5 steps to prepare before cleaning your floors

Automatic floor scrubbers make cleaning floors in your facility incredibly easy and efficient. They clean much faster than a mop and bucket. Additionally, new walk-behind and ride-on scrubbers are easier to use and more efficient than automatic scrubbers from a decade ago-a new generation of robotic scrubbers that takes this efficiency to a whole new level. But that doesn't mean cleaning your floors requires no work. One of the biggest keys to maximizing the efficiency and performance of your floor cleaning routine is making sure you properly prepare your floors for scrubbing. ​

Before using an automatic floor scrubber, follow these five simple best practices:

1. Remove the mat

Mats are a great way to keep your floors clean and reduce dust, dirt and debris. Before using an automatic floor scrubber to clean your floors, be sure to roll up and remove all mats.

Why it matters: Most automatic floor scrubbers are designed for hard floors, not carpet or rubber mats. This means that the automatic floor scrubber won't remove dirt from the mat; the mat can be easily removed and washed (that's the point!). Automatic floor scrubbers can also get caught on the edges of mats, potentially damaging the mat or the machine.

2. Clean the floor beforehand

You may want to clear away large debris before scrubbing, but the best practice is always to pre-sweep to remove all dirt and dust in the cleaning path. Even if no visible dirt is visible, a layer of dust will accumulate on most floors within a few hours.

Importance: Automatic floor scrubbers not only have strong cleaning capabilities, but also protect and improve the floor surface. Scrubbing dirty, dusty floors can cause many unnecessary problems. Scrubbers can turn large amounts of dirt into sludge and spread it across the floor, ultimately requiring multiple scrubbings to scrub the floor clean. Pebbles, rocks, and other debris can be dragged across the floor and can grind into it, damaging the surface. Dirt and debris can also cause additional or accelerated wear on brushes, pad drives, and other cleaning machine components.

3. Scrape off the sticky substance

A little addition to point 2: Before using your automatic floor scrubber, be sure to take the time to notice and scrape off any sticky material, such as chewing gum or dry food.

Why it matters: Again, modern automatic floor scrubbers are powerful at cleaning, but they are not designed to completely remove anything from the floor. At best, sticky residue will stubbornly resist washing and remain on the floor. But sticky residue can also be spread around by scrubbers or cause squeegees to leave streaks.

4. Remove obstacles

Move any obstructions, such as rolling shelves or displays, out of the cleaning path. If possible, move furniture, too.

Why it matters: You want to make sure you clean the entire floor space-don't leave dust and dirt around the edges of large or hard-to-clear obstructions. You also want to maximize the efficiency of cleaning your path, rather than taking a complicated route full of obstacles.

5. Post warning/warning signs

Safety always comes first: Don't forget to post warning/warning/wet floor signs in prominent places to ensure employees, customers, and other facility visitors know floor cleaning is taking place. Make sure the sign is placed in a prominent location at the entrance to the floor cleaning area.

Why it matters: Slip and fall accidents are a leading cause of injuries in the workplace, so take extra care to make sure people are aware immediately after scrubbing floors that they may get wet.

Well prepared

As with most things in work and life, spending a little extra time preparing up front can pay huge dividends down the road. Following these five simple best practices to prepare your floors before using an automatic floor scrubber can help you protect your floors and keep them looking shiny longer, while protecting your investment in cleaning equipment. But just as important, doing a little work beforehand can make your cleaning and labor more efficient-allowing you to consistently get the clean, shiny floors you want in the shortest amount of time.