It’s not unusual for many to invest more than what’s really needed in buying an equipment. The most common reason for such an eventuality is that people really don’t assess their requirements before hand. Let’s consider the case of buying a new floor scrubber for your business. Here again, the chances of your buying an inappropriate machine at a fancy price can’t be ruled out unless you take care to study your requirements in the light of the following:
1) Decide What Type of Machine You Want: Electric or Battery Operated?
That’s one of the important criteria that help reaching the right decision. Both the models have their respective advantages and limitations too. The electric model comes cheaper and needs less maintenance compared to a battery operated model. However, you shouldn’t overlook the fact that an electrically operated machine will cover less floor area in a given time as compared to the battery operated one. Moreover, the cables of an electric model affect the maneuverability of the machine and thus prolong the operation of cleaning.
2) Qualify What Category of Equipment You Need: Commercial or Industrial?
A machine designed for commercial applications, while proving to be appropriate for taking care of cleaning requirements of a school or grocery store, would necessitate more maintenance and thus wouldn’t last long when employed for industrial application. Find out what your requirements are!
3) Consider the size of your location versus the size of the machine.
Evaluate the labor expense for covering the area and compare it to the per hour coverage rating of the machine. Find out which is economical. Here, you should understand that there is no standardization of ratings. Often, the manufacturers quote theoretical ratings, which are quite different than actual. Try assessing the practical rating by questioning the seller.
4) How Much Can You Spend?
Depending upon your budget, you may consider buying a new, reconditioned or demo equipment. It’s worth considering a reconditioned or demo machine of a company or brand you feel confident of. When buying a used machine don’t overlook the chances of spending time and money to make the machine fit for use. Sometimes the additional expense needed to put the machine back to working order may far exceed expectations, making the proposal unviable.
5) What are the Estimated Maintenance Costs?
Apart from the initial expense, you also need to account for running expenses of the floor scrubber machine. The machine you have in mind may necessitate using special or OEM cleaning materials. You would do well to assess the cost of consumables and spares like brushes, floor pads and squeegee blades. All this while you may be thinking that you are getting a good deal, but on realizing the recurring expense of spares and consumables, you may have second thoughts and consider it wiser to invest a bit more and go for a new machine!
The Tornado BR 400 is among the most adaptable auto scrubbers available these days. This is easily the best among small sized scrubbers that you can buy. Though small, the BR 400 automatic floor equipment is great for accomplishing any cleaning job. Standing seventeen inches tall and fifteen inches wide, this small machine is ideally suited for cleaning areas under shelves and tables. BR 400 works on 115 volts and comes with a cord.
This small machine employing cylindrical brushes is offered with many accessories like oil resistant squeegee and a variety of brushes suitable for executing different jobs. This small machine can be used for scrubbing as well polishing of any floor. For flat floors you may use a medium firm scrub brush in white color and for cleaning of grout of tiles you get a red brush. For heavy scrubbing you get a gray grit brush. Its fifty feet long cord allows you to clean over a larger area. The machine utilizes brushes along with a pump and squeegee system that wets the floor, followed by its scrubbing and drying.
The cleaning path of this small Tornado scrubber is sixteen inches and comes with tanks of capacity 2.1 gallon for solution and 2.6 gallon for recovery. The powerful motor can quickly dry the wettest of floors. For cleaning of uneven floors, the BR 400 moves in forward and reverse mode and pressure on the pads is adjustable. You can quickly remove the brushes, making this a very resourceful machine for cleaning floors. Made using quality materials, this equipment can perform any tough job. With brushes constantly moving at 1000 rpm, this machine is ideally suited for cleaning the dirtiest of floors. Because of its dual squeegees system this little wonder picks up water in both forward and reverse direction. The tanks can easily be detached for refilling or emptying. Further, you can adjust the height of the machine depending on the type of floor to be cleaned. The dual switch allows you to operate the machine using either hand.
