The concrete flooring was a thing for your outdoor areas like sidewalks, patios, driveways, garages, and basements. But now people choose concrete for their indoor flooring as well, as they are designable, you can have plain concrete floors, stained ones, and polished concrete floors. You can add different colors and textures to your flooring.
Besides, the concrete flooring is durable, easy to clean, and resistant to stains. But this does not mean that it does not need maintenance. Here, in this article, we will guide you about the best way to clean your concrete, whether it’s on a regular basis or to remove the hard stains.
Best Ways To Clean Concrete
To clean your concrete depends on few things. You need to know first that you have to follow different procedures and strategies for different concrete types. For outdoor floors and indoor, there are different strategies as well. It also depends on how much the floor is used. Without further delay, let’s start.
Regular Cleaning
Plain Concrete
Plain concrete floors are low maintenance. You need to follow few steps daily to clean your concrete. Start with removing dust and debris from the floor. Follow by mixing cleaning solution or a mild detergent in water and mop the floor thoroughly. Rinse the floor with regular water. The last step to follow is to dry out the concrete perfectly—this the whole routine to clean your regular indoor concrete.
Stained Concrete
You can follow the exact procedure for stained concrete, which you do for plain concrete, adding steps of sealing the floor in the end. Good sealing will protect the floor from water, dirt, and debris. This step will add shine and life to your floor. The sealing of concrete is like a layer of extra protection which you must apply to your stained concrete.
Polished Concrete
The polished concrete needs extremely low maintenance as you don’t need to reseal it. You need a polished concrete cleaner which is pH-neutral. Remove dust from the floor or vacuum it, clean with the cleaner and dry it in the end. Never use any chemical on polished concrete.
Hardcore Cleaning With Chemicals
The hard stains need heavy-duty cleaning. The methods mentioned above will never help in removing the deep stains on your floor. That’s why you need to try out different strategies to get rid of them. Chemicals are an effectively used method to remove hard stains off the concrete. We will list some manufactured chemicals as well as natural chemicals that will help you.
Alkaline Degreaser
Alkaline degreaser is a highly effective cleaning agent for oil and grease. If there is an oil stain on your create, it is tough to remove, but a degreaser is here for your rescue. Use it with hot water on your oil stain. The hot water pulls out oil from concrete while the degreaser will emulsify it. Degreaser is more effective for porous concretes.
Bleach
Bleach is best for cleaning your concrete; it never disappoints. It will brighten up your dull concrete. Mix some quantity of bleach in a bucket with warm water. Pour it on the concrete. Mop the floor, do not forget to wear gloves while using chemicals for cleaning. You can leave it for few minutes or might scrub it if the stains are stubborn. Rinse the solution off the floor, and your concrete floor is all clean and shiny.
Oxalic Acid Phosphoric Acid And Citric Acid
The other best cleaning agent which can help you with your rusted concrete is oxalic acid. Pick any cleaner with oxalic acid, and it will work to remove the rust off the concrete. Phosphoric acid and citric acid helps to pull out the grease. So you can use these two solutions too for cleaning your greasy floor. Surprisingly, the coke or any soda with these carbonated acids, phosphoric, and citric acid helps. Isn’t it amazing removing your concrete stain with such an easy step?
Vinegar And Baking Soda
If we look for natural ingredients to clean your dirty concrete, we can’t find anything more practical than vinegar and baking soda. These two are known as natural cleaning agents. Spray or pour vinegar or baking soda mixed with a bit of detergent on the stain and let it sit for 30 minutes. Wash it off or scrub it for more effective results.
Cleaning With Pressure
Cleaning your outdoor concrete floor or concrete walls is a lot more different than your indoor one. The concrete of your patio, driveways, or sidewalk tends to be in harsher conditions; that’s why they are more prone to severe stains and dirt. Besides chemicals, the other method which you can use for cleaning is a pressure machine.
You need to be highly careful to use the pressure washer; you might seek some professional help for this method. Spray your degreaser or other concrete cleaners on the floor. Point the machine nozzle at the floor and go back and forward. After you are done with the machine use, you can also scrub the surface to get the loosened dirt out from the concrete more perfectly. Seal the surface in the end and enjoy your freshly cleaned patio or sidewalks.
Precautions To Take
You must be very excited to get your concrete floors all cleaned. But remember to take the essential safety measures before using any chemical or pressure machine. You must wear gloves and safety goggles, do not get in direct contact with any of the chemicals, and lastly, wash your hands and change your clothes immediately after all the cleaning.
Related Concrete Floor Guides: Best vacuum for concrete floors
Wrapping It Up
In short, nothing remains new and fresh; everything gets stained and old with time, but there are always remedies to make things better. Using the methods mentioned above, you will be able to reserve your concrete floors’ newness and shine. Follow the proper steps and you will be satisfied with the results.
Moreover, after cleaning, if you want to protect the concrete from future staining, seal it with a good sealer. Apply it with a paint roller over the concrete surface. It covers the concrete’s surface from the dirt and water seeping into the concrete—that’s how it prevents staining and decolorization.
