Keeping your concrete clean

A regular maintenance should be done for cleaning concrete in your house to make it look fresh, beautiful and looking nice. If the maintenance is not done regularly, in due time porous, dirt, grime, stains or mold will make its way into the concrete causing damage to the concrete. In order to keep your concrete clean, below are some of the things that you can do in prolonging the life of your concrete floors, countertops, or patios;

What you need:

1. Broom or Push Broom
   
2. Dust mop
   
3. Wet mop
   
4. Bucket
   
5. Warm Water
   
6. Mild cleaner or Dry granular cleaner
   
7. High speed buffer (optional)
   
8. Damp cloth
   
9. Shop Vac (optional)
   
10. Hose with spray nozzle attachment
    
11. Power washer (optional)

Method:

1. First of all, if you are cleaning decorative concrete, you need to sweep the floors thoroughly removing all loose debris. Use also a dust mop and run it through the floor for picking up any remaining dust.
   
2. Then, fill in the bucket with a gallon of warm water together with small amount of mild cleaner or dish soap. Remember not to use ammonia or vinegar as both the items can damage the concrete floor.
   
3. After that, you can use a mop, dip it into the cleaning solution and wring it thoroughly. Mop the decorative concrete floor by small sections and make sure to frequently wringing and rinsing the mop.
   
4. When you have finished mopping the whole floor, refill the bucket with clean warm water for cleaning away any remaining soap residue. Then, use a high speed buffer with a white pad which is available in stores for making your decorative concrete floor look shining.
   
5. If you are cleaning outdoor concrete, you also need to sweep away any unwanted dust and debris.
   
6. After that, you need to attach a hose to your water supply and then by using a spray attachment with full setting, spray the entire floor and not to forget to spray also every corners and crevices where you can find lots of dirt and grime.
   
7. After finishing it and the floor is still wet, sprinkle your entire floor with cleaner. Scrub the cleaner into the floor by using your push broom.
   

Additional Reading:
http://www.all-things-concrete.com/concrete-cleaning.html
http://www.all-things-concrete.com/concrete-maintenance.html
http://concretepolishing.com/concrete_cleaning.html
http://www.concretenetwork.com/concrete/interiorfloors/Caring.htm
http://www.howtocleanthings.com/how-to-clean-concrete.htm< http://www.howtocleanstuff.net/floors-and-carpet/floors/how-to-clean-concrete-floors/

Image Credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alleroo/820180653/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15924433@N05/1718645989/