This piece of equipment proves to be a very useful tool when you want to clean small areas or accessing the area that’s stuck between shelving. You can conveniently apply used BR 400 for cleaning surfaces comprising of tiles, bricks, and rubber and concrete floors. This is most appropriate for environments prevailing in schools, kitchens, entryways retail, and auto repair facilities. Weighing just 66 pounds you can conveniently carry the unit in any van or even a car. It can easily be folded down and stored conveniently without demanding much space. This well designed easy to use machine is perfect for detail cleaning. On the whole this machine will prove invaluable for any cleaning contractor looking for a versatile machine that offers value for money.
One may buy or rent the Tornado BR 400 from a local Tornado dealer or order the same online to one of the floor equipment websites. The price varies from $3000-$4000. The price for a set of replaceable brushes varies from $250-$300 and on average last for nearly six months. Low-priced squeegees are easily replaceable. You get spares easily through one of the dealers or can order the same online too, making its repairs quite convenient. Of all the renowned manufacturers of floor equipment Tornado easily comes at number one of small auto scrubbers.
FLOOR SCRUBBER BENEFITS
One of the many problems for store owners is a less obvious, but rather annoying one: cleaning the floors. Especially when they are highly trafficked. The most used method is the classical mop and bucket. Still, a floor scrubber can prove to be more cost-effective, simple and safe.
One of the obvious reasons is the wet floors. In a retail or convenience store wet floors prevent people from reaching to the products they want from the shelves. The time needed to have the floor dried in a certain area means that that area does not produce money during the time they are isolated for having the floor dry. Industrial settings interdict even work from being performed until the floor gets dry, otherwise being dangerous for workers.
Another disadvantage of the mop use is the spread of dirt which it causes. After the floor dries out, you can still see the marks left behind, the dust and residue spread all over.
This is why a very good solution is to use a floor scrubber. The way it works involves more stages: it first sprays a mix of cleaning chemicals and water. Then it scrubs the floor to remove dirt, spill and residue. After doing that, it vacuums the used water, so that the floor is left completely clean and also dry.
Such used floor scrubber is simple to use and doesn’t require much effort. It can be easily pushed and don’t need much maintenance. They just need to be filled with chemicals and water and emptied after the cleaning.
There are different types of floor scrubbers; you just need the one that is right for you. There are electric ones with a cord behind, some are more freely moving, running on propane. These latter ones are the easiest and most comfortable to be used.
FLOOR SCRUBBER EFFECTIVENESS
Concrete floors are among the hardest to clean. Dirt can be cleaned off the floor just by using water, but stains are much more stubborn, because of the porous surface of the concrete. Rent power scrubbers are recommended for cleaning by many concrete contractors before taking any action to power-clean the area. Power scrubbers deal very well with a wide variety of dirt and stains, organic or non-organic.
Heavy contaminants like caulk, glue or mastics
Deposits caused by heavy contaminants are very hard to clean. Stains of caulk, glue or mastics are almost impossible to remove. Power scrubbers, however, do the job effectively.
Oil and Grease
Concrete pavements exposed to car traffic inevitably get stained with grease oil and oil, which can be cleaned by using a common power-scrubbing application for concrete.
Rust
Rust stains have the bad habit of getting deep into the floor surface, so complete removal can sound out of the question. Power scrubbers do the job, along with other cleaners that contain oxalic acid. This way, rust stains can become history.
Methodically scrubbing the surface
Stains residue and neutralization of the surface can be obtained by scrubbing it methodically. Water in combination with baking soda or ammonia proves to be a good neutralizer, followed by a clean water rinse. Keeping the surrounding of your home clean is of great importance for your comfort. Having the family in a clean environment or even receiving guests when everything around you is nice and clean helps you enjoy the moments even more.
Still, although many people would like to have their concrete areas clean, they don’t know how to do it. After discovering a scrubber, cleaning the concrete surface seizes to be a mystery and proves to be very easy. This way, you can enjoy the practicality, durability and economy of concrete floors.
Pullman Holt manufactures commercial machines that are designed to scrub, sand, and strip and polish hard surface floors. They can also be employed for cleaning of carpets, using shampoo and bonnet technique. These machines enjoy a wide patronage especially in hotels, hospitals, and retail shopping areas, amusements parks and other venues.
