Industrial floor scrubbers can clean many surfaces while saving you time and money.
Hiring a floor cleaner is a much more economical way to ensure your premises is cleaned to a high standard.
Different types of cleaning machines
When assessing your cleaning needs, you might be confused as to what cleaning machine you need.
Firstly, it will depend on what type of surface you need to clean, and secondly, it will be determined by what type of clean you need.
There is cleaning equipment for every type of task including, scrubber dryers, sweeper and vacuums, steam cleaners, pressure washers, carpet extractors, and floor polishers.
A sweeper is for indoor or outdoor use to sweep dirt. Some sweepers may also include a scrubber to wash and dry the floor, however, their main task is to collect dirt.
A steam cleaner is used to remove up to 99.999% of viruses. They remove dirt and sanitise surfaces and are for businesses that need to maintain exceptional hygiene standards such as food businesses.
A pressure washer is usually used for the toughest cleaning jobs such as removing the green algae from outdoor areas.
Carpet extractors are used to remove dirt and stains from carpeted areas. They work by injecting water and a chemical solution into the area.
Floor polishers help to create a shine on your floor plus it helps protect it from wear.
A scrubber dryer does a range of jobs. In this guide we’ll discuss what an industrial floor scrubber does, the different types, the benefits for your business, and how to choose the best one for you.
What does a floor scrubber do?
A floor scrubber machine saves time on cleaning because it can do a number of jobs at once. It can also clean surfaces better than manual cleaning and cuts costs through labour costs and it’s eco efficient.
A floor scrubber, also known as a floor cleaning machine, removes dust, deep cleans, polishes, waxes, or can even strip flooring. They can be used on a range of surfaces and come with brushes or pads to suit your flooring.
Types of floor scrubbers
There are three types of floor scrubbers; pedestrian floor scrubbers, step-on floor scrubbers, and ride-on scrubber dryers.
Pedestrian/walk behind floor scrubber
A pedestrian or walk behind cleaning machine is like a vacuum. The person stands behind it and uses the handles to manoeuvre it.
It is used in businesses such as retail stores or corridors because it is suitable for smaller areas or spaces that have awkward shapes. This is because it’s more compact and is easier to get into those hard-to-reach areas.
It’s also good for areas with high footfall because it is generally quieter than larger models.
The walk-on industrial floor scrubber is easy for one person to use as it is lightweight, making it easy to move up or down steps. Parts of it can also be folded down, making it easy to transport. This could be useful if you have several buildings spread over a larger area.
Step-on scrubber dryer
A step-on scrubber dryer is just as it sounds. The person stands on a platform behind the machine, like a Segway.
It’s quicker than the walk behind models and is less effort for the users, making it better for covering larger areas.
Ride-on scrubber dryer
The ride-on floor cleaner allows the user to sit on it and steer.
It is more suitable for larger areas as it can cover these areas far quicker than manual cleaning, or a smaller cleaning machine could.
How to use a floor scrubber machine
Our floor scrubber machines are easy to use with a clear LED panel with icons and a simple dashboard. The key system allows each member of staff to save their preferences, so they don’t even have to set it before starting to clean.
The cleaning machines themselves are colour-coded. Yellow areas on the machine are performance areas and grey areas are for maintenance.
There are two ways to clean your floor depending on the type of clean you need.
A maintenance clean or one-step method includes scrubbing your floor with cleaning agent and the dirt is simultaneously cleaned in one swipe.
The two-step method is for a deeper clean. It involves covering the entire area with water and cleaning agent, then cleaning the solution off.
For deep cleaning or to remove oil, grease, or caked in dirt you may need to cover the surface and then scrub two or three times before using the squeegee or suction device to lift the residue. This is called wet scrubbing and is best done with a green roller brush or pad.
Advantages of floor scrubbers
Most businesses no longer use manual cleaning procedures because it’s not as efficient as a floor scrubber dryer.
Save money
When you hire any cleaning equipment with us, you only pay when you need it. There’s no upfront cost of purchasing, instead you can spread the cost.
It also helps to cut costs on cleaning products because the specially formulated Karcher products are diluted, so they last longer and provide better value for money.
Saves time
Scrubber dryers do multiple tasks at once which would take several staff longer to do.
In high traffic areas it means the area is not out of bounds for long.
Cleaner
Floor cleaners are efficient at cleaning up to 99.99% of common bacteria which may not be the case with manual cleaning.
A test to check the hygiene of floors found 100% of the floors tested had P. aeruginosa, a bacterium that is one of the top three causes of human infections and can be resistant to antibiotics.
Cleaning equipment can help reduce bacteria to keep your staff and customers safe.
Safer
Using a floor cleaning machine instead of manual cleaning can prevent injuries. Slips, trips, and falls are the most common injury at work which can increase costs through staff sickness levels. It can also avoid customers complaints and claims.
Eco-friendly
The Eco!effiency mode reduces energy consumption while increasing running time. This helps cut your carbon emissions but increase your performance.
