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Do You Have Questions about Floor Cleaning?

Nov 01 2021 Floor Cleaning 4 Min. Read
As a manager, you probably have some questions about floor cleaning. As a leading supplier of industrial floor cleaning equipment, we have answers. What follows are some of the questions we often get asked. We hope the answers help you.

And, if we don't cover it here, give us a call or send a message. We’re here to help!

Why is floor cleaning important?

Safety is the first reason for floor cleaning - worker safety, customer safety, visitor safety.

Injuries from slip/fall accidents are costly in terms of money, time and morale. However, most of these accidents can be prevented by keeping floors clean and dry. For example, industrial facilities that process food items often develop slippery floors during the day. Regular floor cleaning can eliminate slippery areas.

Another reason for floor cleaning is to maintain an attractive appearance. A clean facility will boost workers’ morale and pride. Also, your facility will make a good impression with customers, prospects, and other visitors.

How often should I clean the floors?

This will depend on the needs of your facility. You may need to clean at the end of each shift, multiple times during a shift, once a day, or just once a week. Different areas in a facility may have different cleaning requirements.

Observation is your best guide. What kinds of soil are common in an area (that is, dust, dirt, debris, liquids, oil, etc.)?  How often does it build up? If, for example, dry soil builds up quickly, perhaps you need more frequent sweeping than scrubbing. Check in with your equipment supplier (Morrison) for advice.

Why do I have to  sweep before I scrub?

Sweeping before you run your scrubber is essential to effective floor cleaning and avoiding damage to the scrubber. Debris can block hoses and filters, so removing excess dirt and debris prior to scrubbing will help your scrubber clean more thoroughly and prevent blockages. Pre-sweeping avoids adding stress on your machine’s vacuum system.

How do I decide which scrubber pad or brush to use?

Identifying the best brush or pad can be challenging.  There are many different brush materials and pad types, each with different properties.  To make things even more confusing, each scrubber OEM has its own range of replacement pads and brushes.

The best way to know if you’re using the right pad or brush is to look at cleaning performance. If there’s still dirt on the floor after the scrubber goes by, maybe you need a more aggressive pad or brush.  Or maybe the pad or brush is worn and needs replacing. Seeing scratching or gouging after a pass by the scrubber? Could be that the brush or pad is too aggressive. Or it might mean the pressure on the brush/pad is too high.

If you have more questions or an issue comes up, please contact us. We’d love to help find a solution for you.

Do operators need training?

The simple answer is yes, although OSHA doesn’t include industrial floor cleaning equipment in its “Powered Industrial Trucks'' category. Since there are no OSHA-specific training requirements for these machines, it may be up to you, working with your equipment supplier, to make sure they understand how to get the best out of a machine.

Most equipment manufacturers provide user manuals and even videos that are helpful.  You’ll also need to educate about rules and procedures that are specific to your operation.

What equipment should I buy?

There's no simple answer to this question. In fact, this one leads to a multitude of even more questions. Do you need a walk-behind machine or a rider? Do you need a sweeper or a scrubber?  Or does a sweeper/scrubber combo unit make sense? Should you rent first? Lease? Purchase? Should you buy used or new equipment?  The answer to each of these is “it depends”.

Before you start looking, we recommend you define your cleaning parameters. What kinds of dirt and debris are you faced with? How do you define “clean” for your facility? How often do you need to clean? How big of an area do you need to clean? What is your floor surface?

We’d be happy to help you define those parameters. Additionally, we can help you determine the correct machine(s) for your application and demonstrate machines in your facility.

Rely on Morrison

Our floor cleaning professionals work with you to determine what’s best for your operation -- from machines to cleaning procedures to preventive maintenance. Answering your questions and helping you establish a tailored cleaning program are part of our service.

We offer top quality floor cleaning equipment from leading OEMs, and our factory-trained service technicians offer ongoing support and fast, knowledgeable service for your floor cleaning equipment

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