Floor scrubbers

Floor cleaning takes up about 54% of overall cleaning time. However, floors represent some of the most important aspects of the livability of an environment:

• The aesthetic aspect linked to cleaning and finish
• The safety aspect linked to the slipperiness of the floor
• The hygiene aspect linked to cleaning and sanitization

These observations gave rise to the need to mechanize floor cleaning, with the following goals:

• To reduce the time taken to clean floors
• To make floors immediately usable
• To increase the safety of people, preventing the possibility of slipping on wet floors
• To ensure consistent cleaning results

The automatic floor scrubbers were designed to satisfy these aims. They are machines that can scrub and dry the floor in a single operation, leaving the surface completely dry.

A floor scrubber, or scrubber dryer, is composed of:

• A scrubbing unit, referred to as the brush head, which is equipped with one, two, three or four disc or cylindrical brushes, activated by motors that use water and detergent to remove the dirt from the surfaces.
• A system to collect and vacuum the dirty water from the floor (referred to as the squeegee)
• Two tanks, the solution tank (containing water and detergent) and the recovery tank (where the dirty water is collected)
• A control and driving system

Understanding how a floor scrubber works is fundamental in order to make the most of its potential.

With regard to their function, the first thing to specify is that floor scrubbers can be powered with a battery/ies, cable (connected to mains electricity) or, for the largest models, with gasoline or diesel motors.

The operator who uses these machines can guide them by walking (in this case, they are known as “walk-behind floor scrubbers”) or comfortably seated on them (commonly referred to as “ride-on floor scrubbers”).

There are walk-behind and ride-on floor scrubbers with working (or cleaning) widths of different sizes. Comac offers a range of floor scrubbers with a working width that varies from 35 to 130 cm.

The walk-behind floor scrubbers are guided by the operator who walks behind them, controlling them manually using a handlebar. Meanwhile, with ride-on floor scrubbers, the operator is seated on board the machine and controls its movements via the steering wheel and pedal controls.

Floor scrubbers also vary in terms of type of power supply and type of brush head. Indeed, there are floor scrubbers with a disc brush head, a cylindrical brush head or an orbital brush head.

Floor scrubbers can be equipped with three different types of scrubbing brush head:

• Disc brush head with one, two or more disc brushes
• Cylindrical brush head with one or two cylindrical brushes
• Orbital or roto-orbital brush head, respectively equipped with pad in rectangular or round shape

A brush head with disc brushes is extremely versatile: it adapts to all types of floor and easily removes stubborn dirt. The version with dual disc allows the detergent solution to be directed to the center of the floor scrubber, or the point of maximum suction, thus reducing side splashes.

A brush head with cylindrical brushes combines scrubbing and sweeping actions to allow the floor scrubbers to effectively clean floors that also have small, solid residues. They are usually equipped with a debris hopper installed directly on the brush head to easily collect small pieces of debris that have been collected during scrubbing.

Orbital floor scrubbers are equipped with an orbital or roto-orbital scrubbing brush head that uses a micro vibration movement. This movement exerts a large amount of energy on the floor and for this reason, it is a brush head that is suitable for cleaning different types of floors, ensuring perfectly uniform cleaning even at the sides of the brush head. In addition, it can work effectively even without the use of chemicals in many situations.

Every type of floor can be scrubbed and dried. For some of them it is necessary, however, to follow certain warnings as regards the quantity of water to be used, the type of brush or abrasive floor pad, and the force applied. In conclusion, mechanical scrubbing is suitable for every type of floor except carpet, natural wood or suspended flooring.

In case of more stubborn dirt, it is possible to carry out a pre-wash cycle in order to allow the detergent solution to act on the dirt, before subsequently passing back over the area with the vacuum function activated.

Yes, absolutely. The more compact floor scrubbers are ideal for cleaning small and cluttered environments. They can pass through very narrow spaces and are easily transportable, so they can be used in various environments.

There are many reasons, but we'll concentrate on the main ones (those put forward by the users themselves). The main reason is that when a floor scrubber is used with the right detergent for the type of surface, the floor undergoes a deep hygienization process that cannot be compared with manual cleaning systems (mop and bucket) usually used in environments with small surfaces (up to about 1,000 sq.m.). Opting for a floor scrubber over a manual system enables the machine to work with clean water throughout the entire shift, while with a mop the same water is often used for the entire operation.

Furthermore, thanks to the mechanization of the process, cleaning operations take just half the time and require no effort at all from the operator.

The use of a floor scrubber thus enables savings of time and money, increasing the hygiene of environments and the safety of the people who live within them.

