Deep Cleaning Hard Floors

Floor cleaning is critical for maintaining safe and healthy environments. Floors can harbor disease-causing germs, which can easily be transported onto high-touch surfaces and become sources of cross-contamination. When floors will also be disinfected, cleaning must happen first. According to the USDA cleaning removes a large percentage of microorganisms and also improves disinfection efficacy because many chemicals don’t work as well when organic material is present.

Removing all soil, stains, and organic material requires deep cleaning, which is more thorough than a typical daily cleaning in most commercial and institutional facilities. Automated scrubbers are the fastest, most effective, and safest equipment for deep cleaning hard floors. 

10 best practices for deep cleaning hard floors with a scrubber

1. Use a chemical portioning system. This system adjusts the amount of chemicals to meet the demands of the job and saves cleaning staff from having to pre-mix the solution.
   
   
2. Keep the machine clean and dry. All parts of the machine, including brushes and pads, should be thoroughly washed and allowed to dry after use.
   
   
3. Inspect the squeegees and blades regularly. The condition of the squeegees determines how effectively the machine picks up the contaminated water.
   
   
4. Keep the recovery tank lid open after use. This will allow the machine to dry and eliminate odor-causing bacteria.
   
   
5. Leave detergent on the floor for the recommended dwell time. Use an EPA-registered disinfectant and allow for sufficient dwell time.
   
   
6. Use cylindrical scrubbing when needed. Cylindrical machines wet sweep debris off of the floor and scrub it clean in a single pass.
   
   
7. Use a pad containing diamonds or cubic zirconia. Pads containing microscopic diamonds or cubic zirconia can significantly decrease the amount of bacteria on flooring.
   
   
8. Double scrub as required. Double scrubbing aids disinfection by removing stubborn soils.
   
   
9. Use personal protective equipment (PPE). When working in areas where germs may be present, cleaning staff should follow national, state, and local guidelines for PPE.
   
   
10. Maintain the machine. Follow manufacturers’ recommended timelines for replacing filters, pads, etc