When it comes to cleanliness in the workplace, a great deal of attention goes to the floors. And it’s only logical given the traffic the floors go through day in and day out. No matter whether it’s an industrial setting with production and warehouse facilities, or a corporate setting with offices, floor cleanliness is crucial to maintain the safety at an optimal high.
Not having any dirt, dust, debris, and spills also makes the workplace more presentable and professional. To do so, it takes thorough sweeping and scrubbing, but when productivity and effort are concerned, the investment in machinery is the solution that would help you save both time and money as a company.
Tennant is one brand that stands out with its cleaning machinery, but they have plenty of options of specialised Tennant scrubber machine products as much as Tennant sweeper machine products. To scrub or to sweep? This is the question we’re going to discuss in this text.
Floor Scrubbers vs. Floor Sweepers
Operation
Although at first glance they may appear the same, there are differences in terms of the method of operation. The scrubber is the one that works with water and a combination of cleaning chemicals to better scrub and remove stains, as well as ingrained dirt and grime. The sweeper is the one that works like a broom or a vacuum as it collects the loose dirt from the surface. As such, this one is the dry cleaner.
If you have a hard time deciding between the two as you find both operations to be useful and essential for your business, the key lies in the hybrid design which is a combination of a scrubber and a sweeper. The Tennant scrubber machine range is also available with sweeper, and it’s all thanks to the inclusion of both mechanisms in one. This hybrid operates by first doing a dry sweep, and then doing the wet scrub.
Performance
In terms of this aspect, both the scrubbers and the sweepers promise a lot as it’s all in the variety of brushes and adjustments they come with. The floor scrubbers Tennant offers are great with their efficiency, and are fit for heavy-duty industrial cleaning. One such example is the battery-powered CS5 micro, which comes with a convenient 5L tank capacity, and effective 12kg scrubbing pressure.
It’s speedy yet quiet, and makes for a great investment as it can clean a variety of floors and floor covers, from vinyl and tiles to carpet, as well as non-slip safety floors. Depending on where and how you intend to use it, you have other designs too, like the manually-operated walk-behind T1 option, which are good for more narrow and tight spaces.
As they’re scrubbers, they’re also the ideal choice for areas where there are more chances of oil and grease, like food areas, in the example of kitchens and food production facilities. As far as the sweepers go, they make for a good addition to the cleaning arsenal when you have to cover a larger area with sweeping. They’re fit for a variety of surfaces too, from asphalt and concrete to carpets, ideal for a range of workplaces, from offices, malls, carparks and factories, to warehouses and production facilities.
In case you’re looking for a combination of scrubber and sweeper, the T20 is a mighty option that can take on any heavy duty you put it through as it’s got a powerful LPG or diesel power configurations. You don’t have to worry about safety or protection of your floors, as it’s got an operation-forward design with backup camera and yellow touch points, and cushioned rollers.
Labour
What makes the Tennant scrubber, sweeper, or scrubber and sweeper combo a good investment is the fact it reduces the manual labour required to sweep and scrub the floors. This is especially convenient in workplaces where there’s an enormous floor surface to clean and maintain on a daily basis. When employees have the ease of cleaning with such machine, there’s reduction in the risk from injuries or exhaustion.
Which results in fewer sick leaves and absenteeism. The only labour the workers would have to do to operate the scrubber or sweeper machine would be to walk it through the space, fill up the water and chemical container (in the case with the scrubber), and empty it once the dirt has been contained. Generally, the sweeper has a quicker operation than the scrubber.
But, it’s all relative to the design you’re using, and the type of space you’re cleaning. If you prefer to get some model that requires even less labour, keep in mind there are ride-on machines the workers get to use while riding. The difference is the walk-behind are somewhat more compact and easier to manoeuvre in tight spaces, plus they come at a lower price initially, whereas the ride-on are bigger, more robust, and tend to be more expensive.
