Although professionally finished polished concrete floors last in excess of ten years, the highly reflective shine can be lost prematurely if the floor is not maintained correctly. There are two main culprets; the ongoing presents of dirt and debris and the various methods used to remove the dirt. Under foot, under a shopping cart, under a pallet jack or a fork lift truck dirt and debris acts as an abrasive material that will grind the surface of the concrete resulting in a dull appearance.
Typical floor cleaning products that contain: acids; high pH levels, alkalis or caustic chemicals etch into the surface of the concrete causing irreversable damage that can only be rectified by a polished concrete professional. The correct polished concrete soaps include a surfactant which reduces the surface tension of the liquid causing the dirt to lift from the fine pores of the polished suface.
A thickly milled nylon brush or a stripping or scrubbing pad used regularly by a cleaning contractors are too harsh for polished concrete. Dirt and debris becomes embedded in the pads resulting in the pads becoming abrasive discs which scratch and quickly flatten the original shine and luster of the floor.
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