Since water-based stains are not actually a covering or a paint, there are no worries that the color will chip from the floor. Maintaining a water-based concrete stained floor is quite easy, usually requiring only damp mopping with a neutral cleaner or dust mopping.
While water-based concrete stains are applied in a manner similar to acid-based and reactive stains, there are some differences regarding how these two types of stains function. While acid-based stains work by responding with the ingredients in the concrete in order to drive a chemical change, water-based concrete stains work by staining the concrete with pigments rather than chemical reactions. Water serves as the carrier to allow material, including a binder and pigment, to follow. The binder, which could be a silicate or acrylic polymer, works by locking the pigment into the concrete. The pigment is responsible for imparting the color.
Water-based stains actually work by flowing into the pores of the concrete and then bonding with the cement. It should be noted, however, that water-based stains do not alter the concrete chemically. For this reason, water-based stains are not technically permanent in nature. Without a sealer being applied, this type of stain could wear away from the concrete.