How To Spot Green Floor Maintenance Equipment

This article was originally published in Contracting Profits. 

How do you know if a machine is considered green when there are no green certifications for floor maintenance equipment?

Our very own Scott Keller, Education/Commercial Buildings Vertical Market Manager for Nilfisk–Advance, Inc. gives his take:

"For scrubbers you should analyze specifications related to water flow, chemical dilution ratios and sound levels. Also scrubbers that afford you the possibility of an onboard chemical dilution system are much more green than pre-mixing water and chemical in the solution tank. While it’s nice to reduce water and chemical usage if you are unable to actually remove dirt from the cleaning surface you are not really achieving a “green” facility."

Read the full article to see additional responses from industry experts.

Using a Stand-On Scrubber for Daily and Deep Scrubbing Applications

Designed to deliver flexible cleaning performance, the new SC1500™ REV™ stand-on scrubber satisfies both daily and deep scrubbing applications. The SC1500 REV employs our patent pending Dual Random Orbital Scrubbing technology, which scrubs deeper and more uniformly to leave a perfectly scrubbed surface with no swirl marks while using far less water and chemicals.

Our REV technology enables superior cleaning performance through the following benefits:

• Floors are cleaner in a single pass - Dual random orbital action quickly and efficiently attacks dirt from multiple directions
• Save time with fewer dump and refill cycles - REV machines use far less water than conventional disc scrubbers
• Save money - Less water means less detergent is used
• No side splash - The slow macro orbit of REV prevents water from splashing onto adjacent surfaces
• No splash skirt - Cleans tight to walls, which reduces time spent on detail work
• Most even cleaning in the industry - REV's exclusive fixed pad driver allows the entire pad surface to clean your floor
• No swirl marks - Dual random orbital action delivers an even clean without swirl marks
• EcoFlex™onboard detergent metering system - Saving money, time, and the environment
• Increased safety - All REV scrubbers are certified by the National Floor Safety Institute ( NFSI) to increase floor traction by more than 21%

The SC1500 is also available in a disc model. For more information on REV technology, visit www.advance-us.com/rev.

Selecting Floor Cleaning Equipment

This article was originally published in Facility Cleaning Decisions.

When it comes to floor care, it’s a matter of selecting the right combination of tools for the job. The fact is, nearly every facility requires a combination of floor care equipment, from brooms to vacuums, mops and buckets to walk-behind scrubbers and burnishers.

But getting the right mix of equipment requires custodial managers to assess the specific needs of the department and consider a variety of factors as they do. These considerations include the size and types of debris generated, the amount of dirt that builds up, the types of flooring in the building, the size of the facility, and the number of workers cleaning.

Dry soil can be removed via dust mopping and sweeping in tight areas, or using sweeper vacuums in larger spaces. For floors that have become sticky or oily, Ott suggests managers supply staff with traditional rotary machines or swing buffers.

Once the type of soil has been identified, managers must consider the size of the area needing cleaning. Smaller areas will likely require a mop and a bucket. Here, a good microfiber flat mopping system is recommended.

Larger areas will require bigger — and more expensive — equipment. Autoscrubbers are widely used and may be electric, battery-operated and even propane powered. They also range between a 3-4-gallon capacity, up to 100-gallon riders.

Learn more about the best type of floor cleaning equipment for your application.

Cost-Efficient, Highly Productive Stand-Up Cleaning

The new SC1500™ stand-on scrubber is designed to deliver superior, cost-efficient performance, while maximizing productivity. With a flexible, extremely maneuverable and compact design, the SC1500 is optimal for cleaning small- to medium-sized areas. Plus, with a high-capacity, 12-gallon tank, the SC1500 can cover more surface faster while enhancing your bottom line.

The SC1500 ensures consistent, reliable cleaning with solution flow rate control at a touch of a button. Select from low, medium or high to match the cleaning requirements at hand without stopping the machine. This not only minimizes chemical and water waste, but also reduces time spent on dump and refills. For simple operation, all scrubbing parameters—detergent strength, brush pressure, solution flow and vacuum—are all controlled with a single button and are clearly displayed on the easy-to-read, LCD graphical display.

The SC1500’s large tank and low solution flow rate provides up to 109 minutes of scrub time without refilling. Further, increased down pressure at 88 pounds enables one pass cleaning. This combination ensures efficient cleaning results.