They produce many models with varying specifications of disc/brush-spread diameters of different horsepower. The diameters vary from 16 to 20 inches. Some models are available with motors having dual speed.
The price of commercial Pullman-Holt buffing machine starts from nearly $500 and weighs more than 100 lbs. These machines carry 1-year warranty on labor and parts, whereas the gearbox and motor are warranted for three years.
Features of Pullman Holt Floor Scrubber and Polisher:
* Dual dead man switch
* 50-foot power cord
* Adjustable handle of stainless steel
* Powder coated body
* Heavy-duty motor canopy
Dual Dead man Switch:
All models incorporate a dual dead man switch that provides utmost safety for the operators. This safety mechanism is designed to automatically switch off the motor as soon as the operator lets the trigger go. A thumb operated safety latch averts unintended start up.
50 Foot Power Cord:
All models come with a power cord of fifty feet length. That allows you to clean larger areas without an electric outlet around.
Adjustable Stainless Steel Handle:
The Pullman-Holt floor machines have a handle made from tubular stainless steel. This is an excellent feature; the machine includes a cam-style latch that allows the operator to simply adjust the handle height to any suitable working level by operating either the operator’s foot or by hand. That means multiple users can jointly use the same machine.
Powder Coated Body:
Pullman-Holt offers all its models with powder coating. That makes the finish chip resistant and protects it from corrosion too. Cast aluminum is the material used for making these units.
Heavy Duty Motor Canopy:
Pullman Holt Scrubbers incorporate a heavy-duty motor canopy that is corrosion resistant. Its design helps protecting the motor from inadvertent spills or blows. The canopy being non-marking type remains unaffected even if you happen to touch its walls unintentionally.
Pullman Holt Floor Scrubber Recommendations:
The Pullman–Holt Scrubber Polisher is produced in wide ranging sizes. So, you can choose a machine that best is suited to your maintenance requirements and budget. These are all rotary machines with brush speed of about 175 rpm. The feature of 5-inch solid wheels (non-marking kind) facilitates easy transportation of the machine for storage. For extra cost you can buy a variety of pads offered for The Pullman-Holt.
The manufacturers provide carpet bonnets, polishing pads, stripping pads and cleaning pads for nearly any kind of cleaning, stripping or polishing.
How would you like to have a powerful rotary scrubbing tool that is portable? The Motorscrubber is just that, and lot more. It’s a lightweight, portable tool with a submersible brush head. Some models are provided with a telescoping handle, making the cleaning job much easier. You won’t require any ladder.
The MotorScrubber weighing less than 4.5 lbs is indeed portable and works on 12 volt DC current. Internet dealers sell the MotorScrubber for about $319. There’s warranty of one year from the manufacturer.
Features of MotorScrubber:
* 12 volt DC operation only
* Absolutely portable
* Lightweight
* Submersible brush head
* 70 degree pivoting scrub head
* Accessories
12 Volt DC Operated Unit:
All models of MotorScrubber work on 12 volts DC only and you can’t operate these on AC. Of course, there are some good options of power, depending on the model. You may keep it truly portable without any rechargeable battery, or you have the option of having a cigarette lighter adapter or just a battery adapter of 12-volts. If the machine is used intermittently the battery lasts for four hours and it takes ten hours to get charged up.
Portability:
All models of MotorScrubber are offered with a battery charger, a battery and a battery harness. That makes it really convenient to carry the equipment to any of your cleaning projects. The absence of an extension cord totally eliminates the chances of your tripping over.
Weight:
The MotorScrubber is a lightweight cleaning tool, weighing about 4.5 lbs. The battery weight of seven pounds is extra. The harness and battery designed for use in backpack style cause minimum back strain.
Submersible Brush Head:
Though the rotary brush head is submersible, the manufacturers don’t recommend prolonged use of submerged motor scrubber. The user will find it handy for cleaning the scum line of a hot tub or pool. It works as a very good substitute for a scrub brush or mop.
