CLEANING
SCRUB UP ON YOUR FLOOR CLEANING
A surprising number of building managers have not
got the message that scrubbing floors should not be a chore. Stephen Pinhorne, UK Sales Manager of Truvox International, surveys the more efficient and hygienic options for tackling this essential cleaning task.
When you get down to it, there's no cleaning task more fundamental than a scrub down. Technology has consigned the charwoman to history, mercifully – so our cleaners, male or female, no longer need to go on all fours with bucket and hard- bristled brush.
But what's the most efficient way today to scrub hard floors (and indeed, when required, soft ones, such as low-pile carpet)? Not scrubbing down in the clinical sense, but the reality is that floors are inevitably coated with soil from all kinds of unsavoury sources. Crevices and cracks in any floor, and grout lines between tiles, are fertile breeding grounds for bacteria. So a floorcare regime should promote hygiene as well as visible cleanliness to prevent pathogens being spread around a building, including other surfaces and touch points.
That is why our people in the field are still shocked to find that many premises’ cleaners are still mopping away. “This is the way we’ve always done it” is not a cleaning strategy fit for the 21st century. What’s worse, often people don’t change mop- heads. But even with regular rinsing and replacement, dirty solution is spread on the floor and a residue is inevitably left there. This spreads contamination and poses a slip risk.
Before considering the more effective (and hygienic) forms of mechanised cleaning, facility and building
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managers need to think about efficiency and productivity.
Our advice is always to start with a few calculations (even if they’re rough): the size of the area(s) to be cleaned, including different floor types, and a measure of current cleaning costs. That should include person-hours, wage and related costs, materials and the running costs of any equipment used.
For mopping, the purchase cost of equipment may be low, but the consumption of cleaning solution may be excessive. The cost of mop- heads also adds up over a year, if they’re used responsibly. But all that will be a drop in a bucket compared with the personnel spend slopping down the drain.
Thus informed, the building or cleaning manager can make a proper comparison with mechanised cleaning, that factors in the labour savings, which can be considerable. Cleaning staff will be freed up to raise cleaning standards by tackling other tasks, or budget can be diverted in other areas.
But what machine is best for scrubbing? The choice usually comes down to a scrubber dryer or rotary, but it’s not so simple. There are many model permutations, especially with rotary polishers and burnishers, to consider.
The great appeal of a scrubber dryer is the capability to wash, mop, scrub and
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