When you consider investments to help grow your business, a floor cleaning machine is likely not at the top of your list. Your old broom, mop and bucket are good enough, and no one actually looks at your floors anyway, right? Wrong. The fact is, the ground you walk on is literally the foundation of your business, and it should be protected like any other asset. One way to protect your floors is to invest in a machine to ensure they are thoroughly cleaned. Machines made to clean floors generally consist of sweepers and scrubbers.
Sweeper machines are available as walk-behind or ride-on cleaners that include built-in filtration and dust-control systems to keep the air clean and free of dirt and debris while sweeping. Scrubber machines can also be pushed or ridden and take the cleaning one step farther by applying solution, scrubbing with a heavy-duty cleaning pad, rinsing with clean water, and drying the floor in one comprehensive pass. Purchasing a machine to clean your floors demonstrates your commitment to employee and customer health and safety.
In addition, the efficiency of these machines will offset the cost in a short period of time, resulting in cost savings. Here are four reasons you should consider investing in machines for floor cleaning.
- Safety First
Everyone has seen those yellow “Beware of Wet Floor” signs that businesses set out after they’ve mopped. Those are important because mopping leaves behind a great deal of water, which does not happen with the use of industrial scrubbers. This is important because most slip and fall accidents occur due to wet surfaces, causing the likelihood of injury and possibility of lawsuits. The use of scrubbers lessens that possibility. Cleaner floors are also safer for warehouses, as lift trucks and other vehicles cannot stop as quickly on surfaces slick with dirt and grime. Safety lines painted on the floors may also be difficult to see when they are covered in dirt.
- Clean, Cleaner, Cleanest
The higher the volume of traffic moving across your floor, the higher volume of dirt and germs to spread around your business. Why pay employees to sweep and mop when that is not the most effective way to clean? Brooms kick dust and pollutants into the air, and mops transfer grime and germs from one area of the floor to another, resulting in only 60% cleanliness. In contrast, floor scrubbers use clean water to eliminate dirt and germs, resulting in 95% of surface cleanliness. Smaller machines can get into corners and under furniture for a more thoroughly cleaned area, eliminating the need to move things around during cleaning.
- Healthy Staff, Customers and Environment
Machine cleaners provide a healthy method of cleaning, reducing the airborne particles that can cause respiratory problems. A floor scrubber machine typically uses less water than traditional mopping and is designed to work without the need for harsh chemicals. You can reduce hazardous emissions with the use of a battery-powered machine, which is much better for the environment and the health of your employees. Floor scrubbers are also ergonomically designed to eliminate the stooping required by sweeping and mopping, which is much better for the long-term well-being of your employees.
- Time is Money
Using a traditional mop and bucket, one employee can typically clean 4,500 square feet in an hour. A basic, low-end scrubbing machine is nearly three times more effective, easily cleaning 13,000 square feet in that same window of time. Businesses with larger surface areas can invest in larger equipment for even more savings. Higher-end machines can scrub over 100,000 square feet in an hour; the same area would require 20 man hours to manually mop. Contemporary cleaning machines are made to be quiet so you won’t disturb customers or employees by running them during business hours, potentially saving the costs normally required for evening cleaning crews. In addition, cleaner floors can actually help to bring in money. Customers want to see clean operations when they are dealing with you, and potential customers will be more likely to come onboard with a clean facility. The safety enhancements that accompany clean floors can often have a positive impact on insurance rates, as well.
While your floors may not seem like a top priority, don’t forget that they are quite literally the base of your entire operation. Investment in a quality floor cleaning machine will result in a cleaner floor and a happier, healthier, more prosperous business.