If you have polished concrete floors in your building, you know that winter can make it tricky to keep those floors looking clean and shiny. The snow, salt, and ice melter can create a slipping hazard, can appear dirty, and can also damage the floors.  Making sure your floors are clean also contributes to the health and wellness of your staff and your visitors, so it’s important to get it right.

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Create a plan to proactively address your polished concrete floors this winter. With a few simple steps, you’ll see your reflection in your floors in no time.

Forget the old ways

Waxing and stripping your floors is common practice and works well to maintain many surfaces, but it is not the best approach for polished concrete. It is labour-intensive in large spaces and because it doesn’t allow the concrete to breathe, it can trap moisture inside, damaging the floors’ surface. When the moisture tries to get escape, it can create a white appearance that looks like salt stains and dirt, prompting you to start the process all over again.

Take a new approach

Rather than constantly trying to clean dirty-looking floors, a daily maintenance program will help keep them shiny all winter long. Here are a few steps for better maintenance that will extend the life of your polished concrete floors:

• Use your machine with an abrasive pad to clean your floor daily.
• Invest in cleaning products designed specifically for polished concrete.
• Clean the entire floor daily for a consistent finish, rather than simply focusing on high-traffic areas.

If your floors are damaged or worn, taking a more aggressive approach will do the trick. Follow these steps more frequently throughout the day until you see the shine return to your floors.

Take a proactive approach to your polished concrete floors this winter! Your floors are part of your building’s appearance and affect the way visitors view your business. Keeping them clean saves you money over the long haul and provides a safer environment, but it also leaves a lasting professional impression on your building’s guests.