Brooms and mops may seem like a smart way to save money, but for many businesses, the labor costs associated with manual cleaning are far greater than buying an industrial floor cleaning machine. To put it bluntly, just because you're saving money on equipment doesn’t mean you’re saving money.
Commercial cleaning equipment can eliminate dirt, dust, grease and grime in a fraction of the time it takes someone to sweep or scrub the area manually. Today’s auto-scrubbers and industrial sweepers are whisper quiet, have long-lasting batteries and eliminate the safety hazards associated with mops and brooms.
Time is money, and if you have a large area to keep clean, mops and brooms are inefficient. They also:
- Spread germs around rather than removing them
- Leave a slick surface that can cause accidents
(more than half of slip, trip or fall injuries are due to a problem with the walking surface according to EHS Today) - Are labor-intensive - a small autoscrubber can easily clean under tables and into corners saving the operator lost time moving furniture or cleaning by hand
Industrial cleaning equipment can quickly pay for itself. Learn more about the advantages of using a commercial floor cleaning machine versus manual cleaning with a mop or broom:
5 Reasons to Use a Floor Cleaning Machine
1. Reduce Labor Costs
There’s no getting around it, the upfront cost to buy an industrial cleaning machine is much higher than the cost of a mop or broom. Though the upfront cost is higher, most commercial floor cleaning equipment pays for itself over time because labor costs represent about 90 percent of the total cost to maintain floors if you're not using an industrial cleaning machine.
Consider this: an employee can clean 4,000-5,000 square feet in one hour with a mop and bucket. A small autoscrubber can clean almost three times that amount (13,000 square feet) in the same amount of time. Larger machines can clean more than 100,000 square feet per hour. The labor cost of doing the same job is 20 hours or more.
Machines also make cleaning easier on employees. They allow workers to stand upright and remove more dirt and dust versus manual cleaning - with a simple push of a button.
Many customers start with walk-behind equipment. It generally costs less than ride-on models, giving you cleaner floors in less time with a lower upfront cost. That said, a ride-on model may be the right choice if you have a large area to clean. Consider that a 20-gallon tank full of water weighs about 225 lbs and that may be a lot for one person to push.
Ride-on machines improve productivity by 400 percent compared to manually sweeping or mopping. Depending on the size of your facility, studies have shown they can pay for themselves in as little as three months.
Let us know about your facility’s needs. We’re happy to make recommendations or conduct an on-site demo at your facility.
2. Mops and Brooms Don’t Get Floors Clean
Autoscrubbers use 100 percent clean water whereas mops smear germs from one area to another, and brooms kick up dust and debris into the air.
3. Commercial Machines Minimize Disruption
Auto sweepers and scrubbers are fast and quiet. They leave behind clean floors, not a slippery, wet path. They’re quiet enough to allow for day cleaning and allow you to avoid disruptions and hazardous wet floors.
4. Machines are More Eco-Friendly
Compared to a mop and bucket, small commercial floor scrubbers such as the Advance SC750-800 use minimal water and, depending on your cleaning needs, may not require chemicals. Some applications can be effectively cleaned with water and the strength of the scrubber pads.
5. Your Floors Are Clean and It Shows
Would you like your floors to be 60 percent clean or 95 percent clean? Dust and grime create a safety hazard for customers and employees. When cleaning with a mop and bucket, the more you clean, the dirtier the water gets. Commercial floor cleaning equipment leave your floors cleaner and more hygienic.
Why Choose Advance Floor Cleaning Equipment
TMH is proud to sell Advance floor cleaning machines. They’re simple to use, water-efficient and easy to maintain. Advance equipment has:
- Multiple modes that give you a single machine solution for all your hard surface cleaning needs
- Batteries designed for long run times (larger ride-on models use propane, gas, diesel or hydrogen fuel cells)
- User-friendly machines use pedals and handles and don’t break as easily compared to equipment with buttons and a lot of electronics
- Ergonomic design reduces worker fatigue
- Designed to help your business exceed industry requirements for cleanliness
- SmartKey™ provides unique levels of user access to ensure consistent cleaning results and greater operator accountability.
Contact us for a free consultation about what floor cleaning equipment might be right for your operation. We’re interested in learning about your business and helping you decide which machine(s) might be a good fit.
We can also come to your location for a free demo and explain all the in’s and out’s of different machines. Invite as many employees as you’d like. The demo takes 30min–1hr depending on whether we’re demoing a walk-behind or ride-on machine.
TMH also rents floor sweepers and scrubbers in the Bay Area, Sacramento, Fresno and Salinas. Contact us online or by phone for more information.
SF Bay Area - Livermore (510) 379-5210
Fresno (559) 834-9500
Sacramento (916) 376-0500
Salinas (831) 757-1091
Further Reading
Schedule a Sweeper or Scrubber On-Site Demo
FSMA Why Clean Floors are Essential for Food Processing Plants
Product Review: Advance SC6000 Pros and Cons
Schedule Service for Your Industrial Cleaning Equipment
