Despite the fact the marketplace has a lot of information on polished concrete and its benefits, there are still two misconceptions that individuals tend to have about concrete flooring. They are:

1. Any cleaner will work on polished concrete floors
2. Polished concrete floors do not have to be maintained or cleaned at all

Starting with number two because it is the easiest, it is a fact that everything gets filthy. Dirt is tracked from the outside and needs to be cleaned up. If dirt is left on the floor, the little bits of dirt can act like sandpaper and strip the shine away from the floor.

This means that these floors do need cleaning. There are many businesses, schools, warehouses, and other commercial environments that utilize commercial polished concrete floors throughout Minneapolis and St. Paul and it is fair to say that many of these do receive periodic cleaning. Periodic cleaning does reduce other types of maintenance that the floor may need. In turn, this reduces cost.

Also, it doesn’t matter if the floor doesn’t look like it needs cleaned. Particles are very small and most likely won’t be seen, but they will be picked up when cleaned. The small particles can also build up and it is this buildup that will cause degradation of the floor’s appearance. By not letting the floor get dull and dirty to begin with, that brings us to myth number one – any cleaner will work.

It is important that the coatings manufacturer’s instructions are followed. Your Minneapolis floor coating company will go over this with you as well. Cleaners that are acidic can attack the coating. There are cleaners out there that are made specifically for polished concrete floors. Using them as specified by the manufacturer can prevent a lot of issues from occurring. One issue that can be prevented by following manufacturer’s instructions is to dilute the cleaner properly. If it is not diluted properly, it can cause the floor to be hazy. Using a cleaner properly means having a polished floor that will keep its shine.

It is also good to have a good spill-remediation plan in place. In areas where the floor may encounter spills, it is important to have supplies nearby to take care of a spill quickly rather than waiting until scheduled maintenance. Food and drink can affect a polished floor’s shine if it is not cleaned up soon after the spill, especially if it is acidic like orange juice and soda. Even milk is acidic because it contains lactic acid.

With proper cleaning and maintenance, which is rather simple when compared to other floor types like wood, carpet, or even tile, your polished concrete floor will continue to look like new. Even if the floor is in a high traffic area, such as a school, warehouse, hospital, or factory, regular cleaning can do it a lot of good.