70-Degree Pivoting Scrub Head:
The pivoting scrub head reaches the corners and borders of the surface under cleaning. This helps removing the necessity of multiple passes, and reduces the requirements of elbow grease.
Accessories and Models:
The MotorScrubber comes with many useful accessories. You get a light duty brush (MS1038), especially meant for delicate surfaces like marble, glass vinyl or painted surfaces. The pad holder disc (MS1046), a Velcro style disc, and keeps the pads secured to the MotorScrubber. Then, you also have a polishing pad (MS1060) for gently polishing surfaces in marble. The stripping pad (MS1066) is meant for light rubbing of a variety of surfaces.
The MotorScrubber is also available with quite a few options for handle. Model MS1000-HH, a hand held unit comes with a soft grip handle but is not telescopic in design and cannot be stretched out as is the case with some other models.
The MS 1000-SH is designed to have a short handle. This 30 inch telescopic handle can be stretched to additional 5 feet.
The Standard MotorScrubber (MS1000) comes with a 48-inch handle that you can further extend by up to eight feet.
The model MotorScrubber plus (MS1505NE) has the same characteristics of the MS1000. Additionally, it has a built in cleaning solution tank and dispenser. As a bonus you also get an aggressive duty brush with inbuilt splashguard. The aggressive duty brush is especially meant for heavy-duty use, and the splashguard allows you to scrub away without that irritating backsplash on your pant legs or shoes.
MotorScrubber Recommendations:
All users posted positive comments, varying from “it’s an ideal all purpose tool when you require manual labor” to “scuff marks removed in a matter of seconds.” Schools preferred using it as it saves a lot of time and causes no back pain issues. It makes cleaning of toilets, walls and urinals very convenient without the operator needing to go on his hands and knees.
This lightweight machine apart from offering the ease of operation works quietly. Its design eliminates the chances of any electrocution when working in humid or wet conditions. As it works on batteries only, there is no electric wire that may continue to drag on the wet floor.
The machine has a scrub width of twenty cm, just short of eight inches. That’s nearly half the width of any standard vacuum path and could be could be a slight limitation.
This vacuum from Kenmore using commercial technology is designed for domestic applications. This machine is a combination of carpet cum hard floor cleaner and a buffer-all in one. It offers quick operation and saves the expense of hiring any professional help.
The shampooer works on the high traffic areas and those difficult to remove spots, leaving the surface free of dirt. The buffer, on the other hand, buffs hard wood, linoleum, vinyl, and ceramic tile floors and also cleans the grout.
The equipment works on a motor of 4.2 amps with three speed variations. The tank has a large capacity of 144 oz, allowing the user to cover a large area without requiring frequent refills.
The machine weighing 18lbs is available in the price range of $150-$165.
Features of Kenmore Professional Floor Cleaner:
* Commercial technology applied for domestic use
* 18 foot line cord
* Chrome steel handle
* Includes brushes and pads
Commercial Technology:
The machine designed by Sears is a shampooer/cleaner/buffer. Made from commercial grade, it’s tough long lasting machine. Meant for domestic use, it delivers professional results.
Chromed Steel Handle:
The handle is ergonomically designed, offering easy maneuverability around the place. The handle is strong and sturdy and you won’t have problems moving the machine around. It has an easy grip that facilitates controlling the shampooer.
Brushes And Pads:
For working on different floor surfaces of your home the machine is provided with different kinds of brushes including shampoo brushes, tans polishing pads, a pair of scrubbing brushes and buffing pads from lamb’s wool. So, there is just the right pad for any job.
Kenmore Professional Floor Cleaner Recommendations:
The unit seems to be a favorite with moms. It’s good for light cleaning jobs. Regular cleaning of carpets would keep them in good shape. It’s good to have a shampooing arrangement at home for keeping the carpets clean, especially when you have kids at home. Mothers are really happy with the way it cleans hard floors.
One user commented that instructions were rather difficult to follow and the weight of the unit is not sufficient for carrying a thorough job. Though it was easy to attach brushes, the performance was not up to expectations. Handling of the shampooer too was quite inconvenient and contrary to the advertised claims it failed to give professional results.
