Stripping and waxing is the most effective way to keep your brick floors shining and in pristine condition. Sweep and wipe the floor of dust and debris, and mop it with an ammonia solution before applying a sealer. Once the sealer sets, it is time to apply the floor wax.
Visitors to my house often ask about how I maintain my brick flooring shine. In fact, it’s the most often asked question I get. I usually tell them to guess, and the most popular answers are waxing or applying a sealer. Even if you wanted to, you couldn’t wax your brick floor every day. Moreover, there are far simpler methods to make your brick floors shine, which we will outline below.
Daily Cleaning To Make Brick Walls Shine
Daily cleaning of your floor minimizes the frequency of polishing and waxing. It is aimed at maintaining an already sealed brick floor. You would need vinegar, water, a bucket, a dry mop, and a microfiber mop to achieve this.
Step 1: Sweep The Floor
Sweep the entire floor and remove all loose dirt with a dry cloth, spray nozzle, or vacuum.
Step 2: Prepare A Vinegar Solution
Mix vinegar and water in a bucket at a 1:15 ratio. Vinegar has inherent cleaning capabilities and a high acidic concentration, making it ideal for cleaning brick flooring and disinfecting from disease-causing bacteria.
Step 3: Wipe The Floor With A Wet Microfiber Mop
Soak a microfibre mop in the mixture and squeeze it out thoroughly. Wipe the entire floor systematically with this solution. If necessary, repeat the process to satisfaction.
Step 4: Finish Wiping With A Dry Mop
Allowing water to sit on the brick can result in spots or streak markings. Wipe the floor with a dry mop to eliminate lingering. This would lessen the chances of streaks or smudges.
How To Strip and Wax Brick Floors To Make It Shine
Waxing is the most effective method for making your brick floor shine. When a brick floor is installed, it is usually covered with wax to protect it from grime and dirt. This layer of wax may fade off with time and use. However, you can achieve that brand new shine by stripping any old wax and re-waxing.
To wax your floor, you need:
- Household ammonia
- Coldwater
- All-purpose cleaner
- Foam brush
- Bucket
- Dry mop
- Brick masonry sealer
- Floor wax
Here are the steps to make your brick floors shine by waxing:
Step 1: Sweep The Floor
Sweep the entire floor thoroughly. To remove any lingering dirt from the surface, use a clean mop, a spray nozzle, or a vacuum cleaner.
Step 2: Mix A Sparkle Cleaner
Mix 8 cups of cold water with a cup of ammonia and a quarter cup of all-purpose cleaner.
Step 3: Mop The Floor With The Sparkle Cleaning Solution
Using this solution, mop the floor thoroughly. Then rinse well with clean water and allow the floor to dry completely. The ammonia solution ensures that the previous wax application is stripped away to ensure an even rendering of new sealer and wax.
Step 5: Apply The Sealer To The Clean Floor
Fill a bucket with the sealer and evenly apply it with a foam brush to cover the entire surface, including the grout lines. Leave it for a while to dry completely. To test the sealer, drip a little water on the floor. If the water beads up, the sealer has been adequately applied. If it soaks the brick, dry it out and apply a second coat of sealer.
Step 6: Apply The Floor Wax Dry Sealer
After the floor is completely dried, apply the floor wax. This application may vary by-products, so following the manufacturer’s instructions is important. While some wax can be applied by hand and spread with a cloth, others require a buffing machine to ensure a smooth and even surface. Apply the second coat after the first coat is dried as required.
Types Of Wax For Brick Floors
For brick floors, there are two primary types of wax depending on the previous treatment of the floor.
Solvent-Based Wax
Solvent-based wax is a flexible product applied over a floor that has already been coated with water-based wax.
Water-Based Wax.
This is a heavy-duty wax that is applied directly to a floor that has not been sealed. Before administering water-based wax, the floor must be stripped of all prior wax treatments. Water-based should also not be used on a floor previously treated with a solvent-based product. However, you can use a solvent-based polish on top of a water-based manicure, but you can’t use a water-based polish on top of a solvent-based polish.
Additional Tips To Note When Cleaning Brick Floors
- Always use rubber gloves for protection when waxing or stripping your brick floor.
- Ensure that the area is well ventilated to avoid inhaling harmful compounds for an extended period.
- Ensure the product used is suitable for bricks.
- Make sure there are no water droplets left in the grout before applying wax.
- Avoid cleaning the brick floors with acids, strong soaps, or abrasives. This dissolves the mortar leading to discoloration.
- If you must use commercial cleaners, ensure that they have low alkaline content.
- Keep a safe distance between the nozzle and the floor when using a spray nozzle.
FAQs About How To Make Brick Floors Shine
Do I Need To Buy A Sparkle Cleaner For My Brick Floor?
You do not need a branded sparkle cleaner for your brick floors. You can make one at home, which would suffice. Create a mix as described above and keep it in a container whenever you need to polish your floors.
Can Homemade Cleaners Destroy Brick Floors?
Homemade cleaners can destroy your brick floors if not done in strict accordance with the description. Preferably test your solution on a small area and look out for any reaction before using it on large surface areas.
How Do I Dewax Brick Floor?
Brick floors can be easily dewaxed by combining hot water, ammonia, and a dishwashing detergent. This mixture should be applied with a scrubbing brush. Then dried out properly to avoid wax residue.
