Keep Your Workplace Clean
Maintaining commercial floors is a daily activity – from the routine floor cleaning and scrubbing, the occasional buffing and burnishing, to the restoration that is carried out when an overhaul is needed – such as floor sanding and refinishing. For the floor to last for long, it needs to be well tended to, since it comes under a barrage of abuse on a daily basis.
Floor cleaning machines are a core part of the process. Here, you have a wide range of industrial-grade equipment that enables the cleaning staff to carry out the task quickly on the expansive spaces being worked on. They include:
- Vacuums
These large-capacity vacuums come in to remove the sand and dirt particles on the surface – which are abrasive and can grind down the floor as people walk about. This definitely beats working with a broom or dust mop, especially with the size of floor space involved. With powerful vacuums suctioning up the loose dirt, it avoids a scenario where liquids mix with the soiling and turn it into caked-on grime – which would make the floor cleaning more difficult. Commercial vacuums come in both upright and backpack models. They can be powered by batteries, or have a cord to plug into the building’s power supply. Here, it is recommended that you use a vacuum that has a HEPA filter, in order to improve the indoor air quality.
Extra tip: Having a walk-off mat at the building’s entrance will reduce the amount of dirt that is being tracked into the building.
In particularly large spaces – the likes of stadiums and warehouses, the floor cleaning crew can use a walk-behind or ride-on automatic sweeper. In such scenarios, it will have a faster rate of dirt removal compared to the conventional commercial vacuums.
- Auto-scrubbers – the core of commercial floor cleaning
Instead of wet mopping, commercial buildings rely on auto-scrubbers. These machines apply the floor cleaning solution onto the surface, then high-speed brushes provide the scrubbing action needed, after which powerful suction removes the dirty solutions from the surface. It’s an all-in-one mode of cleaning that reduces the amount of time and energy required for the task, as this would have taken excruciatingly long with the conventional mop.
The auto scrubbers work with rotary or cylindrical brushes which, while tough on the dirt and grime, are gentle on the hard surface floors. Two tanks on the machine hold the separate solutions –one with the fresh floor cleaning liquid, the other with the waste water. Two main categories of auto scrubbers are available:
- Ride-on autoscrubbers
It’s basically like using a mini-car to clean the floor. Here, the operator will sit or stand on the machine, and direct it around the floor area. Its scope allows it to be used for the large jobs, and they use brushes or floor pads for the cleaning. The machines typically use fuel or batteries for their operation.
- Walk-behind auto scrubbers
As you can tell from the name, the operator here will be walking behind the machine, manoeuvring it around the building. They are common for smaller spaces where flexibility is needed, especially navigating around corners. As such, they are the go-to floor cleaning machines for office buildings, classrooms all through to retail stores, where the operators will need to manoeuvre easily, and still cover large floor space at a time. Compared to the ride-on autoscrubbers, these units consume less power, and even require less storage space.
Outsource the Commercial Floor Cleaning To A Professional
You already have a lot on your plate with the day-to-day running of your business. Getting a professional company to handle the building’s floor cleaning and maintenance needs will benefit your business in multiple ways, including:
- Make savings
When the cleaning is being handled by the in-house team, this means you will need to invest in both the personnel and machinery needed to carry out the tasks. High capacity equipment is needed to ensure that the numerous surfaces are worked on to quality standards, as well as a skilled crew who will ensure that the right floor cleaning measures are implemented, without damaging the structure. The industrial-grade machinery that you see professional contractors working with comes with a large price tag. This is understandable for the contractors, since it is their business, and they need powerful machinery to deliver on their client’s needs. However, getting the same kind of equipment for your business is rarely feasible, from the costs of purchase, to the finishes that go into maintaining the equipment. You get more value for your money when you simply outsource the task to a contractor who is already equipped for the task, with experienced personnel on their crew to deliver on their mandate.
You don’t want to find yourself in a station where you’re forced to carry out expensive repairs, often replacing entire floor structures due to the deterioration caused by neglecting the routine maintenance. This will eat into your business’s revenue. On the other hand, with a strict floor cleaning maintenance program in place, the installations are maintained in quality condition, enhancing the ambience of the indoor space.
- Impress customers coming over
The state of the workplace environment will impact customers’ perception about your business. You want to create a positive impression, not have them doubting your claim to professionalism. After all, it will be difficult to make them trust your products and services, when the environment in which they are offered is in a dilapidated condition. Having a professional floor cleaning team handling the routine care and maintenance of your installation ensures that the customers accessing your premises will be impressed by the state of affairs, giving them more confidence in what you have to offer. This has a positive ripple effect on your staff, and will have their morale increased by working in a clean and healthier space. With the business premises technically being their second home since they spend huge sections of the day in it, they don’t want to be surrounded by allergens, pollutants and a soiled workplace all through the day. Showing them that you care about the conditions of their working environment improves their productivity, further bolstering your business.
