Concrete floors have quickly become a hot interior design trend–one that is predicted to rise even more. However, concrete is porous, which means it can absorb liquid spills. As a result, many people polish concrete floors for aesthetics and to protect the concrete.
If you’re wondering, “Does polished concrete stain?” you won’t like to learn that it does. But there are ways to clean and protect your decorative concrete, so read on for more information.
What is Polished Concrete?
It is a durable flooring system created by Craftsman grinding and honing with high-quality floor diamonds. It is a process of steps by highly trained Concrete Floor Systems employees using densifiers and Penetrating heat-activated sealers are used to create stain-resistance and high-abrasion-resistance flooring.
How Do You Get Stains Out of Polished Concrete?
The easiest way to get stains out of polished concrete is to prevent them from happening in the first place. If you see a spill on the concrete flooring, mop it up with a damp rag or paper towel. Once the stain is dry, use warm, soapy water to thoroughly clean the area. This extra step ensures all traces of the stain are gone.
Does Oil Stain Polished Concrete?
Yes, oil can still stain polished concrete. The best thing to do when you see an oil stain is to clean up the oil as fast as possible. Mopping the stain immediately can reduce the damage it does to your floor.
Oil residue can harm your concrete even after cleaning up the spill, so you must thoroughly clean the area. Oil is also slippery, so you want to ensure no one will fall because of the oil spill.
Using a degreaser emulsifies the oil to remove it from the concrete. You can also use denatured alcohol and sodium orthophosphate to lift the oil from the floor. Sometimes, you might need to reapply polish to the spill area.
How Do You Get Red Wine Out of Polished Concrete?
Red wine is one of the most common stains on a concrete surface, but it’s easy to clean. When you notice the red wine spill, mix warm water with dish detergent. Scrub the stain with a firm-bristled brush before rinsing away the soap suds.
If the red wine stain remains after using soap, try to clean it with dabs of hydrogen peroxide. Let it sit for at least five minutes before washing it away.
How Do You Get Salt Stains off Concrete?
Cities salt the sidewalks and roads during winter to prevent the ground from icing over. It’s a safety precaution, but when you enter your house, you’ll track that salt onto your concrete floors. Thankfully, it’s not hard to get rid of salt residue before it damages the concrete.
Wet the salty areas. Mix a gallon of warm water with two cups of white vinegar. You can also add two tablespoons of dish soap to get your floors extra clean.
Dip a broom’s bristles in the bucket of water and scrub at the concrete stain. You’ll see the salt residue leaving the floor. If it sticks to your broom, wipe it off before cleaning the rest of the area.
Once you’ve removed all the salt, you can use a wet vac or mop to eliminate the excess water. Rinse the surface with clean water, using the broom to loosen any stubborn salt buildup. Wet vac or mop the excess water again, then let the floor dry.
What Stains Concrete Permanently?
If you have a polished concrete floor, you want to take good care of it. That means you’re cleaning it regularly and mopping up spills as soon as they happen.
Many things can stain concrete permanently if you let them sit too long. Some of the most common permanent stains include oil, rust, salt, and potted plant rings. You can always clean stains as soon as you see them, even if they’ve been there a while. Treating the stain two or three times can get rid of it completely or at least lighten it substantially.
Sometimes these cleaning methods aren’t enough. In those cases, you can try shot blasting. When you hire professionals for shot blasting, they strip concrete and smooth it so you can polish it or dye it with a concrete stain.
Does Sealing Concrete Prevent Staining?
In most cases, sealed concrete won’t stain. It’s always important to mop spills as soon as you see them since the liquid can seep into the concrete if it sits long enough. However, a sealer forms a protective surface over the otherwise-porous concrete and prevents stains.
You can reapply the concrete sealer when necessary. Over time, you might see that your sealer wears down or shows scratches. You can buff and polish the floor to an even level before reapplying sealer for additional protection.
How To Clean Polished Concrete Floors
Stained concrete is very low maintenance overall. Most people choose this flooring because it can withstand much weight and traffic. Concrete polishing is an additional preemptive step to keep the floors in excellent condition.
Routine cleaning keeps your floors in the best shape. If your concrete floors have polish, you want to clean them carefully. Some substances can damage the polish, which can cause your concrete to degrade over time.
Can I Use Vinegar on Polished Concrete?
Vinegar is too acidic to use alone when cleaning polished concrete floors. You should dilute vinegar until it’s at least 50% water, if not more. Otherwise, the acidity will eat away at the concrete.
Some people ask, “Is bleach or vinegar better for cleaning concrete?” Bleach is about as harsh as vinegar, so you can’t use it alone. Instead of pouring bleach on a stain and hoping for the best, dilute a cup of bleach in a gallon of warm water.
Many different things stain concrete floors, so always try to treat the specific stain before cleaning your floors with diluted vinegar or bleach. If you can’t remove the concrete stain, you can always consider concrete dyes to darken the entire floor accordingly.
Does Lemon Juice Damage Concrete?
Yes, lemon juice falls into the group of acid stains that can harm your floor even with a sealer. Lemon juice eats away at the coating and then damages the concrete below. Never use lemon juice to clean stains from your floor, and clean this type of spill as fast as possible.
Will Baking Soda Damage Concrete?
No, baking soda is neutral, so it won’t harm your floor. It’s commonly used in cleaning, so you can mix baking soda with water to form a paste to apply to various stains. It’s also an effective way to remove grease from surfaces, including stained concrete.
How Long Does a Concrete Stain Last?
Unfortunately, stains you don’t promptly clean can permanently damage your concrete floor. If you have a stained concrete floor and have tried all the cleaning methods above, you might want to look at concrete dye. It’s a way to cover any unintentional spills on your floor. You can change the color of the concrete or simply highlight the natural tones of the existing floor.
Professionals will add a layer of polish to the concrete dye to keep your floor looking new. After this process, you’ll still want to thoroughly clean spills when you see them so your concrete floor stays in great shape.