Absolutely not. While they offer professional performance, the latest-generation floor scrubbers are extremely easy to use, thanks to the care taken to simplify their use as much as possible. All floor scrubbers are accompanied by a use and maintenance manual to clarify any doubts regarding their use. The most technological models are equipped with a touch screen display that allows video tutorials to be viewed directly on board the floor scrubber.

Furthermore, the special attention paid to the ergonomics of the instrument panels and controls allows the operator to immediately recognize the individual functions, so learning times are minimized.

The floor scrubbers can be used with any type of detergent explicitly created for these machines. This is because unsuitable products can create foam inside the recovery tank which could damage some of the components.

By following the manufacturer's indications with regard to dilution and using the dosing system fitted on certain models, excellent results can be achieved.

It is absolutely forbidden to use very aggressive products like caustic soda, acids, diluents or solvents.

Mechanized cleaning, or the use of a floor scrubber, allows:

• Cleaning times to be reduced, making it possible to use the floor immediately
• The hygienic standard of the surface to be improved and maintained over time
• The consumption of resources linked to scrubbing operations to be reduced

Indeed, the mechanization of cleaning operations allows for reductions in the use of:

• Water: cleaning using a floor scrubber optimizes water consumption (and consequently, the amount of detergent used).
• Detergent: a reduction in water consumption means a reduction in detergent consumption, too.

If we also consider that Comac offers systems specifically designed for recycling and reusing the water used during cleaning operations, the consumption of the floor scrubber in terms of water and detergent is even lower.

The floor scrubber scrubs and picks up the dirt, this consideration explains the need for maintenance related to its use.

The implementation of innovative technologies and technical solutions specifically designed for these machines has enabled the necessary operations to be reduced to a minimum.

After using the machine, it is necessary to drain the dirty water and rinse out the recovery tank, clean the squeegee rubber blades and if the machine is battery-powered, recharge the batteries.

It is important to remember that the correct maintenance of the floor scrubber after each use enables consistent scrubbing performance to be maintained over time. For this reason, Comac has chosen to use the color yellow to distinguish the elements involved in daily maintenance, in order to further facilitate the work of the operator.

Periodic maintenance of the floor scrubber is also of fundamental importance to maintain performance levels and reduce operating costs. For this reason, we suggest ensuring that regular scheduled maintenance checks are always carried out by an authorized technician, and only using original spare parts.

The floor scrubber must provide the solution to a cleaning problem, and for this reason, there are a few assessments to be made before choosing:

• Evaluate the surface to be cleaned and consider the total size of the area and the presence of any ramps or narrow passages, in order to understand the maximum dimensions of the floor scrubber
• Examine the type of flooring in order to understand the most suitable type of brush head and accessories such as brushes or pads.
• Identify the type of dirt in order to understand the type of cleaning operation required: namely, whether maintenance cleaning is sufficient or if heavy duty cleaning is necessary
• Understand your requirements when choosing the type of power supply. A battery-powered floor scrubber eliminates the need to stay connected to a power socket, while a cable-powered version enables the machine to work continuously without having to worry about charging the batteries.
• Contact an expert to further assess and identify the exact model of floor scrubber required and how to use it.

There are two main distinctions regarding the type of operation to be carried out with a floor scrubber, or whether the requirement is for:

• Maintenance cleaning, an operation performed frequently that involves scrubbing and drying in a single passage on floors with light dirt
• Heavy duty cleaning, an operation usually performed less frequently, which involves pre-washing and subsequent scrubbing and drying on floors where heavy dirt is present.

The battery is the power supply system used most widely in floor scrubbers, due to the fact that it allows them to be used in enclosed areas or spaces where there is no power socket. There are several types of battery for floor scrubbers:

• Lead (acid) batteries that need maintenance in order to restore the level of electrolytes, have high charging cycles and must be charged in dedicated charging locations.
• GEL batteries that do not require maintenance and have high charging cycles; these do not need dedicated charging locations.
• AGM batteries, which have the same characteristics as GEL batteries but can withstand lower charging cycles.
• Pure lead batteries that do not require maintenance, are quicker to charge and can withstand many charging cycles. They can also be partially recharged at any time.
• Lithium-ion batteries which are much lighter and more compact than the batteries listed above, and therefore used on floor scrubbers with smaller dimensions. This technology makes them quick to recharge, and they can be charged at any time, even if the battery is not completely empty.

The best cleaning results are obtained using the correct combination of the floor scrubber and its corresponding accessories. Indeed, there are various types of brushes, pads and squeegee rubber blades suitable for tackling different types of dirt and surfaces.