Components of a Floor Cleaning Process

The floor cleaning process is made up of four main components: time, temperature, agitation and cleaning substances. When one of these components is reduced, one or more of the remaining components must be increased in order to achieve the same level of cleaning.

Time: A floor scrubber can be slowed down in order to spend more time on a soiled area. Another approach is to “double-scrub” problem areas, but this is not a labor-efficient practice and can be unsafe, due to excess and unattended water on the floor. This may put the operator and facility occupants at risk for slips and falls.

Temperature: As the temperature of a cleaning solution is increased, the time required for chemicals to react with dirt is cut in half; conversely, as temperature decreases, reaction time increases.

Agitation: More downward pressure (scrub pressure) on the brush means more agitation of cleaning solution on dirty floors.

Cleaning substances: These include water and the various chemicals in detergents, sanitizers and disinfectants. In some green cleaning systems, the only cleaning substance used is water. Obviously, water-only cleaning eliminates the negative environmental and health impacts of chemical production, usage and disposal.

The Right Solution For Your Cleaning Application

There is no single “best” approach for every hard-floor scrubbing application. It is important to match the appropriate chemical and/or water mixture to the specific cleaning job at hand. This requires cleaning professionals to match the cleaning solution used to the soil level and surface type to effectively achieve the desired cleaning level.

Water-only cleaning is obviously the most sustainable choice, as it eliminates chemical use and the possible health impacts associated with exposure to chemical solutions. Cleaning professionals can employ water-only cleaning solution for applications involving the removal of surface dirt and detergent residue that accumulates on floors. Water-only cleaning solution also reduces costs because there are no detergents to buy.

While water-only cleaning proves to be a cost-efficient, sustainable solution, water alone is not always the most effective cleaning solution choice. For high-traffic areas or cleaning applications with certain soil types, such as greasy, oily messes, a flexible scrubbing program allows cleaning professionals to easily select the proper detergent type and strength—or clean with water only—as required by different floor conditions and areas of a facility. Proper application of water, detergent and down pressure eliminates the risk of exposing facility occupants to excessive detergent use. It also reduces cleaning costs and overall environmental impacts, while ensuring floors are effectively cleaned.