Scrubber drying machines are perfect for cleaning large floor areas quickly, safely and with minimum fuss.
They are suitable for businesses in a wide variety of sectors, including retail, hospitality, warehousing, commercial buildings and construction. Kärcher Hire also leases this type of equipment to commercial cleaning companies for regular or one-off deep cleans.
To get the best clean possible, you need to make sure you get the right product for the job.
Not sure what kind of equipment is right for you? Speak to a member of our rentals team today. Call: 0345 222 8000.
What Is a Scrubber Dryer?
Also known as floor scrubbers and scrubber driers, scrubber dryers use a moving ‘brush’ to ‘scrub’ dirt and grime from different types of hard floor. This intensive scrubbing action is followed up by a smooth squeegee action that leaves the floor clean and dry.
There are two main types of scrubber dryer – pedestrian scrubber dryers and larger ride-on scrubber dryers. We’ll talk about the main differences between these machines later.
Why Use a Scrubber Dryer?
Scrubber dryers are the ultimate mop and bucket alternative. As well as cleaning more quickly, scrubber dryers are also safer and more practical – meaning you don’t need to cordon off ‘wet floor areas’ or otherwise disrupt the smooth running of your site.
Used in the right way, a scrubber dryer is:
- Faster – Automatic floor cleaning means large surface areas get clean faster
- Cheaper – Labour savings mean you can save money as well as time
- Safer – This equipment leaves your floor nice and dry, presenting a lower slip risk to staff and members of the public
- More hygienic – Scrubber dryers eliminate germs, unlike dirty mops which can spread them around
What Floor Can a Scrubber Dryer Be Used on?
Scrubber drying machines can be used on a variety of surfaces, including hardwood, painted concrete and ceramic floor tiles. Like the flooring in warehouses, factories, distribution centres, airports and hospitals, the flooring is typically hard and smooth.
Outside and in industrial settings, a scrubber dryer can be used on painted or smooth concrete, but if the floor is too rough or substantially uneven, you might be better off hiring an industrial sweeper. Industrial sweeping machines are also more appropriate in dusty environments, too much dust could clog your scrubber dryer.
Hiring the wrong type of industrial cleaning equipment could prove very costly, particularly if you damage the cleaning pads or brushes and these need to be replaced. Water and chemicals from the scrubber dryer could also damage your floor if it is not well-sealed.
Don’t damage your floor or our equipment. Speak to a member of our team to find out if a scrubber dryer is suitable for your site. Call: 0345 222 8000.
What’s the Best Scrubber Dryer for My Site?
At Kärcher Hire, we have a number of industrial Kärcher scrubber dryer machines available to rent at reasonable prices.
One of the first decisions you’ll need to make is whether you choose a ride-on scrubber dryer or a pedestrian machine.
Ride on Scrubber Dryer Hire
If you have a large site with wide open spaces – like a warehouse, factory, convention centre or aircraft hangar – you want to aim for the biggest scrubber dryer possible. The Kärcher B 250 R is a large ride-on scrubber dryer for covering very large surface areas. This machine can clean 6,000 square metres per hour (m²/h) and is suitable for sites up to 15,000 m².
The Kärcher B 300 is even bigger, with a theoretical area performance of up to 16,550 m²/h. This unit also combines a scrubber dryer and an industrial sweeper into one machine, making for more efficient cleaning over different surfaces.
If you have a large area to cover and need a ride-on cleaner, but your site has lots of corridors and other tight corners – like a hospital or school – then you can choose a smaller unit. The Kärcher B 150 is a medium-sized ride on scrubber dryer with an area performance of 4500m²/h and the Kärcher B 90 is the smallest ride on machine available. This unit has an area performance of 3900 m²/h.
Ride on Scrubber Dryer Summary
| Ride on scrubber dryer size | Model | Area performance (m²/h) |
| Large | Kärcher B 250 R | 6,000 |
| Medium | Kärcher B 150 | 4,500 |
| Compact | Kärcher B 90 | 3,900 |
| Very large (combination scrubber dryer and industrial sweeper) | Kärcher B 300 | 16,550 |
If you aren’t sure which ride on scrubber dryer is right for your organisation, speak to a member of our team for advice today. Call: 0345 222 8000.
Pedestrian Scrubber Dryer Hire
Also called walk-behind scrubber dryers, these pedestrian cleaning machines are generally cheaper to hire than ride-on units. They are perfect for covering large floors, particularly when there are many corridors, corners, nooks and crannies to negotiate.
Kärcher Hire has several pedestrian Kärcher cleaning machines available that can be hired for cleaning schools, hospitals, warehouses and other building types.
The largest pedestrian scrubber dryer is the Kärcher B 80. This machine has a working width of 650mm and has an area performance of 3,000 m²/h. The Kärcher B 60 also has a 650mm working width and can clean 2,600 m²/h.
The Kärcher B 40 and the Kärcher BR 45/22 are both medium-sized pedestrian floor scrubber machines. While the B40 machine is slightly larger, the BR 45/22 is easier to manoeuvre thanks to Kärcher’s KART steering technology.
Kärcher Hire also stocks two compact scrubber models for trouble-free cleaning in tighter environments. The Kärcher BD 38/12 has a max area performance of 1500 m²/h while the extra small Kärcher BR 35/12 is capable of 1400 m²/h.
Pedestrian Scrubber Dryer Summary
| Pedestrian scrubber dryer size | Model | Area performance (m²/h) |
| Large | Kärcher B 80 | 3000 |
| Large/medium | Kärcher B 60 | 2600 |
| Medium | Kärcher B 40 | 2200 |
| Medium/compact | Kärcher BR 45/22 | 1800 |
| Compact | Kärcher BD 38/12 | 1500 |
| Compact | Kärcher BR 35/12 | 1400 |
Most scrubber dryers use a rotating disc brush or disc pad to scrub or polish floors. This type of attachment is best for smooth floors that are easy to clean.
Some scrubber dryers can be fitted with rolling brushes. These two cylindrical rollers are better for more uneven surfaces. If your floor is particularly uneven, then it may be better to hire an industrial sweeper.
Different pads and brushes are suitable for different surfaces and different types of dirt, so make sure you know which attachments will be most effective for your site.
Kärcher Hire also offer a range of cleaning agents for use with scrubber dryer machines. These detergents are particularly useful for deep cleaning. Available cleaning agents include:
Should I Buy or Hire a Scrubber Dryer?
Although using a scrubber dryer could help you save money compared to the cost of manual cleaning, the machines are still expensive to purchase. That’s one of the main reasons why scrubber dryer hiring services like the one offered by Kärcher Hire are so popular.
There are a number of other reasons why you might choose a short-or-long-term hire agreement over buying a scrubber dryer.
- No upfront cost- Even if you purchase a scrubber dryer on finance, providers will typically require three-months of payment upfront plus VAT. With Kärcher Hire, you’ll only receive an invoice at the end of the first month.
- Get equipment fast – Kärcher Hire offers a nationwide next-day delivery service on all industrial cleaning equipment.
- Up to date equipment – Access the very best in modern cleaning technology.
- Fixed costs – For more budgetary control and better forecasting.
- No management time – Kärcher Hire take care of all the servicing, maintenance and any other equipment commitments.
- More flexibility – Equipment can be changed if your needs or contract alters.
- No disposal risk – No need to part exchange or sell privately.
- Core lines of credit kept open – Don’t tie equipment up as assets.
Need to hire a scrubber dryer machine? Speak to a member of our friendly rentals team today. Call: 0345 222 8000.