Most frequent remarks of users point out it fails to come up to expectations as far as professional cleaning goes. It’s difficult to reach grout without exerting extra force and it can’t suck up water efficiently from the carpet.
Tomcat is one brand of commercial/industrial automatic floor scrubber. Tomcat machines are meant for cleaning floors of large buildings like schools, malls, car dealerships, factories and warehouses. These battery-operated machines are available in ‘walk behind’ or ‘ride on’ models. The Magnum series have tanks of 30-gallon capacity. One may choose to have a ‘disk’ or “ cylindrical machine”.
The scrub path of a Tomcat may vary from 26 inches to 34 inches to suit varying requirements. Needless to add, the more the scrub path, the more is the area cleaned in a given time.
Tomcat is available in a price range of $8400 – $10,700, plus the cost of additional accessories that one may opt to have. It comes with a warranty of one year on labor, three years for parts and ten years for the tanks.
Features of Tomcat Floor Scrubber:
* Built tough
* Productivity
* Central command system
* Scrubber/sweeper combination
Built Tough:
Manufactured in the US, Tomcat industrial floor cleaners use heavy-duty components.
The frame is manufactured from 7-gauge steel. All the fasteners in Magnum series are of stainless steel. Steel bumpers protect the scrub head. 3/8-inch thick polyurethane is used for making tank walls. No other manufacturer offers that thick tanks.
Productivity:
Depending on the model, the scrub path of Tomcat varies from 26 to 34 inches. The higher the scrub path, the faster is the cleaning, as fewer trips are needed down the aisle. The machines incorporate large battery packs, meaning they run longer without needing recharging. The typical running time of these machines is five hours. If the battery runs down too low, all systems excluding “transport” are shut down automatically enabling the operator to bring the machine back to charging station. Tomcats have a large tank, reducing refill time. Compared to most competitors, the tanks have 40 percent more capacity.
Two variants of the machine are on offer. One is the ‘disk version”, using a gimbaled mounted disk drive conforming to the type of the floor. The other is the “cylindrical” version” that can gather debris along with scrubbing. This design allows you to do away with dust mopping before scrubbing, thus offering improved productivity.
Central Command Center:
The command center comprises of LCD readout with 3 special hour meters. These meters monitor the machine when in use, and are meant for key switch on, transport, and scrubbing. The LCD conveys error messages too, thus helping troubleshooting. All the machines come loaded with more than 150 programmable features. The command center is sealed to keep it protected from water. Five settings are provided for brush pressure, which is retained by the command center.
Scrubber/Sweeper Combinations:
The Tomcats are combinations of scrubber/sweeper combinations that have 2 cylindrical brushes. The scrub path may be of 26”, 30” or 34”. The two brushes simultaneously scrub and sweep and thus save time and money. Some of the items that such machines pick up include broken glass, wood chips, nails and gravel.
Tomcat Floor Scrubber Recommendations:
One user wrote to Tomcat to convey their happiness and satisfaction of having used the cylindrical version. He considered it a great machine with many typical features, which were sure to be appreciated by other users. What especially impressed the user was the construction of Tomcats, including the bumper designed to protect the squeegee and hoses. He was particularly happy the way this machine cleaned, totally removing the tire marks of the forklifts. An optional feature he really found very useful was the soap dispensing system. This system does away with the mixing of chemicals, making it safer for the operator, as there were no splash accidents at the time of mixing heavy duty cleaning chemicals. Another feature that impressed him was the drain plug, which remains attached at the top of the tank and eliminates messy accidents.
There is a large variety of hard floor cleaners available in today’s market. The number of available brands of varying specifications is so large that an average buyer is sure to get confused when looking for appropriate equipment for home or business. It will not be improper to add that the marketing jargon used manufacturers further adds to the confusion of the buyer. On searching the Internet you’ll find many websites that sell floor-cleaning machines. Invariably one finds the information is not complete and at times contradictory to the information available elsewhere. So, it’s not difficult to guess why an average buyer is unable to assess which machine will best suit their requirements of cleaning of hard surfaces.
