Once your polished concrete has been installed, you’re bound to fall in love with it.

While this type of flooring is popular because it’s easy to maintain, that doesn’t mean that it won’t require a bit of routine TLC. Follow these tips to keep your polished concrete floor looking like new.

1. Use a Dust Mop or Broom Once a Week

Going over your polished concrete floor with a dust mop or broom is an easy task. It’s also the maintenance step that you’ll have to perform most frequently. Once a week is generally enough for sweeping away dust and debris, but you may choose to do this more frequently if your flooring is in a particularly high-traffic area or if you simply prefer to keep things spic and span. Dust mopping or sweeping is important because the debris that collects on the surface of the floor can wear away the polish and the protective coating, leaving it vulnerable to scratches and causing it to look dull.

2. Once a Month Wet Mopping

Wet mopping will remove scuffs, spills and stains, which will help your polished concrete floor to continue to look its best. Use a neutral cleaner for mopping, as this will not adversely affect the finish on your floor. Avoid cleaners that have bleach, vinegar and ammonia among their ingredients as these may also be corrosive to the finish. Regular wet mopping helps your floor to look good as new for years.

3. Polish Once or Twice Per Year

That beautiful finish or top coat on your polished concrete floor will need to be replenished on at least an annual basis. If your floor receives a great deal of traffic, then it may be necessary to perform this task twice per year. Routine polishing protects the sealer on your flooring so stains can’t become permanent. It also enhances shine so your flooring will always look fantastic.

4. Take Precautions When Placing Furniture

Polished concrete floor is tough and durable. Still, it’s sensible to take precautions before placing furniture. Every piece of furniture, particularly those which move around frequently, should have floor protectors attached to them before they are installed. Furniture that doesn’t move around much can receive stick-on protectors while items like chairs can be equipped with sturdier tap-in protectors. The use of floor protectors ensures that you won’t have to devote more time and energy to maintaining your polished concrete floor than is necessary.

5. Place Mats At Entrances

The less dirt and debris gets tracked onto your flooring, the less cleaning and maintenance you’ll have to perform. One of the easiest ways to ensure that your flooring gets exposed to the minimum amount of abrasive materials is to place mats both inside and outside of every entrance. Doing so means that you won’t have to sweep, mop or polish as often because your flooring simply won’t see as much wear and tear.