A Basic Guide To Cleaning Decorative Concrete Floors
Concrete has always been a popular material for both indoor and outdoor surfaces. While people know that there is no particular way to clean concrete, they tend to become more cautious when it comes to decorative concrete.
Basically, the cleaning method is the same. The only difference is that decorative concrete requires more care and attention as it involves a patterned or textured surface with a coloring agent like stains and dyes.
To give you peace of mind and to help you make sure that you are on the right track, here is a basic guide to cleaning decorative concrete.
Cleaning Decorative Concrete: A Beginner's Guide
The Tools You Need
Cleaning a decorative concrete floor is similar to cleaning a regular floor made of concrete.
You must have the basic cleaning tools like a broom, a mop, a vacuum cleaner, and a bucket for concocting a cleaning solution of water and mild soap.
You don’t need special or fancy cleaning supplies. These are common in almost any household.
What You Should Do
Sweeping the floor is a quick way to remove dirt, dust, and debris on the surface of a concrete floor. This must be done regularly to keep dirt from building up and sticking on the surface.
Dry mopping is also a good way of removing dirt and dust on the surface of a concrete floor but only for smoother surfaces.
Wet mopping is ideally done every two weeks to remove stubborn dirt and any film of dust that may have stayed on the surface despite sweeping or dry mopping.
You can use plain water for this or add a bit of mild soap or detergent. Just make sure to rinse it off with plain water mopping to prevent slips and falls.
Dishwashing soap is a highly recommended cleaning agent because it does not leave a slippery texture.
For concrete stains caused by oil, put kitty litter on the stain and leave it overnight for a day. Just sweep or vacuum off the litter and the oil stain should have been gone.
There are special cleaning products that can be effective for removing stains but you must first ask your decorative concrete contractor to make sure that it does not contain any chemical that could be harmful to the finish.
Your Cleaning Habits
Cleaning decorative concrete is not a code that anyone needs to crack tediously. The condition of a concrete floor highly depends on your cleaning habits.
Consistent cleaning routines will keep it in the best possible condition one would ever wish for. Neglect it and it’s a damaged flooring waiting to happen.