Floor scrubbers help your staff clean the floors quickly and efficiently. When you’re looking for the right one for your establishment, you need to make sure that it’s reliable, efficient, and aligned with your unique needs. There are plenty of options that can either elevate your cleaning game or leave you grappling with frustration. So, let’s go over the key factors to guide you through this pivotal decision-making process.
Battery or Electric
Should I get a battery or an electric floor scrubber? There’s no one-size-fits-all approach here, as your choice will depend on the unique needs of your business. For example, one big benefit of battery-powered ride on scrubbers is that they don’t have an annoying cord that’s going to follow you around and slow down your cleaning routine.
This can also pose a risk to the safety of people around you. So, if you value safety, mobility, and freedom of movement, a battery-powered scrubber is the ideal choice for you. This machine is the suggested choice for larger spaces, like warehouses and long passages.
On the other hand, if you’re dealing with a smaller space like an office or a dance studio, you can opt for a corded scrubber. Most brands offer machines with longer cords of around 15-20m, which is typically long enough to clean the whole space without needing to change the electrical socket. As a bonus, these machines are typically more affordable than their battery-powered counterparts.
Ride On or Walk Behind
Another crucial factor is deciding between a ride-on and a walk-behind model. This choice hinges on the unique characteristics of your establishment and the cleaning challenges it presents. If you’re dealing with a large commercial area, a battery-powered floor scrubber ride on is your ideal choice. These machines manoeuvre swiftly and efficiently in larger areas that would be challenging to cover on foot.
They’re the workhorses of expansive floors and ensure thorough cleaning without breaking a sweat. On the other hand, walk behind scrubbers are a more suitable choice for small to medium-sized areas, or those that have many obstacles. In this setting, manoeuvrability and precision become paramount. Negotiating around furniture, tight corners, and navigating through a maze of obstacles becomes a seamless task with these nimble machines.
The key lies in aligning your choice with the specific demands of your space. Are you overseeing a vast area that demands efficiency and speed? The ride-on model is your companion. Is your space more confined, with twists and turns? The walk-behind scrubber takes the lead, ensuring meticulous cleaning without compromise.
Type of Floor
Depending on the type of floors you’re dealing with, you can choose between these two types of machines:
1. Disc/brush rotary auto scrubbers: This type of ride on floor scrubber is one that businesses and homeowners use most commonly. It contains one to three flat, circular brushes or pad drivers. When there are many brushes, they’re often arranged in a randomised pattern or side by side to maximise cleaning width. Machines with rotary brushes are highly adaptable. You can use them to clean a wide range of floors, from rubber to concrete. They’re especially efficient on flooring that’s smooth and level;
2. Cylindrical scrubbers: A cylindrical (or roller brush) floor scrubber ride on includes rolling movement of their brushes, which makes it more efficient at getting into the nooks and crannies of textured floors. It works well on non-slip and highly textured surfaces. I would advise that you see both machines in action to determine which one’s ideal for you.
Scrubber Size
Examine the space that you’ll be cleaning. Take note of the smallest doorway or passage that you’ll need to pass through with your machine. This indicates the maximum width of the ride on scrubber you should look for. On most of these machines, the floor squeegee is the widest component. You can also remove this, but you shouldn’t have to do it each time you need to enter an elevator or pass through a doorway.
Next, think about the amount of free area you have and the number of obstacles you need to clean around. Are you dealing with a clear-floored school gymnasium? Long hospital corridors with little to no obstacles? Is it still necessary to clean the cafeteria if tables and chairs are in the way? In any case, you should consider the size of the entire floor area in square meters that you need to clean.
Maintenance
Choosing a low maintenance scrubber means that you’ll spend less money on repairs:
1. Brushes/pads: These are essential parts of everyday maintenance, and you should often remove and re-attach them. Take note of how easy it is to reach them;
2. Floor squeegee: If your machine includes one of these, a floor squeegee also requires routine maintenance. You should clean them after each shift and, in certain situations, remove them entirely. Consider how easy it is to do this without any tools;
3. Brushes: Does the machine have brushes? If so, does it include a wear indication that tells users when to change the brushes? This feature makes it easier to determine when to replace the brushes;
4. Vacuum hose: The vacuum hose is one crucial component on your machine that you should check regularly.
