Nowadays, painted concrete floors (sealed and unsealed) are found everywhere, including indoor living areas, both in residential and commercial places like patios, basements, sidewalks, or garages. Cleaning painted concrete floors depends on the foot traffic on your floors; it may require cleaning painted concrete floors daily or at least once or twice a week.
Unsealed concrete floors are more prone to rot if not taken care of properly. Conversely, sealed concrete floors are stain-resistant and can be cleaned easily. Whether your painted concrete floor is sealed or unsealed, proper cleanliness increases the sustenance of the floor surfaces. That’s why you should know how to clean a painted concrete floor so that you can restore the loft-like sophistication of the indoors.
How to Clean a Painted Concrete Floor Step-by-Step
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Painted concrete floor surfaces can be sealed or unsealed. While cleaning a painted concrete floor that is sealed, you have to be cautious about the cleaning materials; harsh or acidic cleaners or elements like bleach or ammonia can damage the sealant. Unlike a sealed concrete floor, unsealed ones are more porous to stains; hence, you may need to pressure wash while cleaning unsealed concrete floors.
However, let’s see the step-by-step process of cleaning sealed concrete floors:
Step 1: Gather the Necessary Materials to clean the painted concrete floor
To pre-clean your painted concrete floor, you’ll need the following materials:
- Broom
- Dust mop or vacuum cleaner for concrete floor
- Mild all-purpose cleaner
- Bucket
- A microfiber mop
Step 2: Remove Dust and Debris from the Surface
Before applying any cleansing solution, first, you have to clean the surface. Use a broom or the best vacuum cleaner for the concrete floor to remove fine dirt and other debris from the surface.
Step 3: Prepare the Cleaning Solution and Apply it to the Surface
Once you remove the dust from the painted concrete floor, prepare the cleaning solution. To do this, you’ll need the following things:
- A mild all-purpose cleanser
- Warm water
- Dish detergent
- Bucket
Step 4: Mop the Surface
Now, you have the bucket containing the cleaning solution in front of you; take the mop in your hand, soak it in that cleansing solution, and wring it. Then, roll the damp mop over the painted concrete floor.
Step 5: Rinse & Dry
Rinse the surface with clean water and remove soapy residues left on the floors; let the surface dry thoroughly.
Tips: Ensure the corner spaces are cleaned and dried properly.
How to Clean a Painted Concrete Basement Floor (Unsealed)
Basement floors are mostly found in the unsealed condition. Cleaning unsealed concrete floors involved the following steps:
Step-1: Gather Necessary Materials
To clean the basement surface, you’ll need-
- Rubber gloves,
- Trisodium phosphate,
- Shop vac or stiff-bristled broom
- Any other required stain removers
Remove the dirt, sand, or soil from the basement floor using the broom. You can use a vacuum cleaner instead of a broom.
Step- 3: Use the Pressure Washing Formula or Scrub the Surface Manually
Pressure washing is the best way to clean the basement or other unsealed exterior concrete surfaces. If you have a pressure washer, then use a mixture of trisodium phosphate and water as a cleaning solution and pressure wash the required space. Let’s sum up how to use a pressure washer in simple steps:
- Remove all the necessary things like plants or any other accessories from the surface
- Assemble the pressure washer with the required accessories
- Use the required nozzle
- Connect your garden hose to the pressure washer’s water inlet
- Test the pressure washer before applying the cleaning solution mixture
If you don’t have a pressure washer, then you have to do the following steps:
- Scrub the surface manually.
- Use your garden hose to wet the surface
- Distribute trisodium phosphate on the surface by using the stiff-bristled broom
- Then, scrub the dirt and debris. Don’t forget to wear gloves!
Step- 4: Rinse & Dry
Rinse adequately to ensure proper cleaning; utilize the cleaning solution properly and remove clearly from the basement surface. Let your basement surface dry.
How to Clean a Painted Concrete Floor with Stains
Removing stains depends on how stubborn it is and the type of stains. Besides, you need to be cautious while removing stains from painted concrete floors so that your floor paint doesn’t get destroyed.
If your painted concrete floor is sealed, then you can use a mild cleaning solution to scrub the stains out and rinse it properly. Removing stains from a sealed concrete floor is particularly easier than unsealed floors. Let’s see how you can remove different types of stains from unsealed concrete floors:
Remove Stubborn Grease Stains: Use a layer of corn starch or dry kitty litter and sprinkle over the stains. Wait at least three days; the time is longer than usual because unsealed concrete floors are prone to be strongly stained. However, after waiting for a limited time, you can vacuum the stained area.
Remove Food & Beverage Stains: To clean the food beverage stains, you’ll need a mixture of 2 tablespoons liquid dishwasher and water- one quart. Use a damp mop or vacuum cleaner to clean the stained surface.
Remove Rust Stains: To clean light rust from the painted concrete floor, use distilled white vinegar on the stains and wait for 30 minutes before starting to scrub. However, if the rust is stubborn, large, and dark, you’ll need a commercial rust remover to remove the stains.
Remove Mildew Stains: Prepare the cleaning solution mixture- 2 TSP laundry detergent powder, 2 TSP trisodium phosphate, and one quart of water. Use this cleaning solution and a stiff-bristled brush to scrub the mildewed area; after scrubbing, rinse it properly.
How to Clean Painted Concrete Patio
As patios are outdoor surfaces, they easily get messed up with dirt, sand, soil, or other debris, yet removing them using a broom, dust mop, or vacuum cleaner is easy. If the painted concrete patio is sealed, you can use a mild cleanser to clean this outdoor surface. On the other hand, if the surface is unsealed, use a cleaning solution based on the type of dirt. Use a cleaning solution, scrub the dirt, and clean your painted concrete patio.
At The End
It’s better to broom and clean your surface on a regular basis. Don’t let any stubborn dirt or stains develop on the surface, whether it’s sealed, unsealed, or painted concrete floors. While cleaning painted concrete floors, avoid highly acidic ingredients if the floor is sealed. Besides, if the painted concrete floor is unsealed, clean it regularly to avoid struggling with stubborn dirt and stains.