Basements and garages are the dirtiest places in a home. What can you do to clean them? Many obvious things, but often overlooked is sealing your concrete floors.

 

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Unsealed concrete is a constant source of grit and dust, a surface that's easy to stain and hard to clean. It produces abrasive powder that eventually gets tracked into the rest of your home.

By sealing your floor, you eliminate the dusty, porous surface, and end up with a glossy, smooth surface that's easy to sweep, dust mop and maintain.

Here's how you do it:

 

1. Remove as many things as possible; a good time to clean out your basement garage or carport.
   
   
2. Thoroughly sweep the floor, cleaning all crevices, edges and corners with a backpack, canister or shop-type vac.
   
   
3. Get some alkaline concrete cleaner from a hardware store and swab it onto floor.
   
   
4. Allow the floor to soak for a few minutes, then scrub with a pole scrubber areas that are marked or stained. If you lack a pole scrubber, don goggles, knee pads and rubber gloves and use a nylon scouring pad.
   
   
5. Remove the solution using a floor squeegee or a wet/dry vac with squeegee attachment.
   
   
6. Rinse by mopping and remopping with clear water or use a hose where practical.
   
   
7. Allow the floor to dry; a fan will speed the drying process.
   
   
8. Apply two coats of transparent concrete sealer using a lamb's wool applicator or equivalent.
   

IMPORTANT: Read all product directions, cautions and warnings before using. Don't get in eyes or on skin. Do not ingest. Use proper ventilation. Do not breathe harmful vapors. Keep out of reach of children. Never mix chemicals. For additional product safety, request a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) from the manufacturer or dealer.