microfiber mop, and you're done. It cuts through grease without leaving a film and won't touch the finish of your coating.

If you prefer a store-bought option, a pH-neutral cleaner like Simple Green, diluted 1 part to 10 parts water, works well.

While you'll find specialized epoxy floor cleaner products at home improvement stores, they're rarely necessary. The ammonia mix or Simple Green cleaner is often safer and more effective for removing organic grease.

For tools, use a sturdy foam squeegee and a microfiber mop. String mops leave dirty water behind and defeat the purpose, while stiff deck brushes can be too aggressive on a high-gloss finish.

Which Cleaners You Shouldn’t Use on Your Epoxy Floor

This section is crucial for preserving your floor's finish. Many common household cleaning products will gradually harm your epoxy or polyaspartic coating, often going unnoticed by homeowners until the floor's shine begins to fade.

Avoid all of the following:

Vinegar or Citrus Cleaners: Vinegar is an acid. It etches the glossy finish on epoxy over time, leaving the surface looking hazy and worn. Even diluted, regular use will dull your floor.
Dish Soap or Murphy's Oil Soap: Soap-based cleaners leave a sticky residue that attracts dirt and becomes slippery when wet.
Steam Cleaners: Intense heat from steam can force moisture under DIY coatings, accelerating peeling. For professional-grade coatings, check the manufacturer guidelines before using steam at all; you likely won’t need it.
Abrasive Scrubbers: Steel wool or stiff wire brushes scratch the polyaspartic topcoat, reducing shine and long-term durability.

Stick with ammonia, water, and a microfiber mop for routine cleaning. Your floor will thank you!

Seasonal Cleaning Guide for Boise Epoxy Floors

Boise's climate creates two distinct challenges for floor cleaning every year. Winter brings road salts, and summer brings hard water. Each one has a specific fix.

How to Clean Epoxy Garage Floor After Winter Salt and Mag Chloride

Idaho road crews use magnesium chloride as their primary de-icing agent on I-84 and Boise surface streets. It's effective on roads, but it dries into a white, hazy crystal on your garage floor. Left too long, it becomes slightly slippery and grinds underfoot like fine sandpaper.

The key step that most people skip: rinse with warm water first. If you scrub dry Mag Chloride crystals, you're essentially rubbing abrasive grit into the surface. Rinse to dissolve the salts, then follow up with your ammonia-and-water mix and a foam squeegee.

This method also addresses the hazy film that builds up throughout an entire ski season. If you're doing a full post-winter deep clean, a diluted Simple Green solution and a good rinse will pull the season's grime off in one pass.

Want to explore some more epoxy garage floor winter cleaning tips? We have you covered.

Preventing Hard Water Spots on Epoxy Floors During the Summer

Boise sits in a high desert with notoriously hard water. Hosing down the garage and letting it air-dry is a fast way to end up with a floor covered in white mineral spots. They're not damaging, but they're stubborn and make a clean floor look dirty.

The fix is a two-minute habit: after any wet cleaning, finish with a foam squeegee to pull standing water toward the drain or out the door. You won't give minerals the chance to deposit.

For spots that have already formed, a cloth dampened with your ammonia mix and a little elbow grease will lift most of them.

In summer, dust is the other constant, and it settles fast. A dry dust mop or microfiber sweeper two to three times a week keeps fine Boise dust from building into a gritty layer.

Already Have a GarageExperts® of Boise Garage Floor?

If you already have our Garage FX® epoxy and polyaspartic floor coating installed, good news: your cleaning routine is significantly easier. Because our polyaspartic surface layer is non-porous and chemically resistant, dirt and road salts sit on top of the surface rather than soaking in.

You generally don't need heavy scrubbing; just a quick rinse with warm water and a squeegee is often enough to restore that showroom shine. And remember, if you encounter any problems with cleaning or maintenance along the way, you have a limited lifetime warranty.

Looking for more cleaning tips for your epoxy and polyaspartic floor system? Check out our guide here!

How to Remove Stains from Your Epoxy Floor

Most stains on a well-installed epoxy and polyaspartic floor sit on the surface, not in it. That makes them far easier to remove than stains on bare concrete. Here's how to handle the common ones:

Oil and Grease: Apply a degreaser and let it sit for 10 minutes. On a professional coating, oil floats on top of the non-porous surface and lifts cleanly. Rinse thoroughly afterward.
Tire Marks: Use a melamine sponge (Magic Eraser) with a little water to buff out black scuff marks. Most tire marks come off in a few passes.
Rust: Use a targeted rust remover like CLR, but rinse it immediately and completely. Don't let rust remover dwell on the coating.
Stubborn Staining That Won't Lift: If a stain resists cleaning or if you notice the coating itself is losing adhesion, that's not a cleaning issue. That's a sign of an installation or product failure worth a professional assessment.

One important note: if what appears to be a tire mark or heavy stain is actually lifting a section of coating, cleaning won't fix it. That's a condition called hot tire pickup, a common failure in hardware store epoxy kits where the adhesion simply wasn't sufficient. No amount of scrubbing resolves an adhesion failure.

If Your Floor Is Getting Harder to Clean, It’s Time to Upgrade

Cleaning your epoxy garage floor shouldn't take all Saturday. With the right tools, an ammonia-and-water mix, and a foam squeegee, it's a 15-minute (or less) job. Routine sweeping two to three times a week keeps it that way.

If you're finding that stains are sticking more than they used to, or that the finish isn't bouncing back the way it did when the floor was new, that's worth a closer look. GarageExperts® of Boise offers free on-site estimates, and our team is happy to assess whether your floor needs a refresh or a deeper solution.

Join the countless Boise homeowners who are already enjoying the benefits of the Garage FX® floor system. Contact us today to request a free on-site estimate!

Frequently Asked Questions About Epoxy Floor Cleaning

How do you clean commercial epoxy floors?

For commercial spaces like warehouses or veterinary clinics, the cleaning process is similar but often requires stricter sanitization. You can use autoscrubbers with soft nylon brushes and hospital-grade disinfectants, as our industrial-grade coatings are chemically resistant and non-porous.

Can epoxy floors be mopped?

Yes. A microfiber mop with your ammonia-and-water solution or diluted Simple Green is the recommended method. Avoid string mops, which push dirty water around and leave residue behind.

Can you use Dawn dish soap on epoxy floors?

No. Dawn and other dish soaps leave a soapy film on the surface that attracts dirt and becomes slippery when wet. Use a pH-neutral cleaner or a simple ammonia-and-water mix instead.

Can I use a Swiffer on an epoxy floor?

A dry Swiffer sweeper works fine for light dust and debris between deeper cleans. Avoid the wet Swiffer pads, as many contain soap-based cleaning agents that leave residue on epoxy.

How do I make my epoxy floor shine?

Start with a thorough clean using the ammonia-and-water method, then finish with a foam squeegee to remove all water. The shine on a polyaspartic topcoat comes back naturally once the surface is clean and dry. If your floor has lost significant gloss, it may be time for a professional evaluation.

Can you power wash an epoxy garage floor?

On a professionally installed coating, a low-pressure rinse is generally safe. High-pressure washing at close range can force water into seams or edges over time. For most residential situations, a garden hose and a squeegee achieve the same result without the risk.