Care & Maintenance of Your Concrete
Taking care of your concrete sinks, furniture and countertops does not take a lot of effort, but does require you to understand the kind of things that could cause problems.
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Concrete naturally is a porous material — when substances enter these pores and become trapped, your concrete becomes stained.
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To defend against this porosity, we apply a sealer to all of our concrete pieces.
How Your Sealer Works & Best Care Practices
A good sealer will prevent staining agents from penetrating into the pores of the concrete, neutralize or resist acids, and provide a nice, even finish on your concrete countertop.
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Sealers for concrete countertops have come a long way in the last 10 years or so, but they still haven’t discovered the perfect sealer. We are continuously testing new sealers, and will only use sealers with a high level of performance.
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When we talk about caring for your countertops, we’re really talking about caring for your sealer.
Avoid Heat Damage and Damage From Cutting Implements
Always use cutting boards with your concrete countertop — Don’t cut directly on your countertop if you can avoid it!
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If you cut up food products directly on your countertop, you will cut through the sealer, leaving a path for staining or etching agents to get to the bare concrete.
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Also, use hot mats for hot pans as you can burn through the sealer.
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Make sure to avoid using any chemical solvents on your countertop, such as acetone, (fingernail polish remover) as it will dissolve your sealer.
Cleaning Your Concrete
The best thing to use to clean your countertops is mild soap and water. We've found that a Clorox wipe works well for a more thorough cleaning.
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Avoid abrasive cleaners.
Take Care With Strong Acids
You need to take extra care with any product or food item that contains a strong acid — these can heavily damage your sealer.
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Vinegar and lemon/lime juice are the two biggest offenders in a kitchen.
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This is not to say that you can’t use them, but to be aware that leaving them without clean up may result in an etched spot in your sealer.
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If this occurs you can give us a call, and we will come out to apply a fresh coat of sealer.
Preventing Surface Damage
The sealer we use is water permeable, so given enough time water can penetrate the sealer.
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If this occurs and you are left with a dark spot where water once sat, give it a few hours, and the water should evaporate out of the concrete.
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Avoid trapping water or other staining agents by setting something on top of it and not allowing it to evaporate.
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You should also take care not to leave clay or unglazed pottery on your table, vanity or countertop — This type of pottery holds moisture, and the moisture can permeate the sealer (along with minerals from the pot).
This can leave a permanent ring on your countertop. To avoid this, we recommend using felt or silicone sticker dots under objects that will live on your concrete surface.