Despite the flood of available divergent information on hard floor cleaners the hard fact remains that primarily there are two kinds of machines available for cleaning of hard surfaces, namely pressure washers and steam cleaners. The other machines designed for cleaning soft surfaces pose many limitations when used for cleaning of hard surfaces. Here is practical information that would come handy while considering the purchase of pressure washer or steam cleaner for cleaning of hard surfaces.
Pressure Washers
Pressure washers are ideally suited for cleaning hard surfaces and have minimum shortcomings when employed for cleaning hard surface cleaning. The harder the surface, the better are the results given by such machines. The problem arises when the pressure gets too high for the surface being handled or when the flow of outgoing water is too large for the existing drainage system to handle. That makes it important to choose a machine with the right specifications. The three most important features that need to be considered while buying a pressure washer for cleaning hard surfaces are: output pressure, flow rate and temperature.
Output Pressure
High-pressure hard floor cleaners need to deliver high cleaning power. Cleaning power varies directly with the level of out coming pressure of the machine. So, the higher the pressure, the better is cleaning. The pressure level may go up to 8,000 PSI and depends on the respective model. But when combined with steam at high temperature, the maximum pressure can be 400 PSI.
Output Temperature
It’s important to have the facility that allows you to have varied output temperature from a floor-cleaning machine. That’s because you need different temperatures for working on different surfaces. For instance some surfaces may require low temperature but cleaning of greased surfaces demands the output be of high temperature. You get machines that incorporate tri-mode technology, giving three types of output: cold water, heated water and steam.
Flow Rate
Here’s the thumb rule for buying floor-cleaning machines. Where indoor cleaning is involved, the flow rate should be low due limited drainage facility, but for outdoor cleaning where you have adequate drainage facility, the flow rate may be high.
At times pressure washers may not prove to be the most suited for cleaning of hard surfaces. Though these are highly efficient for degreasing of industrial floors, the high pressure coupled with high temperature and high flow rate may be too high for some applications. That’s why commercial users generally employ steam cleaners for ridding the floors from items like chew gum and such.
Steam Cleaners
The functioning of steam cleaner is different from pressure washer in the sense that steam cleaners exploit the high temperature of out coming steam for cleaning purposes but pressure washers rely upon high pressure for the same purpose. Steam cleaners can release steam up to a temperature of 386°F. Such high temperature easily removes dirt and stains from any hard surface. You also have specially designed steam cleaners for cleaning of hard surfaces like tile and grout cleaners and floor scrubbers.
These especially designed machines like tile and grout cleaners and floor scrubbers have special wands and vacuum attached to facilitate cleaning hard surfaces. Modern steam cleaners using advanced technology can rid the surface of any grime and residues.
Special purpose machines are also available for easily removing chew gum from the surface and its sanitization. The pressure of steam released by steam cleaners is not as high as that of pressure washers, but they are ideal for hard floor cleaning, especially for inside cleaning of buildings. It will be worthwhile to contact a reputed vendor for your requirements of pressure washers and steam cleaners.
An auto scrubber is expensive equipment and one needs to conduct an extensive research before buying one. The price variation for this equipment is rather wide, varying from $1000-$30,000, making it all the more important to study your requirements before buying it. Though an expensive equipment, it justifies the expense as it considerably reduces your labor expense. The speed at which an auto scrubber cleans the floor is ten times the speed of manual cleaning, using the traditional way of cleaning with bucket and mop. The most important features you need to keep in mind while buying such an equipment are: size, the type of environment under which it’ll work, power and the construction of the unit, including the type of brushes it has.
First of all you need to assess the surface area to be cleaned by using such a machine. If you buy too small a unit, it will take longer to clean the given area, thus raising labor expense. On the other hand, if you buy too big a machine, it becomes difficult to maneuver it and that restricts efficient cleaning.
