Maintenance and Care Guide
Proper routine cleaning, initial cure precautions, and long-term surface care preserve your MyCROCEMENT™ finish. Follow these guidelines to maintain stain resistance, mechanical durability, and aesthetics across floors, walls, countertops, and wet areas.
Initial Curing & Crucial First 14 Days
- First 24–48 Hours (Light Foot Traffic): Allow MyGUARD topcoat to cure completely before walking on surfaces or permitting light foot traffic.
- Days 1–7 (Liquid Barrier Stage): Keep standing water, liquids, and cleaning products off the surface. MyGUARD requires 7 full days to complete chemical cross-linking and reach full moisture resistance.
- Days 1–14 (Full Physical Hardening): Wait 14 days before moving heavy appliances, placing furniture, or exposing floors to heavy traffic. Never drag furniture across newly cured MyCROCEMENT™.
- Tape & Masking Limits: Never apply duct tape or high-tack masking tape to newly sealed surfaces during the 14-day cure window. After 14 days, use low-tack “sensitive surface”, high quality painter’s tape only, removing it slowly at a 45° angle.
Routine Cleaning Guidelines
- Dust & Grit Removal: Sweep or vacuum regularly using a soft brush attachment. Sand, dirt, and grit act as abrasives under foot traffic and must be removed promptly.
- Mopping & Surface Washing: Damp-mop using warm water mixed with a pH-neutral cleaner. Avoid saturating surfaces with excess water.
- Approved Cleaners: Mild pH-neutral tile/hard-surface floor cleaners, diluted dish soap, or specialized microcement neutral soaps.
- Prohibited Cleaning Agents: NEVER use bleach, ammonia, vinegar, citric acid, acetone, solvent-based strippers, or abrasive scouring pads/steel wool.
- Winter & Entryway Care: Place walk-off mats at exterior doors during winter months. De-icing chemicals, road salt, and winter grit act as aggressive abrasives that degrade sealers prematurely.
Surface Protection & Damage Prevention
- Furniture & Chair Protection: Attach heavy-duty felt pads to the legs of all chairs, tables, and movable furniture. Replace worn pads regularly.
- Mat & Rug Selection: Avoid rubber-backed, latex, or non-breathable vinyl mats. Synthetic backings trap moisture and cause chemical discoloration (plasticizer migration) in topcoat sealers. Use natural woven or felt-backed rugs.
- Countertops & Vanities: Always use cutting boards (do not slice directly on MyCROCEMENT™) and trivets or hot pads under hot cookware, air fryers, or styling irons.
- Spill Management & Pet Care: Wipe up aggressive staining agents immediately—especially red wine, coffee, mustard, oils, citrus, or pet accidents (urine/vomit). Keep pet nails trimmed to prevent mechanical scratching.
- Showers & Wet Areas: Ensure adequate ventilation to prevent mildew accumulation. Squeegee shower walls after use to eliminate mineral scale and soap scum buildup.
- Minor Touch-Ups: Light scuffs in the MyGUARD topcoat do not require re-sealing the entire surface. Buff deeper scuffs (with the exposure of the MyCROCEMENT™ layers) with a fine white Scotch-Brite pad and reapply MyGUARD.
Maintenance & Re-Sealing Schedule
| Surface Type | Typical Re-Seal Interval | Recommended Action |
| Residential Floors (High Traffic) | Every 2–4 Years | Lightly sand* with 320-grit, wipe dust, and roll a refresher coat of MyGUARD. |
| Countertops & Vanities | Every 3–5 Years | When water no longer beads on the surface, lightly sand* with 320-grit, re-apply MyGUARD sealer . |
| Shower Walls & Wet Areas | Every 3–5 Years | Inspect grout joints/corners; refresh topcoat sealer after light sanding*, as wear indicates. |
| Low-Traffic Walls & Accents | 7+ Years / As Needed | Requires virtually no re-sealing unless physically damaged. |
Sealer Longevity & Re-Sealing Realities
Re-sealing intervals are estimated guidelines based on typical residential use. Because MyCROCEMENT™ is a hand-applied finish in diverse environments, no exact re-sealing schedule or lifespan can be universally guaranteed.
Key Factors Influencing Sealer Longevity:
- Usage & Mechanical Friction: Daily foot traffic, rugged footwear, outdoor dirt and debris, pet claws, sliding furniture, abrasive grit, and heavy impact and high-stress in high-use areas.
- Environmental Conditions: Constant UV exposure, extreme humidity, temperature swings, or standing water in wet-room applications.
- Chemical Exposure: Cleaning frequency, de-icing products, acidic spills, or accidental use of harsh chemicals instead of pH-neutral formulas.
- Installation Workmanship: Substrate moisture levels during installation, ambient temperature and humidity during cure, dry film thickness and evenness, and adherence to initial drying and curing times.
The Water Bead Test:
Rather than relying solely on the calendar, sprinkle a few drops of water onto high-traffic zones. If water beads tightly, your MyGUARD protection remains fully intact. If water absorbs or darkens the microcement, perform a light sanding* and re-apply a refresher coat.
📄 Download Printable Care & Maintenance Sheet – PDF
(Ideal for homeowners/DIYers or as a formal job site handover document for contractors to homeowners or clients).
*PPE & Cleanliness Notice: Sanding and mixing powders create airborne dust hazards. Always wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), including a fitted dust mask/respirator (N95+), protective eyewear, and gloves. Use adequate ventilation or active dust extraction. Wear suitable footwear to avoid transferring dust outside the work area.