In the eternal challenge between traditional methods and professional machines, floor scrubber-dryers are battling buckets, rags and mops.
Therefore, in this article we’ll see what are the advantages and disadvantages of these two types of cleaning, between effectiveness and expense.
Traditional methods
Floor cleaning, for centuries, has always been one of the most tiring jobs to perform and, probably due to the impracticality of available tools. The first tools used were, in fact, rags and buckets that forced people to stand hunched over the floor rubbing tile after tile, in contact with the same dirt to be cleaned and with their hands immersed in putrid water.
With the introduction of mops and brushes, things have improved only somewhat: knees are no longer on the ground but the strain is still high, being in contact for a long time with detergents that equally irritate the skin and respiratory system, and being forced to empty and refill buckets repeatedly in order to avoid leaving marks of dirt and bad odors on the floor.
The introduction of floor scrubber-dryers
Technological progress has always been geared towards improving human life. In the case of floor scrubber-dryers, the improvement in life has been twofold: less effort for those who have to clean, to the joy and respect especially of those who do it as their job, and cleaner environments, benefiting those who live in them.
The breakthrough in the field of machinery for cleaning large paved areas mechanically occurred in the early 1900: from there on, numerous tools for cleaning and washing floors were developed, culminating in modern professional scrubber-dryers.
Their basic structure is composed as follows:
- brushes, varying in number, which rotate in contact with the floor;
- a tank for the solution of water and detergent;
- a collection and suction system that collects dirty water, featuring a rubber “squeegee” conveying the residue to another dedicated tank;
- an engine that powers it all.
Depending on the machine driving method, a distinction is made between man-behind scrubber-dryers - moved by pushing - and ride-on scrubber-dryers - including a seat and a structure to accommodate and carry the operator.
Whatever the type, the function of these machines resembles that of a manual mop: it rubs brushes on the floor, with the boost of a cleaning solution, and collects water and dissolved dirt. The key difference is that everything happens automatically, without the slightest effort, leaving the floor much cleaner and completely dry with a single wipe.
READ: CLEANING YOUR HOME FAST WITH THE FLOOR SCRUBBER-DRYER
The effectiveness of this technology is such that it has spread widely in both home and professional settings to clean quickly and flawlessly within the home as well as in commercial, industrial, public and hotel environments.
READ: PROFESSIONAL FLOOR SCRUBBER-DRYER: A GUIDE FOR PURCHASE
Now that we understand how the two methods work, let’s move on to analyze the benefits, especially for cleaning companies or professional settings that need clean and operational spaces at all times.
Time
Saving time is one of the main benefits of using floor scrubber-dryers. Relying on manual methods, in fact, forces cleaners to go through a long series of operations, to be repeated numerous times: fill the bucket with water, mix it with detergent, soak the rag or mop, clean the floor, wring it out, clean again, wring it out again, dry the floor. All by moving a few meters at a time, waiting for the wet area to dry, emptying and cleaning the bucket dozens of times so as not to use putrid water.
With a floor scrubber-dryer, on the other hand, after setting up and turning on the machine, a single wipe is all it takes to have a large square footage of floor clean, dry and immediately usable, in a matter of minutes. An advantage that is especially appreciated where cleaning operations must occur frequently and cannot get in the way of the routine actions of those who live or work in the environment to be cleaned: just think of what happens in a warehouse.
READ: THE FLOOR CARE OF WAREHOUSES AND LOGISTICS CENTERS WITH PROFESSIONAL CLEANING PRODUCTS
Economic savings
When purchasing a mop or a floor scrubber, the manual tool is obviously more affordable. Buying a floor scrubber-dryer is very convenient, however, for those who make cleaning a job or for work where downtime is not permitted.
We have already seen how much time is saved with an automatic tool compared to manual methods. For the same reason, a cleaning company can optimize its work and subsequent costs and revenues with a floor scrubber-dryer, employing less labor and maximizing productivity.
Similarly, in a business operating on a continuous cycle or in a hospitality facility - where guests cannot walk on wet floors and in the middle of cleaning operations - a floor scrubber-dryer eliminates downtime which is responsible for economic losses.
Safety
Leaving wet floors for a long time, waiting for them to “air dry” can be very dangerous. Not surprisingly, along the aisles of supermarkets or shopping malls it is common to see slip hazard signs posted during manual cleaning operations.
A floor scrubber-dryer, on the other hand, dries immediately after scrubbing on the floor, making the floor usable immediately and completely safe, avoiding accidents that can cause injuries to visitors and costly compensation to facility managers.
In addition, the floor scrubber-dryers work with virtually zero effort for operators, also reducing work-related injuries.
READ: FLOOR CARE: THE CLEANING OF SHOPPING MALLS
Hygiene
The level of hygiene achievable with a floor scrubber-dryer is incomparable with respect to traditional methods. The rag that goes back into the bucket after being wiped on the floor mixes dirty water with clean water, only to return to the floor again along with a load of dirt, germs and bacteria. In essence, the tiles appear clean but they are not clean at all.
This hygienic standard is unacceptable in facilities where, for example, food is displayed or medical services are performed. It is especially for these activities - which, moreover, are subject to strict sanitation regulations - that the floor scrubber-dryer is an essential guarantee of hygiene.
READ: FLOOR HYGIENE WITH A SCRUBBER-DRYER
A further and final point in favor of the scrubber-dryer in the challenge against manual methods, where efficiency is the main winner.
