Written by Mark Scull, founder of Wombat Sweepers · Published · Last updated
Four surfaces, four approaches
| Surface | How it behaves | Cleaning approach |
|---|---|---|
| Bare concrete | Porous. Absorbs oil and dust into the surface; goes grey | Aggressive pads and stronger detergent are safe. Scrubbing is the only thing that resets it |
| Sealed concrete | Less porous. Contaminants sit on the surface | Mild pad, neutral detergent, regular cycle. Do not strip it by accident |
| Coated or epoxy floor | Impermeable but softer than concrete | Mild pad only. Aggressive pads leave swirl marks that cannot be buffed out |
| Polished concrete | Dense and reflective; the finish is mechanical, not a film | Neutral pH only. Grit is the real enemy — sweep often, scrub gently |
Why the test patch matters
Nobody on a site ever knows what is on the floor. Specifications get lost, coatings get patched, and a slab poured in stages can behave differently in different bays. A test patch takes ten minutes and answers three questions: does the soil lift, does the finish change, and does the surface become slippery when wet.
We would rather show you an honest result on two square metres than promise one across two thousand.
What to expect on a first clean
Dramatic. A neglected slab that has never been scrubbed will change colour, and the line marking usually reappears.
Noticeable but gentler. Surface grime and oil film lift; the sealer itself stays put.
Clean rather than transformed. If the coating is worn or delaminating, cleaning reveals it rather than fixing it.
Gloss returns as the grit film comes off. Anything that looks like scratching is damage already present under the film.
Keeping a coated floor for longer
- Sweep more often than you scrub. Grit is abrasive; removing it is the single best thing you can do for a finish.
- Use neutral detergent. High-alkaline chemistry is for bare concrete, not coatings.
- Fix the entry. Most of what damages an internal floor is walked or driven in from outside. Sweeping the external hardstand protects the slab inside.
- Deal with spills fast. Oil and hydraulic fluid will penetrate a worn coating given time.
- Scrub on a cycle, not a crisis. A light regular scrub costs a fraction of a recovery clean.
Sealed floor questions
Something else? Call 1300 387 713 and talk to someone who runs the machines.
Can you scrub a sealed or polished concrete floor?
Yes, with the right pad and the right chemistry. Damage comes from using an aggressive pad or a high-alkaline detergent on a coated surface, which dulls the finish. On a sealed floor we test a patch first and match the pad to the coating.
Will scrubbing strip my floor sealer?
It should not. Stripping is a separate, deliberate process using strip pads and stripping chemicals. Maintenance scrubbing uses mild pads and neutral detergent precisely so the coating survives.
How do I know what coating my floor has?
If nobody on site knows, we test. A small patch tells us how the surface responds before the machine goes anywhere near the main floor — which is the whole point of a test patch.
Is a sealed floor easier or harder to keep clean?
Easier, generally — a sealed surface is less porous, so dust and oil sit on top rather than soaking in. The trade-off is that the coating itself needs looking after, which means gentler cleaning on a more regular cycle.
Can a sweeper damage a polished floor?
Not usually, but grit dragged under a brush acts as an abrasive and will dull a polished surface over time. That is an argument for sweeping more often, not less.
