Pros And Cons Of Multipurpose Floor Equipment

This is part two of a three-part floor equipment roundtable.

Are machines that can perform multiple tasks as effective as machines designed for one use? For example, some orbital machines can be used on carpet as well as hard flooring, but are these machines as effective on carpet as an extractor?

Machines designed for single use are inherently more effective than multitasking equipment. The goal of multitasking equipment can meet the need of extending periodic maintenance and improving productivity for BSCs. Multitasking equipment has many benefits, including reducing storage space and purchase costs of new equipment. It also allows for a BSC to have the flexibility to meet evolving customer demands without additional investment. - Grace Widseth, portfolio manager - floor care, Sealed Air Diversey Care, Charlotte, North Carolina

An extractor is designed to do one job very well, clean carpeting. Many extractors now come with light cleaning modes that allow for periodic cleaning with low water and chemical so that the carpet will dry more quickly. These same machines will also have a deep extraction mode to perform a deeper clean of the carpeted space. This type of flexibility is not available when cleaning carpet with an orbital or disc floor machine. Floor machines can be used to clean carpets, but this is not what they are designed to do so it will never perform as well as an extractor. - Scott Keller, marketing manager, BSC, Nilfisk, Inc., Plymouth, Minnesota 

In most cases, Orbital machines are considered to be older technology and not recommended by the carpet mills. In carpet cleaning they are generally used for low moisture or interim maintenance bonnet buffing. However, counter-rotating cylindrical brush machines are now regarded as just as productive, yet far more effective than bonnet buffing.

In the case of restorative cleaning, where an extractor would normally be used, the extractor is far more effective and a much better choice on heavily soiled carpet as opposed to bonnet buffing.

In summary, we should use counter rotating cylindrical units for interim maintenance and extractors for restorative maintenance. - Gareth Mason, president, NaceCare Solutions, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada


Is it cost effective for BSCs to purchase machines that can operate on multiple surfaces?

It can be effective, however it really depends on what the customer’s definition of clean is and which type of surface needs to be cleaned more intensively. Every dual purpose machine will be designed to primarily clean hard or carpeted floors and can be modified to allow the user to clean the other. These machines typically do a very good job on their primary surfaces, but the cleaning quality is compromised on the secondary surface.

For example, many self contained carpet extractors can be modified to clean hard surface flooring. While the machine will perform this task reasonably well, it will not provide the same level of clean and efficiency as a machine designed specifically for cleaning hard surface flooring. - Scott Keller, marketing manager, BSC, Nilfisk, Inc., Plymouth, Minnesota 

In some cases, it is cost effective for BSCs to purchase multitasking equipment. We understand that BSCs are constantly being asked to create efficiencies in their work — saving time and extending periodic maintenance are often the answers. The key is choosing an equipment supplier that consults to understand customer needs and designs a full program and training to create efficiencies and the best solution for the facility. - Grace Widseth, portfolio manager - floor care, Sealed Air Diversey Care, Charlotte, North Carolina

Absolutely. The right multisurface machine can provide significant cost savings and efficiencies to BSCs.  In our case, we manufacture a machine that is outstanding on carpet and grouted floors yet also operates as a great escalator cleaner by simply changing the brushes. Escalator cleaners are quite expensive, and this unit provides this function by simply purchasing an optional kit. - Gareth Mason, president, NaceCare Solutions, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada


With ride-on machines, is it better for a BSC to sit or stand?

The key to either sitting or standing on ride-on machines is visibility. Consider the type of facility — in an airport, sitting may be better as there is more open space, while in a school, standing is advantageous as there may be more obstacles or debris to navigate around. Quality of cleaning can be impacted if the machine operator cannot see an obstacle or if the squeegee picks up large debris. Standing can improve visibility, but also can lead to driver fatigue. Small micro-riders are a perfect solution, giving the operator an improved line of sight but also putting them in a better position to get on and off the machine quickly if there is a need.  - Grace Widseth, portfolio manager - floor care, Sealed Air Diversey Care, Charlotte, North Carolina

The ideal platform is really driven primarily by the space to be cleaned and the budget available for equipment. Rider machines are normally the most productive and provide the most comfortable experience for the operator. Walk-behind and stand-on platforms are ideal for smaller footprint locations, however extended periods of scrubbing will lead to operator fatigue and a tapering off of productivity. If you are cleaning a larger facility such as an airport, warehouse or shopping mall you may want to have a mix of the various platforms where the riders are deployed for large open spaces and the stand-on platforms are used for food courts or other smaller or confined spaces. All platforms are now available with orbital scrubbing technology, so a BSC doesn’t have to compromise on performance or advance technology regardless of the machine type they choose. - Scott Keller, marketing manager, BSC, Nilfisk, Inc., Plymouth, Minnesota 

Sit. It has been proven that operators prefer it; it’s easier on their backs and better for their overall welfare. If someone has to stand, they are better off with a walk behind unit. Anyone who works trade shows can attest to the fact that it’s a lot easier to walk a few hours than to stand in one place. - Gareth Mason, president, NaceCare Solutions, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada