A BUYER'S GUIDE TO FLOOR CLEANING EQUIPMENT
When you think of business and the assets and investments involved in maintaining an organization, flooring is most likely one of the last things that comes to mind. Yet, flooring – and the costs involved in maintaining it – is a major part of any business. Taking care of flooring, considering floor cleaning machine prices, can be tricky when you understand the impact it can have on the clients and co-workers who walk on it every day.
A clean floor can speak volumes about your organization. A clean floor speaks of self-worth for your company which translates into respect for the people –including clients - who see it and walk across it. Well-maintained flooring adds to an environment that is hygienically taken care of which radiates to clients, helping to make them feel as though they, too, will be taken care of.
But taking care of your flooring is not such an easy endeavor, particularly because there are so many different types of equipment on the market, each claiming to be of the highest quality. There are sweepers, polishers, pressure washers, scrubbers, vacuums and more, each ranging in costs and functionality.
But be afraid not; here’s a brief buyer’s guide to choosing the floor cleaning products and equipment fit for you space, budget time and overall needs:
To begin, of course, you’ll want to take a good look at your existing flooring and determine what material it is made of and how much of it there is (surface area). Clearly, different fabrics require different cleaning methods and products to get it looking brand new. For instance, if you have hard flooring like wood, tile or concrete, you’d probably be apt to choosing a low-speed compact floor machine which is easily navigated so you can navigate all areas thoroughly including thin pathways and around bulky furniture.
Other machines for cleaning hard wood type flooring are:
• Scrubbers: high-powered brushes scour away and dry hard floor surfaces; most scrubbers comes with multiple scrub-heads for swapping out when attempting various-sized jobs
• Burnishers: quick and quiet, these machines come in different speeds according to the size of your space and they are perfect for removing scuff-marks and minor scratches in order to produce a glossy, dustless finish
• Sweepers: for bigger jobs (we’re talking parking lots and sports arenas), these vacuums powered by gas are ideal
• Scarifiers: multiple brush heads can cleanse hard floors from a kitchen floor sheathed with the toughest grease and oil to the floor beneath a carpet removal splotched with stubborn residual glue
• Safety Buoys: these battery-operated cleaners feature a built-in fan to speed up the drying process
Floors made of softer material i.e. carpets and rugs necessitate 3 basic levels of cleansing:
1) Preventative maintenance: day-to-day cleaning to avoid an overwhelming accumulation of dirt
2) Interim maintenance: deeper, more inclusive cleaning
3) Restorative Maintenance: when the dirt is deep, restorative maintenance entails laundering soil that has become embedded in carpet fibers
Other machines for cleaning for soft-surface flooring are:
• Commercial Vacuums: in general, these machines remove loose debris and dust from carpets and can range considerably when it comes to costs. Choose from upright models to those you can ride on for larger surface areas or backpack vacuums which are crafted especially lightweight for carrying, wet-dry vacuums for cleaning spills and many more. These vacuums are best for preventative maintenance
• Carpet Extractors: Hot or cold water is implemented in these high power-wash devices perfect for breaking down obstinate, heavy grime that has slithered its way deep into carpet fibers and then extracting the dirty liquid. Portable extractors are available, too. Considering floor cleaning machine prices and the way these cleaners have fit into your budget thus far, you may want to consider a carpet dryer which will not only provide ventilation but will quicken the drying time of your rug or carpet substantially
• Specialty floor cleaning machines: clearly needed for more expensive floors, these devices may prove imperative for the upkeep of your space; they provide more sensitive service and can perform multiple tasks at once.
In this category, you can choose from:
o Floor restoration machines: strippers that can remove an entire old finish, sand down rough areas and polish up with a brand new finish
o Touchless cleaning systems: for deep cleaning and deodorizing super contaminated areas like bathrooms without having to lay a finger on the germ-infested surface area(s)
o Stone and Marble Polishers: gentle cleansing and restoration of expensive flooring like marble, granite and more
Choosing your floor machine cleaning device depends largely on the type of flooring you are tackling, your budget, and your time. But this brief buyer’s guide would be severely lacking if it didn’t mention one last factor: safety.
No matter what type of environment you are striving to keep clean, it should be clear by now that maintaining a clean, hygienic space in which employees can work or clients can browse is absolutely imperative. Clean floors can actually play a major role in controlling any infections that may arise from a unhygienic space.
Whatever device you choose should be absolutely safe to operate – and those that do operate them should be fully trained, and feel comfortable doing the job. For instance there are cordless and battery-operated devices that reduce the risk of trips and falls.
After reading this brief buyer’s guide, it’s wise to consult with different companies that offer floor cleaning machines to get a full gist of the cost and functionality of each device.
In addition to soaking up this crash buyer's guide, it’s advisable to seek guidance from peers in your industry that have the same needs. You may even want to check out another buyer's guide. A deep assessment of your needs matched with specialist advice should be the key collaboration needed to invest in the product that will serve your needs for years to come.