Usually, auto scrubbers specify theoretical as well practical cleaning time. Cleaning time means how many square feet of area the machine cleans in one hour. For the consumer the theoretical cleaning time is of no significance. So, while buying one, look for the practical time specified by the manufacturers. 75 percent of the figure so specified should give you realistic cleaning time, taking care of the time that you’ll be losing for emptying and refilling of the unit and other obstacles you may encounter in the process of cleaning. Most manufacturers and dealers of floor equipment allow you to you test equipment suiting your requirements in the area you intend cleaning. Before paying or signing any sales document of the machine, you should insist with the dealer of the equipment for testing the equipment.
The next important consideration while buying any floor equipment is its power. Power refers to the type and size of the battery and the number of batteries that the equipment requires for its operation. Generally, floor scrubbers are designed to work on 6 Volt or 12 Volt batteries c, which are connected together to get an output of 12 Volt, 24 Volt or 36 Volt. The running time of the equipment is directly proportional to the operating voltage, meaning the higher the voltage the more is the running time. Thus, a machine working on 36 volts will have longer running time in between the charges, compared to a 12-volt system. So, if you are going to clean larger areas, you should opt for a higher voltage system that will allow you to clean the entire area without having to charge the batteries during the process of cleaning. Usually, an auto scrubber rated for 12 volts gives a running time of one and a half hours whereas a 36-volt system will work continuously for about six hours.
Now, we come to the construction of the equipment, another important factor needing consideration at the time of buying. Modern auto scrubbers are made from two types of materials, namely ABS plastic and Rotocast polyethylene. In case you need equipment for light duty work, you save money by going in for a machine having ABS construction. ABS plastics are economical, but are prone to develop cracks or may break even on hitting an obstacle. For heavy duty commercial cleaning it’s best to rely on machine made from Rotocast polyethylene, which wouldn’t crack or break on hitting an obstacle during the process of cleaning. If you are looking for a sturdy long lasting machine that would give years of satisfactory performance, there is no better choice than a machine made from Rotocast polyethylene.
And finally, before buying equipment like floor scrubber we come to looking at the brush arrangement that it could have. There are two types of designs for the brush arrangement of these machines. The machine may have a rotary type of brush arrangement or it could be cylindrical arrangement. The advantage of rotary type of brushes is that they assist the cleaning process by using a variety of attachments like floor pads, pad drivers, brushes for heavy-duty cleaning or grinding stones required while working on terrazzo or marble floors. Cylindrical kind of brushes deliver better results for cleaning tile and VCT floors. However, these are not as versatile as the rotary systems that allow using a variety of different attachments as already pointed out. Moreover, the maintenance and repairs of cylindrical type of brushes is more expensive.
On the whole it’s the 20-inch wheel drive rotary system that’s the most popular kind of auto scrubber. Almost all the manufacturers in the US offer at least one model based on this design. A 20-inch auto scrubber is more popular as it suffices to clean large as well small areas and it’s repair and maintenance is easy on the pocket. Windsor, Tornado, Tenant, and NSS are the four most popular brands of floor equipment manufactured in the US. All these manufactures offer dependable models that are expected to deliver satisfactory performance of at least ten years when employed for heavy-duty jobs in any commercial environments. When considering the purchase of an auto scrubber one should determine payback cost of the equipment for the period the machine will be used. Once you have calculated the payback cost, you can easily compare it to the cost of labor you’ll be saving over the same period of time. That gives you a very clear idea if it’s worth investing in such equipment for the kind of area you intend cleaning with that.
Any business will benefit by investing in floor scrubbers and floor buffers. The advantage of having one exclusively for business is that it’s always available whenever you need to use it.
Investing in a quality machine assures satisfactory performance for long times to come, thus proving their worth and offering value for your money. These machines aren’t really expensive and easily available at many wholesale stores and retail outlets. You also have the convenience of ordering one online.
The environment in your office remains free of germs if you clean your office frequently. Just as you maintain healthy environments at home by using a floor cleaner, the same practice if followed at office gives you better sanitary conditions and overall good environments there.
The benefits of a floor scrubber are too well known. It allows you to get rid of dust, dirt, and such contaminants from the floor. There are separate scrubbers available for efficient cleaning of bare floors using tiles and wood and the ones that are covered with carpets.
