First impressions count! And the state of the floor can be an indication to customers, guests or patients about the type of business they are entering. If the floor is clean, most likely find that the other surfaces within the building are also clean. To create this great first impression, you need the right cleaning equipment including the correct use of proper PPE (Personal protective equipment), like gloves, masks and protective glasses.
The Basics – A broom, dust mop, and wet mop
These are the basics that all cleaning cupboards should include at a minimum. The broom has been around for such a long time, but a dry mess on a hard floor will always be combatted by a broom. Dust mops, or sometimes called dry mops, and wet mops are vital in the cleaning regime. You can pre-sweep areas, gather up dust and debris then clean a wet mess up.
Stepping it up – Vacuum and carpet extractors
In larger areas, or areas where it is time sensitive to clean, the basics need an upgrade. Vacuums agitate carpet fibres, loosen the debris and then suck up the dirt. They come in all shapes and sizes – ones for you back, ones you pull and even ones you ride. There’s a vacuum for every facility out there!
Extractors step up the cleaning game again! They are up for the task of using water, a chemical and a drying agent to clean stubborn stains. You can have a hand-held machine, a walk behind or a ride on that are able to perform interim cleaning right through to deep cleaning. If you’re a facility that has a lot of carpet, one of these machines needs to be in your toolkit.
The main game - Floor sweepers, scrubbers and sweeper-scrubbers
When a vacuum is just too small for the job there are other options. As the name suggest a floor sweeper uses a brush and vacuum system to clean up dust and debris on a larger scale than a compact backpack. You can walk behind or ride on the sweeper, depending on the size of area you are cleaning.
Floor scrubbers use water to deep clean hard floors with squeegees to pick up the water right away for touch dry cleaning. When you have hard floors that require frequent and hygienic cleaning a walk behind or ride on scrubber is important. All are available with a variety of technology and features depending on what you need.
Sweeper-Scrubbers combine both features into the machine. They offer a once pass cleaning for efficient cleaning. These machines are dependent on the amount of ground you need toc over and the frequency in which you will be cleaning.
Each facility is unique in its requirements, the more options you have in your toolkit, the better you will be able to make a great first impression.