Searching smoke in Concrete (Unsealed)
Unsealed Concrete Cleaning, Sealing & Maintenance
Plain unsealed concrete... it's everywhere! But how do we clean and maintain it? Here's XO2's suggestions for cleaning, sealing and maintaining plain unsealed concrete. Plain concrete is porous so it stains easily and holds moisture which can cause mould growth. Getting your maintenance right will save you time and money down the track.
Clean Unsealed Plain Concrete With C-A-T
CAT stands for Chemical, Agitation and Temperature. Choose the chemical that's suitable for your surface and soil. Select the right agitation method (eg. floor pad, brush, high pressure) and temperature you will clean with (heat often cleans better).
Recommended Products For The 4 Types Of Unsealed Plain Concrete Maintenance
*Always test products first before use.
- Initial - Cleaning newly laid floors... Use Bonza, Crackerjack or Phos Power.
- Regular Maintenance - Use Bonza. This is for everyday cleaning.
- Periodic Cleaning - Use Bonza or Too Easy. Periodic cleaning may occur monthly, quarterly or yearly. For mould use iDestroy.
- Restorative / Salvage Cleaning - use TKO or Crackerjack. This is when things have gotten a little out of hand and the surface needs a reset! If a coating needs to be removed use the compatible floor stripper. For difficult stains use Poultice Pro and for rust stains go with Rust Daddy. And for severe mould use iDestroy.
Precautions
Avoid harsh chemicals and abrasive cleaners where possible. When using heavy chemicals neutralise with Bobby Dazzler afterwards to avoid fast re-soiling. Poultice Pro and for rust stains go with Rust Daddy. And for severe mould use iDestroy.
Sealing Plain Concrete Floors
Outdoors or indoors: XO2 highly recommends sealing plain concrete floors with Pro Seal Ultra, our invisible impregnating concrete sealer. This penetrating sealer is not a coating that will sit on top of the surface and it will not change the look, colour, texture or slip resistance of the concrete.
Indoors: Some facilities prefer to use a water based coating on top of indoor concrete floors to protect them. Our recommendation for sacrificial coatings on indoor plain concrete floors is Tough Shield for a satin/lower gloss finish or as a base coat with top coats of Blockbuster for a high shine finish. It is important that no topical sealers are used in wet areas.