3 Easy Ways To Maintain Your Home’s Concrete Floors
Everyone wants to keep their house spick and span, but one must act as per their house’s maintenance requirements. Concrete floors are relatively easy to care for when compared to other types of flooring materials, especially carpet. Routine maintenance involves reapplying sealer every few years, dry or damp mopping, or using equipment like an auto scrubber or swing buffer.
One should avoid harsh cleaning products because they can react with the concrete and etch the surface. And beware of acid stains, they can be temperamental and cause colour variations that aren’t predictable! Basic cleaning is easy to do yourself, but if your project requires special attention, you should not hesitate to hire a professional cleaner near you. Following are some steps to make your concrete floors even easier to maintain:
Dry Mopping
Before using any cleaning solution on your floor surface, you must first dry mop or dust mop to remove any loose dirt or debris. Dry mopping is a bit like sweeping. A dust mop will either have a fabric-based head or a disposable pad that is replaced after each use. In this step, a dust mop or broom, blower, or garden hose picks up dust, dirt, crumbs and random items littering on the floor. Dry mops are not designed to absorb spilled liquids, so make sure the floor is dry before you go for it.
Wet Mopping
This step is useful for cleaning embedded debris or dealing with floor stains. This involves a rag or sponge head that you dip into a bucket full of soapy water or floor cleaner. Wet mopping requires frequent rinsing of the mop head or re-application of the cleaning solution to get an entire floor clean. This method is most effective for removing dried spills.
- For Polished Concrete Floors
To clean polished concrete floors, damp mop occasionally with a pH-neutral cleaner and conditioners designed especially for polished concrete. These cleaners not only clean the surface, but also leave behind a dirt-resistant film. For more on this, see polished concrete flooring in Melbourne. - For Stained Concrete Floors
Damp your mop with a pH-neutral cleaner and water for an occasional deeper cleaning. - For Plain Concrete Floors
For simple stains, first try warm water and a soft (non-metal) scrub brush. You must begin with mild soap, and then graduate from strong soap to ammonia.
For stubborn stains, chemicals or degreasers may be required. Beware of the medium on which these are used. These should only be used on plain concrete, not stained or polished surfaces. Power washing can be done for exterior or semi-exterior surfaces such as garages. For an old house maintenance, you can hire professionals for concrete grinding and polishing.
Using Sealer and Floor Wax
Seals are semi-permanent finishes applied to the flooring to protect the surface from dirt, stain and other liquids and provide an easy to maintain surface. Sealing a polished or stained concrete after a good cleaning can make the next round of cleaning much easier.
Waxing prolongs the life of your sealer and protects the floor surface. Overall, a safe bet if you look forward to adding a few years to your floor’s life.