Many distributors consider it a given, but whether a customer is scrubbing, stripping, cleaning or burnishing a floor, the right floor brush or pad is crucial in achieving desired results. True, most distributors and end users know the ins and outs of the pads they sell and use, but it shouldn’t be taken for granted. The wrong pad choice can waste a cleaner’s time, waste the product, or worse, ruin a perfectly good floor.

Brushes and pads are used very differently, though exceptional floor care is the mutual goal. Brushes came first, but when the industry introduced floor pads in the 1950s, they began to take over market share, says Michael Ambler, vice president of marketing for Swish Maintenance Ltd., Whitby, Ontario. For Ambler, pad sales dominate brush sales, accounting for 97 percent of the total. Brushes, however, still have their place in the product line, he adds. They’re needed for “uneven” flooring situations, such as tile, where a pad would cause grime to accumulate in the grout areas between the tiles.

It’s also a matter of money, says Brent Mauer, president of Five Flags Co., Burlington, Iowa. A 17-inch brush could run $250, while pads cost about $6 apiece. Though brushes will last much longer, the up-front investment is often too expensive.

Productivity is also a part of the brush/pad decision. Many argue brushes are actually more cost-efficient since they last longer. Again, there are benefits to both, but the decision relies on budget and need. Therefore, distributors contend, it’s important to survey customers to determine the right products to fit their specific situation.

Color Coding
Pads are color-coded according to the intended application, says Douglas Wallis, regional business manager for Gateway ProClean Inc., a distributor firm in metro St. Louis. So depending on a facility’s floor maintenance regimen, as many as five pads could be used for one job.

Because many facilities now choose to strip floors less frequently than in the past, these types of pads aren’t used as often. It’s unnecessary — and often impractical — to strip a floor every week, especially with the high quality of the floor finishes available today.

“You shouldn’t have to strip more than every six months to a year,” Wallis says. “You’re just wasting man hours and chemicals.”

When a floor is stripped, however, certain pad types are necessary. For example, cleaners must first decide how coarse they need the pad to be. Wallis says stripping pads come mainly in black, brown and light brown, with black being the coarsest of the three.

Daily cleaning and scrubbing calls for a green pad, and when cleaners are ready to buff a floor after applying floor finish, white is the right choice.

To enhance shine daily, buffing with a tan or red pad is also an option, Wallis adds. The colors are not entirely universal, he says, but most manufacturers’ products are produced in similar color schemes.

Buyer’s Choice
“Pads are something we don’t sell, but we take orders for thousands,” says Ambler. The marketplace considers pads a commodity, he adds.

“If I surveyed my sales force I bet I couldn’t find one person who has made a focused sales pitch on [pads]. It’s one of those add-on sales.”

Still, customers have certain expectations, and if a pad fails to produce the desired results, customers will demand answers.

“There are people out there that when you call on them, they want to know why there’s a price difference,” says Mauer. He says the main difference between pads or pad brands is that some last longer, and get the job done better and quicker.

“You’ll have the same results but you’re spending less man hours,” he adds.

Pad thickness and abrasiveness also contribute to longevity, so customers look for something that lasts and that fits their floor-care needs.

The life span of a pad depends on a few factors, including the end user’s maintenance regimen, as well as the upkeep of the pad. Upkeep includes rinsing and drying the pad after each use. Many users, however, simply toss pads once they’re worn. Proper care will increase the life span and allow end users to get the most out of their dollar.

However, Mauer reiterates that once customers find a pad type that works for them and produces sufficient results, they will stick with it.

System Sell It
Though distributors should always be able to explain a product’s costs and benefits — even if it has neared commodity status — real know-how comes when a distributor sells a system, rather than individual products.

“It’s a system sell today,” says Ambler. “What you’re really selling if you’re selling a burnishing pad is a shiny floor. The other parts are the equipment, the floor cleaner — even the type of mop you’re using to put the finish down. The key is having the knowledge to know which floor pads work with which.”

For instance, if a distributor is selling a stripping pad, he or she is selling productivity, and how quickly the pad can strip the floor, Ambler contends.

“It’s a matter of having the right stripper, the right pad and the right equipment,” Ambler continues. “The floor pad is merely part of a whole program and once again the floor pad is not something that you generally focus on — it merely complements the program you’re trying to sell.”




POSTED ON: 11/1/2001