Polished concrete flooring stain resistance

Polished concrete floors from Midland Flooring are treated with a penetrating densifier and penetrating stain protection impregnator which are designed to soak into the surface and resist staining from oil, water and grease.

Our coatings are long-lasting and difficult to break down, but it is recommended floors are cleaned regularly and that any spillages are mopped up as soon as possible. If a spillage is left, it can penetrate the surface and cause a stain.

Does acid stain my polished concrete flooring?

While our floors are stain resistant from acid and alkaline products, these will burn the floor if they are not cleaned up immediately. Your floor has an acid sensitive surface, much the same as marble and limestone, and can be damaged on contact with acidic substances including, but not limited to, lemon juice, coke, vinegar, wine, bird droppings, other animal excretions, leaves, branches and other plant matter.

These surface materials contain calcite, a form of calcium, which reacts and dissolves on contact with acids. Impregnating sealers do not stop liquids from making physical contact with the surface and therefore cannot prevent acid etching.

How to clean spillages

If you spill something on polished concrete flooring, the best advice is to clean it up straight away. If you drop any of the above substances, or any other acid or alkaline products, clean it up IMMEDIATELY to minimise damage.

1. First lift as much of the spill as possible with paper towel, a cloth, or other absorbent material
2. Mop the remaining spillage with warm water. Adding PH neutral cleaner or other suitable alkaline cleaner to the water should aid cleaning and help neutralise the acid
3. If the spillage has been left too long, and there has been damage to your polished concrete floor, one of our specialist advisors can help.

Maintaining polished concrete flooring

Although stain protection and densifiers will resist staining, polished flooring, like other flooring solutions, requires periodic maintenance to keep it looking fabulous. However, the methods used to clean these floors are the cheapest possible and your floors will last decades.

Here are some good cleaning habits to get into:

• Sweep or vacuum regularly to remove any dust and grit that could scratch the floor
• Carefully remove any stubborn deposits, such as dried on food, with a non-scratch implement
• Mop over with warm water only. We would recommend using a dry mop, such as a micro fibre mop. If surfaces are sealed with an impregnator, we suggest using a PH neutral conditioner. Clean as normal with water, and apply conditioner as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
• To keep a high sheen, we would recommend buffing the surface once it’s dry with a floor polisher and a non-aggressive white buffing pad
• For heavy duty cleaning, use a suitable cleaner and non-damaging buffer pads, such as the green Twister pads available from HTC floor systems
• Regularly remove leaves, branches and other plant matter

Our team of experienced advisors are on hand to offer support and guidance on all aspects of the care and maintenance of polished concrete flooring.