Common issues with cleaning polished concrete flooring
Polished Concrete Flooring
Concrete was once viewed as a purely industrial flooring solution, suitable for areas where practicality was far more important than visual appearance. Mention polished concrete flooring today, and you are instantly transported into the world of high-end designer homes, chic magazine articles, and art galleries. Polished concrete is now highly prized and sought after for its superb aesthetic appearance.
Cleaning and maintaining polished concrete flooring is relatively simple, but using the wrong products often causes the fine surface to degrade, leading to a build-up of soiling. General wear can produce a similar effect, eroding the high shine and damaging the surface's integrity.
If the problem escalates, simple manual cleaning may not be adequate to restore that once-prized appearance. If this persists, or if a build-up of product residue and dirt proves hard to shift, Simply Floor Cleaning can deep-clean the floor.
The issue with the concrete flooring in this 600-square-meter former car showroom (photo below) occurred during a commercial film shoot. After filming was complete, in an attempt to clean off the sticky residue from the tape, the hired cleaners used the wrong concrete cleaner, leaving behind white, patchy stains.
Before and after results of Simply Floor Cleaning’s work.
The TV production company Twenty Twenty stepped in and hired us to resolve the issue. It was a big job, as we had to deep-clean the entire area to achieve a uniform appearance before sealing the concrete to restore surface protection. Amazingly, and to the delight of the project manager, within a day, they were back on schedule.
The job proved beneficial all around, as they regularly hired us on the First Dates film set to deep-clean the restaurant’s slate flooring after filming.
Not all concrete flooring requires such intensive cleaning, and at Hamilton's Gallery in Mayfair, we normally provide general maintenance cleaning. A light machine cleaning with a neutral cleaning solution removes the surface dirt. The concrete, which is in good condition, is then polished up using a high-speed rotary machine with a white cleaning pad.
Concrete Gallery Flooring in the Tea Building
Residential polished concrete floor cleaning is fast reaching equal demand to commercial work. This job in North West London was complete within one day, and the residents were able to use their home by early evening.
The issues on this floor were a combination of general wear from footfall and the use of a chemical better suited to cleaning patio concrete. Much of the surface protection had eroded, and the concrete became porous.
Protection for Polished Concrete
We had the option to re-polish the floor using a grinding process; however, the time constraints on this project prevented a lengthy full regrinding and polishing procedure. The home was occupied, so the client opted for a solution that we could complete within a day.
First, we deep-cleaned the concrete using a diamond cleaning pad fitted to a rotary floor machine. This cleaned the surface and also lightly honed it in the process. After the residue was extracted and the entire floor neutralised, we applied three thin coats of a concrete sealer.
Residential Concrete Flooring
Simply Floor Cleaning restored the floor's high-quality appearance and protection, the furniture was replaced, and after a few hours of drying, it was ready for light use. Full curing for these products can take up to 48 hours, so we advise against replacing any carpet or rugs during that time.
We work in commercial and residential properties. To obtain an estimate, use the form.