Looking for the best industrial floor cleaning equipment and techniques? Something that’s up-to-date, modern, and will serve your business well in 2019 (and many years to come)?
According to a study on
commercial cleaning in Australia, this industry currently sits at $12b revenue per year, growing at a steady 5% per year, with close to 30,000 registered businesses.
This growth is, in part, due to more companies outsourcing their cleaning services for better efficiency and to maximise the capabilities of in-house staff. But at the same time, we’re seeing increasing competition, as more companies want a share of the opportunities available. One way to make sure your business comes out on top and benefits from the growth is to stay on top of the trends in cleaning methods and equipment - this makes your company more attractive to potential clients, and more efficient and profitable.
We’ve had our finger on the pulse with current and future floor cleaning technology, and we’ve noticed four main trends emerging for this year. Understanding these trends and using them to inform your cleaning processes and industrial floor cleaning equipment purchases will help you operate more efficiently and stay competitive.
So let’s get you up to speed...
#1 Interim carpet cleaning to reduce staining
The process to clean soft flooring and carpets is changing. Not long ago, the routine looked like this:
- Daily - vacuum
- Quarterly - deep extraction clean (or sooner if there’s visible dirt)
The problem with this method is that dirt and grime stayed in the carpet for longer, increasing the likelihood of permanent stains. And deep extraction was a time-consuming process - with particularly long drying times.
Now forward-thinking commercial cleaners are adopting a new method - interim cleaning. What this involves is spot cleaners and fast-drying interim cleaning products to gently clean areas that need it. Because interim cleaning takes as little as 30 minutes to dry, companies can use this technique every month, or as often as needed to keep the carpets maintained and cleaned.
And if you want to read more, check out our previous blog on
commercial carpet trends.
#2 New techniques for new floor types
Floors are changing, and so is the technology used to clean and maintain them. For example, luxury vinyl tiles are really on-trend at the moment. They’re a more matte finish and won’t need as many coatings and burnishings to maintain them, which means your customers may save on maintenance costs. But it’s worth recognising that the duller, matte finish on these floors will never “look” as clean as a glossier floor. So if your client is in an industry where a glossy, clean appearance is crucial to their image (think: restaurants, cafes, medical facilities, etc.), it’s worth advising them on the potential trade-offs.
#3 Orbital technology for faster floor finishes with fewer chemicals
When you re-coat a coated floor, typically, you’d need to use a lot of water and chemicals to strip the previous floor coating. But with new orbital scrubbing technologies (featured on scrubbers like the
T300 / T300e Walk Behind Scrubber) you can use just the orbital scrubbing pad and water to strip floors and sand down the finish. So you can say goodbye to stripping chemicals and all the excess water that comes with them.
Plus, no chemicals means your employees don’t need to get protective equipment or spend time getting the gear on. Using modern industrial floor cleaning equipment with orbital technology means you can cut out a whole bunch of cleaning supplies from your inventory. And it means you can get the job done faster, safer, and
greener than ever before.
For an Orbital demonstration, watch this
video.
#4 Battery operated vacuums
It’s officially time to upgrade to cordless battery operated vacuum cleaners if you haven’t already. Anyone who’s operated a vacuum knows how annoying cords are. They get in the way, disrupt your cleaning every few metres, wear out quickly, and present a potential trip hazard.
Fortunately, lithium-ion battery powered vacuum cleaners are on the rise, and they’re getting better and more powerful all the time. Lithium-ion batteries are lightweight, hold a charge longer, and can be recharged over and over again - this makes them better than alternatives on the market (like nickel-cadmium and lead-acid batteries), and ideal for powering vacuums.
Switching your staff over to battery powered vacuums creates a safer work environment, helps them operate more efficiently, and cuts costs right away. Plus, they’re a much quieter machine, which means they’re ideal for
cleaning quiet areas.
Embrace the trends for cleaner, more efficient operations.
Technology is changing all the time in the cleaning industry. Companies who keep up will benefit the most and stay ahead of the competition, with more efficient operations, more thorough cleans, and more satisfied customers.
If you’re not sure about what kind of industrial floor cleaning equipment you should invest in next, we can help. Contact us for a discussion around where new technology can add the most value to your business.
