When a new customer who has never used floor cleaning equipment contacts me for the first time, they almost always want a quote on a floor scrubber. I like to do a survey of the customer’s facility to get a really good idea of what the customer is trying to accomplish. What I often find is one of two things. One typical situation is a customer that has been sweeping the floor by hand and is either too busy, or the facility has expanded, making sweeping by hand impractical. The other typical situation is a very dirty facility, that has done little or no cleaning in the past, and some change, either new management or an impending event has forced the company to clean up.
When deciding between a floor sweeper and a floor scrubber there are several factors to consider. First, what level of cleanliness is necessary? Is your company involved in food manufacturing or distribution, medical, or high tech? Do customers visit your facility? Are you a manufacturing facility that uses cutting oil’s that gets on the floor? These are fairly typical scrubber customers. Are you a warehouse that handles non-food products? Is dust on the floor and on the products stored causing a problem? Does your manufacturing process create debris that winds up on the floor? If so, you are probably a floor sweeper customer. I tell my potential customers that the difference between using a scrubber or a sweeper is like sweeping or scrubbing your kitchen floor. The end result is two different levels of cleanliness.
Customers usually assume they need to scrub, but if you have never scrubbed your facility before, it is a lot of work to start using a scrubber. Using a floor scrubber is much more time consuming and labor intensive. You need to fill the floor scrubber with water, and clean it out when you are done. In most cases you need to keep floor cleaning chemicals in stock. Floor scrubbers need more upkeep including brush and squeegee maintenance. Using a floor sweeper is faster and easier than using a scrubber. You typically can grab it and go. They are easier and less costly to maintain. I usually recommend that customers who have never cleaned before start with a floor sweeper. It is easier to use, and the results usually make a significant difference in cleanliness. Often, new customers who start with a floor scrubber find the process cumbersome, and the new scrubber quickly finds a home in corner, only to be dragged out when things get slow or a customer visit is scheduled.