The Australian cleaning equipment industry is saturated with suppliers claiming they have the best commercial floor scrubber on the market, with countless features and attributes to offer customers. When reviewing the options, and with a bit of research and comparison, you will soon be able to separate key model performers to make the most informed cleaning decision.
From a commercial perspective, scrubbers offer an opportunity to quicken cleaning processes, save on labour costs, maintain an impressive company image and make more efficient use of water and chemical consumption. A commercial floor scrubber compared to an industrial one focuses more on the manoeuvrability of the machine rather than the scrubbing pressure, and is built for less extreme environments.
Depending on the application, frequency, operator and needs of the client, the best commercial floor scrubber is different based on these factors. We will shortlist below some of our top picks from different criteria's to help new buyers understand what could work best for their application.
BUDGET
Floor scrubber machines offer a high value for investment opportunity for customers. For this reason we always recommend investing in quality machinery that is durable, provides ease-of-use and desired cleaning performance while containing operating costs. It is understandable that every business has different investment capacities that at times can limit users to higher quality grade machinery. This is why we offer the Viper cleaning equipment range as one of the best budget floor scrubbers on the market, because not only is the price more affordable, the quality and cleaning performance of these machines is still suitable for commercial applications and comparable to other major players!
Viper cleaning scrubbers have the base needs of any commercial premises sorted through the standard scrub brushes and pads available for both walk-behind and ride-on units. Two popular units available from Viper include:
You can easily compare the pricing and specifications of these units to other commercial models via our website compare feature.
Hiring
For customers who still seek a solution in the higher tier brands, hiring the equipment can be an excellent alternative where they can benefit from maximum cleaning performance without large capital outlay. Hiring can range between a single day to 60 months, inclusive of servicing and maintenance costs allowing it a simple way to forecast or budget.
PRODUCTIVITY
Productivity is possibly one of the most decisive factors when purchasing a cleaning machine to ensure your facility is being covered in a time-efficient manner while making effective use of operator labour. Whether you are a contract cleaner or have an in-house maintenance team, productivity is key.
In order to understand what a productive clean looks like for your area, ask yourself the following questions: what is the area size in square metres? What is the floor material? What labour is available to operate the machine? When is the best time to clean and how long does that optimal opportunity last for? Once you have these questions answered, you will be able to compare three main specifications of productivity rate, cleaning path and runtime to determine what matches your needs best. Additionally the power type (such as battery, LPG or Diesel) is a large factor that affects estimated runtime. Almost every cleaning machine has these specifications available on their brochure or product factsheet, which can be found under the ‘Documents’ tab on our website.
OPERATOR
A key advancement in cleaning equipment over the last decade has been in user experience whilst cleaning and maintaining the machine. Some notable suppliers including Fimap and i-team have put some considerable effort in the control panel system due to market understanding that commercial businesses tend to have multiple operators using the scrubber depending on shift-work. This means the machine needs to be easy to learn and adopted by any operator.
Fimap have Base and Plus versions of their Maxima commercial scrubbers, giving customers the option to opt for the Plus which features easy touch-screen controls and in-built video tutorials for convenient training.
i-team have developed an easy dial on their i-mop scrubbers that allows swift changing of cleaning modes from brush only, to brush + water, to brush + water + squeegee depending on the operator's requirement. The Plus and Pro models also feature an hour metre timer that helps indicate servicing requirements and usage of the equipment overall.
These things combined with yellow touch-point maintenance guides make a massive difference to the synergy and adoption of any scrubber dryer in a commercial environment. Think about the staff who will be operating these machines and their technical experience to help make a decision.
MANOEUVRABILITY
For commercial settings, many customers seek out a solution that is compact enough to easily navigate beside, edge cleaning and underneath obstacles without collision. Some customers also seek a solution that is easy to transport from place to place, such as a multi-level retail store or a contract cleaner moving to different sites.
The i-mop is again a preferred choice for this requirement as it has 360 degree turn capacity, one of the most manoeuvrable walk-behind scrubbers on the market. The i-mop also has very flexible steering ability to allow low movement underneath objects such as tables.
From a ride-on perspective, the Fimap BMg commercial floor scrubber is a popular choice due to being so compact while maintaining a wide 650mm cleaning path for accelerated coverage. Entertainment venues such as RSL/Bowling Clubs have found this as a suitable solution due to undertaking regular cleaning in multiple areas alongside public visitors.
RECOMMENDED SCRUBBER BASED ON APPLICATION
When determining what the best commercial floor scrubber is for your application, it is important to understand that there tends to be an opportunity trade-off when choosing between different success factors such as productivity, manoeuvrability and usage. This is why so many different models exist on the market. Below we have summarised a few examples of commercial applications and the model suited to the environment.
Entertainment Venues
Fantastic for cleaning in preparation for various events, easy turning capacity and touch-screen interface to allow any operator at any time.
Commercial Kitchen
Very wide 620mm cleaning path for walk-behind configuration, i-mop XXL can easily manoeuvre between benchtops and appliances with brush & pad options for deep cleans.
Small Retail Store
Compact sweep, scrub and dry machine, SC250 is great for tight retail aisles and uneven surfaces due to it’s cylindrical brush. Foldable handle for easy storage after each clean.
Hotel Accommodation
Great for accommodation premises with obstacles, SC100 has a low deck for cleaning tight spaces with a vacuum hose and carpet kit for more cleaning ability.
Commercial cleaning machine on your terms
There are a large selection of scrubber models suitable for different commercial premises based on your unique facility needs. Keep in mind that Capital Equipment scrubbers can be purchased outright, hired on a casual or long term basis, or financed through our Zip partner under the ZipBiz account. There is something for every budget and application. Contact our team for further assistance!