So, you have to select an appropriate floor scrubber depending upon the kind of floor you have.
There is no doubt that everybody enjoys working in clean healthy environments and floor scrubbers are instrumental in achieving that. When the employees feel better due clean healthy environments, you can expect their output to increase.
Another fact that you can’t overlook is that even the customers like to shop in clean environments. A neat and clean office certainly invites more customers and they easily understand that you take pride in your business.
A floor buffer machine is critically important for business that handles foods. The board of health makes in mandatory to immediately clear any spilled food for maintaining hygiene and to prevent customers and staff from slipping and falling down, which could cause serious injuries.
Likewise, the factories too necessarily require such machines for keeping the premises clear of dirt and spillages. Factories often have heavy and dangerous equipment that may prove disastrous in case any employee happens to slip and fall on that.
That’s why it’s absolutely essential to quickly remove any spillage, using a floor machine that fully cleans the spill, which is difficult with the help of a mop and bucket.
Floor machines are rightly categorized as heavy-duty commercial equipment. These conform to high standards of manufacturing and workmanship. The quality of cleaning performed by a floor a machine is too superior to be compared with what you can achieve using a broom and dustpan.
A clean floor gives your business a spotless look, conveying the impression of efficiency and feel-good factor, which are important for conducting any successful business.
Regular use of floor machines ensures effective results. Depending upon the nature of business and the kind of visitors, you may be required to use floor machine daily or may be twice a day. Otherwise, it may just suffice to use it every alternate day.
Whatever be the frequency of use, it’s imperative that cleaning job is carried thoroughly to ensure that there is no dirt or any spill left there.
There is no dearth of the manufacturers of floor scrubbers these days. Each manufacturer incorporates features different than the others to make their brand sell better. The more popular brands like Numatic, Karcher and Cleanfix offer models with varying specifications to suit different floor cleaning applications.
Main features of floor scrubbers:
Foldaway Floor Scrubbing Machines
Many of the small floors scrubbing machines are so designed that you can fold them for convenient storage in cupboards and even in the boot of your car.
Battery Powered Scrubbers
Battery operated scrubbers do away with the need of electric wires, which often got tangled while working. Another advantage of doing away with cables is the equipment can safely be used even in water without any fear of electrocution.
Cylindrical & Twin Disc Scrubbing Brushes
The design of certain scrubber dryers includes cylindrical brushes allowing these to reach even the edges of wall and skirting board. This kind of arrangement is often provided with smaller machines, designed for working in difficult areas where the larger machines can’t be employed. We also have machines with two disc brushes to facilitate thorough scrubbing of the floor while moving in either direction, forward or backward.
Forward & Reverse Scrubbing Action
For delivering a better cleaning efficiency, some of the floor scrubber machines include two squeegee dispensers, one at the front and the other at the back of the scrubbing brush. Since such a machine performs cleaning operation in both the directions, it results to saving a lot of time and money.
Multi-Surface Scrubbers
Some floor scrubbing machines are designed to work on different kinds of floors apart from the hard floors. These are suitable for cleaning carpet tiles, woven short pile carpets, soft floor coverings, escalator floors and mats at entrances.
Pump Multi-wash Scrubbing Machines
These machines employ a pump and the capacity of the tank holding the cleaning fluid is very large. That means the machine doesn’t require so frequent refilling. The benefit of including the pump is that the machine can simultaneously scrub, clean, and dry the surface of the floor, making it ready for use in a matter of minutes.
Ride-on Floor Scrubber Dryers
Some of the larger floor scrubbing machines are so designed to cart the operator along and are thus classified as ‘ride-on’. With these machines there is a simple but comfortable seat for the operator who can comfortably operate the control and steer the machine as per requirements. As you can understand the bigger machines are naturally heavier, to which the weight of the driver is further added, making its working in wet conditions all the more suitable.
However, these are only some of the features that you’ll find on the modern floor scrubber dryers. The list of features is not very comprehensive as you get especially designed machines for specific applications.
