Concrete Library

Maintaining and Cleaning

Introduction

Interior Architectural Concrete Floor Care

Daily Maintenance

Periodic Maintenance

Products

Introduction

Cleaning concrete periodically will extend its service life and enhance its beauty. It can be difficult to tell when concrete is in need of cleaning because the dirt and grime can build up so slowly. However, once the process is done, the results of freshly cleaned concrete are very noticeable.

Once a concrete floor is acid-stained, a concrete sealer is added to help resist water, stains, dirt, and abrasives. Keeping your floor clean will be relatively simple. You'll want to talk to the concrete contractor who stained your floor about specific instructions for the specific products and colors used for your floor.

For general cleaning, first try water and scrub with a soft, non-metallic brush to see if this removes the surface dirt. If that doesn't work, step up to water with a mild soap, then water with a stronger soap, then water with a stronger soap plus ammonia. If a sealer has been previously applied to the concrete surface, the surface may only need a light, general cleaning and to have the sealer reapplied or touched up in high traffic areas. However, if the concrete has ground in dirt or grime, the substance should be removed so that the surface is penetrable prior to applying a sealer. And the surface must be penetrated to do so.

Cleaning polished concrete
Although keeping polished concrete shiny requires minimal effort and expense, some regular care is necessary.

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Interior Architectural Concrete Floor Care

*Please Note: The maintenance instructions below are intended for reference purposes only. Always test a small area to ensure your products and systems are compatible with the installed Decorative concrete system. Ensure all sealers and coatings are fully cured before the application of any maintenance products.

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Daily Maintenance

1. Wipe Up spills immediately using a damp cloth.

2. Dust mop regularly to maintain dust-free, slip-resistant surface.

3. Using a neutral cleaner, clean floor with mop/bucket/wringer and/or auto scrubber and pad. Dilute cleaner to manufactures recommendations.

4. If necessary, gently remove any remaining marks with blue utility pad.

5. Using mop, clean along edges and around stationary objects machine did not reach.

6. Chewing gum will often release during normal cleaning. If not, lift off (DON'T SCRAPE) immediately after cleaning.

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Periodic Maintenance

1. Follow steps 1-6 from the ‘Daily Maintenance’ section above

2. Applying Floor Finish
a. Wring mop/applicator out until it does not drip
b. Apply along edges and baseboards with a light coat.
c. Finish the area with figure 8 overlapping strokes of the mop / applicator or as per floor finish manufactures recommendations.
d. Allow dry time on manufactures recommendations.
e. Second coat should be applied perpendicular to previous stroke.
f. Allow ample time for drying before opening area to traffic.

Periodic / Re-Coating Frequency Recommendation:
High Traffic Areas: Every 4-5 weeks
Moderate Traffic Areas: Quarterly
Low Traffic and/or Edges: Semi-Annually

Commercial - Initial Start Up to maintain protection of 3-4 coats over top of sealer
Residential - Initial Start Up to maintain protection of 2-3 coats over top of sealer

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Products

1. Floor Finish - Acrylic or Urethane floor finish - as per local availability and approved test area. These types of floor finish are easy to apply, do not yellow and are resistant to detergent scrubbing, black heel marks and scuffing. Available through Home Depot or a local Janitorial supply company.

2. Neutral Cleaner as recommended by floor maintenance firm. Highly -concentrated neutral detergent that is safe to use on all water-resistant flooring. Low-foaming, heavy-duty cleaning formulation is perfect for automatic scrubbers. Ideal for mop and bucket applications without leaving behind residual film or streaks when used at the recommended dilution ratio.

CLEANING METHODS: *
Do not use:

• High Pressure washer equipment
• Floor Pads; Green, brown, or black
• Nylo-Grit or Strata-Grit rotary brushes
• High-alkaline cleaners, degreasers or strippers

OBJECTS: *
Do not use:
Chairs, tables, trash receptacles, sand urns, benches, metal stands, hard plastic chair rollers, etc. with bottom surfaces or payloads that may scratch the floor. It is standard that a plastic mat or carpet be placed on the floor when using rolling chairs, furniture or items of this nature.

Tape: Do not affix any type of tape directly onto the surface of the floor as the adhesive in the tape may re-emulsify the sealer and cause markings or damage.

FLOOR PROTECTION:

• Use walk off mats is recommended in entrance ways.
• Use felt pads on furniture bases. (e.g. Chairs need rubber and/or material padding around bottom edges for protection. Table legs need rubber stoppers and/or another material to prevent sliding.)
• If gouging or other damage occurs, spot retouch over clean surface with original sealer formulation to prevent dirt and contamination from passing through to the substrate. If retouching is required, contact your Approved Installer.
• It is recommended that these maintenance instructions be implemented immediately following the removal of any protection put over the decorative concrete system and/or prior to any type of traffic on the floor once the system is installed. (If there is no protection)

*These cleaning methods and objects may damage the Decorative Concrete Flooring Systems.Failure to follow the above maintenance instructions will void your warranty for the system installed. Each floor system and amount of traffic may vary with each application. Please follow the maintenance specifications made available through the installer. Always test a small area before any maintenance procedures and follow all manufacturers' instructions. Keep records of all floor maintenance schedules to maintain warranties, and guarantees. The maintenance of the floor is the sole responsibility of the owner unless otherwise agreed to upon a written contract.

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