You can also achieve up to 70% in water savings because the machine uses minimal water for efficiency.
Attract customers
Consumers are more likely to support sustainable businesses and ones that are transparent about their cleaning. In a study, 61% of participants said that seeing cleaners in public spaces makes them feel safety measures are taken seriously which makes them more likely to visit your store. Customers are also more likely to pay more for sustainable brands.
How to choose the best floor scrubber for you
It can be difficult trying to decide which floor scrubber is best for your business. Here are some factors you should take into consideration.
Dirt
For a maintenance clean you can choose a less expensive walk behind model but if you want a heavy duty floor cleaner then, a ride-on industrial floor scrubber may be more suitable.
Size
If you have a larger area such as a warehouse that needs cleansed, then a bigger floor scrubber with a bigger water tank, will take you less time.
If your area has lots of obstacles, high foot fall, or is awkward then a more compact cleaner such as a walk behind floor scrubber, is easier to manoeuvre.
Noise
If your business has a high traffic area such as a hotel or retail store, you will want a quieter model, so as to not annoy or disturb your customers. Models with the eco!effieiency mode can reduce volume and are eco-friendly.
Budget
The smaller cleaning machines are generally lower cost and may be more suitable for your business at present.
How to clean industrial floors
The industrial floor scrubber dryers can be used on a multitude of surfaces. You can customise the machine for you’re the surface you’re using your cleaner on.
There are different types of brushes and pads to suit the texture of your floor, as well as controlling the pressure of the brushes.
How to clean concrete flooring
A scrubber dryer is perfect for using on concrete floors as it can wash and dry the floor, even getting rid of tyre marks. There are different types of concrete such as sealed or unsealed. If your concrete flooring is unsealed, you will need to clean it as quick as possible if you drop anything on it. Liquid can seep in and cause staining.
The Karcher B40, B60, or B80 are all great walk behind scrubber dryers that are suitable for concrete floors.
The Karcher B300 RI combination ride-on is a good choice for larger areas.
The Karcher B40 is suitable for concrete floors because you can customise the speed, pressure, and water quantity. The Intelligent Key System (KIK) saves your preferences to make it quicker to start cleaning your concrete floor.
It also, like a lot of Karcher models, has the eco!effiiency mode which helps reduce power and reduce noise.
The water tank is easy to fill by simply connecting the hose and it will automatically stop when it is full to prevent accidents.
It also has the integrated tank rinsing system which removes dirty water automatically when you connect the hose to the nozzle system. This helps keep your floor clean in line with HACCP concept.
How to clean wooden flooring
You want your wooden flooring to stay looking new for as long as possible. A scrubber dryer ensures there is enough water to clean the floor without it becoming too soaked which could lead to damage or warping of your wooden floor.
Use a scrubber dryer such as the Karcher B40 in conjunction with the alkaline Karcher RM 750 cleaner at a dose of 3 to 5%. Apply the cleaning liquid which the vacuum duct will pick up. You can then polish with the Karcher B40.
Rent or buy?
Purchasing a scrubber dryer is a big upfront cost. They can be purchased anywhere from £2,000 to £20,000.
Investing such a big amount of cash upfront isn’t an option for many businesses.
When you hire a cleaning machine you can pay in instalments, and you only pay for as long as you need the machine.
At Kärcher Hire we also include:
- Full training
- Servicing
- Repairs
- Replacement machine.
Guide to scrubber dryer brushes and pads
There are various brushes and pads to suit every surface. The brushes are colour coded to make it quick and easy to select which you need.
For smooth surfaces, it’s best to use roller pads and for rough and textured surfaces it’s best to use roller brushes.
White brushes are suitable for soft polishing, red for more abrasive polishing, blue is for medium scrubbing, green is for heavy scrubbing, and black is for stripping.
Industrial floor cleaning products
Karcher has a range of specially formulated cleaners, designed specifically for their cleaning machines.
The cleaners match the machine as the detergents lower energy consumption and maximise efficiency. They also include special additives such as corrosion protection without unnecessary solvents, heavy metals, or any other harmful substances that can cause harm to you, employees, customers, or the planet.
There are various cleaners to help you with specific tasks such as the carpet cleaner or tyre and abrasion marks remover.
Karcher’s special cleaners are scented with fragrances such as lemon oil to give a fresh scent instead of a harsh industrial smell.
Why choose Kärcher Hire?
We are part of the Karcher group that are the leading provider of cleaning systems with innovative technology to answer any of your cleaning problems.
We have an extensive range of cleaning equipment and offer training, repairs, replacement machines, and nationwide next day delivery.
We offer both short-term or long-term industrial floor scrubber hire as well as ad hoc or spot hire to suit your needs.
Our head office is in Manchester and we have offices in Banbury, Bristol, and Dublin to ensure we give the very best customer service. We offer industrial floor cleaner hire in Manchester, Liverpool, Norwich, and all over the UK.
For more information on our industrial floor cleaner hire, contact us today, or get a free quote, tailored to your needs.
