Terrazzo floors are widely used in both exterior and interior designs because they are a type of high hardness floor that is very resistant to impact and wear, offering a long service life. In addition, its maintenance and cleaning are simple, and when the floor looks worn and dull, it can be polished, recovering its shine as if it were new.
Therefore, in today’s post, we are going to talk about terrazzo floors and about their cleaning process.
Characteristics of Terrazzo Floors
First of all, we will list the characteristics of terrazzo floors, so that users who are considering installing a terrazzo floor or those who already have one and do not know about it, have an idea of what type of floor it is and its most important characteristics:
– High hardness.
– Resistant to impact and wear.
– Low porosity when polished, very porous without polishing.
– Easy cleaning and maintenance.
– Long life.
– Floor can be polished to repair and buffed to restore its shine.
How to Clean a Terrazzo Floor?
Proper cleaning of our terrazzo floor is very important to keep it in the best possible condition, so that it looks perfectly clean and keeps its characteristic shine.
Terrazzo Floor Cleaning: Tips and Steps
The most recommended way to clean terrazzo is to do it without using chemicals or using as few liquids as possible, as some liquids or products can be harmful to our terrazzo floor.
The steps to follow to safely clean terrazzo are as follows:
- The first step will be to sweep or vacuum the terrazzo floor to remove particles, dust and as much dirt as possible.
- After sweeping or vacuuming, we will proceed to clean the terrazzo with lukewarm water or a mixture of lukewarm water and a little neutral Ph soap or special terrazzo soap, so as not to damage the shine of our terrazzo.
- We will do it with a perfectly wrung out mop or a damp cloth depending on the surface to be cleaned.
- Finally, it is advisable to dry the surface after a few minutes, especially if we use some type of product or soap. We will do this with a mop or dry cloth; or leaving the area aerated to dry quickly.
Stain Problem on Terrazzo
Many users have stained their home’s terrazzo for various reasons and are looking for a solution to the problem to remove the stain. On the internet, you can find countless homemade solutions, but there is always a risk as you can make the situation worse by damaging your terrazzo floor, as the use of certain acidic products such as vinegar, lemon juice and bleach are harmful to terrazzo.
That’s why it’s recommended to clean the stain first by scrubbing hard with a soft cloth and soapy water, because if it hasn’t penetrated much, this can be a solution.
If this is not enough, we will have to switch to the use of professional quality stain removers, tested and suitable for the removal of stains on terrazzo, such as the usual oil and grease remover for terrazzo.
Finally, if we are unable to remove the stain from the terrazzo in this way, we can polish the terrazzo and repolish it to make it look like new again.
Homemade Stain Removal Solutions for Terrazzo
However, while we are not in favor of homemade solutions, if you still want to opt for a homemade solution, here are some you can try:
– Clean the stain with paint thinner, warm water and soap.
– Clean with water and ammonia to clean grease stains.
However, it is very important, as we told you, to never clean terrazzo floors with too aggressive products or with steel brushes or hard strings, as this will damage your terrazzo floor.
What other type of floor do you have at home and how do you care for it? Share your tips in the comments below.
And if you want to know more about polishing terrazzo floors, come back to check out the second part of our article.
