In the past 5 decades, concrete floors took over the flooring market and became a norm with their durable, long-lasting, and easy-to-clean and maintain features. This kind of flooring is mostly used for sidewalks and roads, but with its versatility, indoor spaces were lured by its incredible fashion statement and were used to upgrade people’s indoor spaces. Thus, different types and styles of concrete floors began to emerge from the simplest unsealed concrete floor to the aesthetically pleasing painted concrete floors.

Although that’s the case, concrete floors being porous made things a little difficult for some. With how it quickly absorbs substances, concrete floors require regular cleaning to maintain their aesthetically pleasing surface. Before you jump into scrubbing and start office cleaning and sanitizing make sure to know what type of concrete floor you’re working on to get a more professional-looking clean finish.

Types of Concrete Floor Surfaces

Unsealed Concrete

This is the most common type of concrete used outdoors and the simplest one out there. You can see this every day in front of your garage, the sidewalk, and, of course, the road. It’s the kind of concrete that is poured on the ground without any additives to it and set to dry for a couple of days. Make it the most porous type of concrete, but don’t worry cleaning this type won’t be a big problem. 

How to Clean Unsealed Concrete Floors Indoors and Outdoors?

1. Start by removing all things sitting on the concrete you’re about to clean.
2. Sweep loose dirt and dust found on the concrete floor before starting with the deep cleaning.
3. Scatter cleaning agent (preferably powder cleaning agents because cleaning solutions would most likely be hard to dry especially for indoor spaces) on top of stains found on the concrete. Leave for 30 minutes to an hour.

• For oil stains, apply bleach and leave for 30 minutes.
• For grease stains, spread a layer of kitty litter and leave for 2-3 days.
• For food and beverage stain, mix 2 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid with one-quart water then spray on the stained area.
• For rust stains, pour a little amount of distilled white vinegar and leave for 30 minutes.
• For mildew stains, mix 2 tablespoons powdered detergent, 2 tablespoons trisodium phosphate, and one quart of water then spray on the stained area.

1. Scrub the stained area using a stiff-bristled brush and don’t forget to wear your gloves while doing this to avoid any skin irritation. 
2. Mop with a 2-ounce baking soda and one-gallon hot water solution. Make sure to wring your mop well to avoid getting your concrete overly wet. 
3. Lastly, rinse and wipe the floor dry using a dry piece of clothing or towel. 

Sealed Concrete 

If we have the most common concrete for outdoors, we also have one for indoors and that’s the sealed concrete. This concrete differs from unsealed concrete by simply adding a layer of acrylic resins, penetrating silicates, epoxies, or urethanes to seal a concrete making it non-porous. 

Types of Concrete Floor Sealers 

Acrylic Resin 

Acrylic Resin sealers come in water-based and solvent-based formulas which are used to enhance the floor’s color whilst protecting its interior or exterior surface. Additionally, this kind of floor sealer allows moisture from the slab to escape making it great for fast-paced projects because of its fast-drying time, exterior surfaces for ice melt and color protection, and interior floors for enhanced color and protection. 

Silicate

Silicate sealers, on the other hand, penetrate the concrete surface and chemically react to it by forming calcium silicate hydrate which serves as a barrier within the pores. Making it possible to reduce the size of the concrete pores while increasing the surface strength by up to 45%.

Epoxy

Epoxy sealers are more expensive compared to the 2 mentioned above, but it doesn’t disappoint. They produce a hard, abrasion-resistant, long-wearing surface making it non-porous and much more long-lasting compared to other floor sealers. So if you’re a food-establishment owner who wants to maintain a clean restaurant this floor sealer is perfect for you.

Urethanes

Just like the epoxy sealer, urethane sealers are also expensive but provide absolute performance when it comes to floor sealing. It has a high gloss finish with exceptional weathering performance characteristics that’s why it can be used by all industries since it provides a smooth durable finish that can resist any type of corrosion, abrasion, and chemical exposure. 

How to Clean Sealed Concrete Floors?

Since this concrete is non-porous, cleaning it won’t be your biggest problem. 

1. Sweep or vacuum concrete for loose dust and dirt.
2. Simple use a dishwashing and water solution to mop the floor surface.
3. Rinse and dry with a clean dry piece of clothing or towel. 

Polished

Polished concrete is the highest form of no-wax flooring material since it’s grinded to get that smooth scratch-free finish that wouldn’t chip or dent no matter what happens. The intensive process of concrete grinding allowed it to give that easy maintenance feature other concrete floors are lacking and do not require any resealing method. 

How to Clean Polished Concrete Floors?

1. Remove any loose dirt and dust using a broom or vacuum cleaner.
2. Use a commercial polished concrete cleaner that is pH neutral. Dampen the mop and start mopping the surface. Some cleaners do not require rinsing so make sure to read instructions and labels to decrease your life easier.

Painted

A painted concrete will make any dull-looking piece of slab look the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen in your entire life. This kind of concrete can either be unsealed or sealed, but people prefer to use unsealed concrete considering its permeability allows endless possibilities of design ideas to come to life. So, cleaning painted concrete can be a tricky one, since you don’t want that beautiful piece of art to fade or worst disappear. 

How to Clean Painted Concrete Floors?

1. Start by sweeping the concrete for any dirt and dust that may ruin your beautiful painted floor. 
2. Use a mild all-purpose cleaner and water solution as your cleaning agent to avoid any damages acidic or harsh cleaners can do to your lovely floor, and with a microfiber mop, start mopping the surface.
3. Rinse the mop with clean water and wring it well before rinsing the surface, then wipe it with a clean and dry towel. 

Obviously, concrete would be something you’d see for the next decades because of its hard, and strong characteristics. So, keeping them clean and always stain-free would make them last longer than expected. If you need any cleaning services in Tolland County, Connecticut, or Windham County, Connecticut, pick your phone up, and don’t forget to contact our cleaning team!