Top Tips - How to clean and maintain your microcement finish

One of the most frequently asked questions about microcement is how do you clean and maintain it. Here we outline the best tips for its upkeep and maintenance.

How to clean and maintain your microcement finish?

The cleaning of microcement is simple - water and neutral soap is more than enough. Despite microcement's resistance to chemicals, it is important to clean it with neutral soap, avoiding any aggressive or descaling products. In general, avoid products that damage the protective film such as chlorine, bleach, ammonia, soaps, and detergents.

Microcement as a flooring material is similar to parquet and requires similar maintenance.

As a first step, always keep the surface dry to prevent permanent waterlogging or prolonged contact with humidity. Don't leave wet towels on the floor or hot pots that leak liquid on a benchtop. The surface should also be kept free of grit, which can scratch the coating when stepped on and avoid bumping against hard objects.

We would always recommend removing a spill or contaminant as soon as possible to prevent potential slip hazards and damage. In New Zealand, slips and falls are one of the greatest causes of workplace injury. By maintaining surfaces correctly and removing contaminants as soon as practical, you are reducing potential dangers.

Initial care

After one month of application, microcement reaches the desired values of hardness, chemical resistance and waterproofing. The greatest risk of damage is in the first two weeks. Two days after sealing, it will be trafficable with extreme care and two weeks later, it will be trafficable as usual.

We recommend avoiding dragging heavy objects to avoid damaging the surface. To move furniture: it is better to lift and support, never drag. It is necessary to protect the floor from furniture of considerable weight, with covers or felts.

Permanent care

Regular maintenance keeps the sealed surface in prime condition, failing to maintain will increase the risk of premature wear and seal failure. We recommend periodically maintaining microcement floors with a recommended sealer or wax. The frequency of waxing will depend on the use and characteristics of the location (traffic, surrounding dust, etc).

If you have any questions about how to maintain your microcement finish, we're happy to help wherever possible. We also do restoration or repairs on existing finishes. If you need anything further, please contact us on contact@claddaghplastering.com or call us on 0211759697. We would love to hear from you!