When you have your industrial floor sweeper there can be a lot of things to keep track of. Not only do you have to worry about keeping a sizable floor clean, but you also have to maintain the machine itself. If you don’t perform preventative maintenance on your floor cleaning machine, it’s likely to bite you in the behind later down the road. Pretty soon what would normally be a simple job will turn into a huge headache. However, keeping your machine in good working order will ensure you get a good return on your investment.

Use the following handy checklist to help you do just that.

Charge the Batteries

Before you start cleaning, you need to make sure that you have a fully charged battery. There’s nothing more grating than having to stop in the middle of a partially clean floor to recharge. This will waste a lot of your time as well as your client’s.

Typically, a machine should be charged after at least 30 minutes of use. If the floor takes a little longer than that to clean, that’s alright. Just make sure you have a fully charged battery before your next job!

Examine the Recovery Tank

You have to make sure that you empty the recovery tank before you start cleaning. Do not neglect to do this! If any water is left in the tank, you run the risk of allowing it to fill up too quickly, which, again, will eat up your time when you have to stop in the middle of a partially clean floor to empty it.

Use Clean Water

You want to double-check that you are using clean water in the tank and not the leftover dirty water from your last job. Ensure that you mix freshwater with approved industrial cleaning agents for maximum benefit, otherwise you’re just dumping water on a floor and not really cleaning anything.

Replace the Scrub Pad

Don’t clean the floor with a worn-out buffer. These need to be regularly replaced in order to make sure the floor comes out looking sparkly clean when you are finished. A cleaner floor will lead to happier clients.

Flip the Squeegee

Make sure that the squeegee blade is fresh and in good working order ahead of time. It can be a challenge if you are trying to use a squeegee blade that has seen better days. One tactic you might want to try in order to get more bang for your buck is to flip the squeegee blade around, so you are using the other side. This way, you can squeeze out twice the life of your squeegee.

Clean the Machine

After you are finished with the job, don’t neglect to properly clean the machine itself, inside and out. Dirt and grime can build up over time from multiple cleans, in places you wouldn’t even think to look otherwise, so inspect it thoroughly. Use a high quality all-purpose cleaner and a clean, moist cloth to do the work. Remaining diligent to keep it clean will help ensure you don’t decrease the life of your investment.

Rinse the Filters

The filters on your floor scrubber should be cleaned after each use as well. This will ensure that the next time you use the machine you won’t have a bunch of buildup in the filters. You can use normal clean water in order to clean the filters. Once you get in the habit of doing this it will be easy.

Empty the Water Tank

After you use your floor cleaning machine, make sure to empty the tank and rinse it out to ensure there is no buildup of leftover gunk or grime. The longer the grime sits in the tank, the harder it will be to scrape out, so take care of it sooner rather than later. This will ensure that your floor scrubber is ready to use for the next job.

Cleaning floors do not have to be a taxing chore. If you use this checklist each time you work, it will become second nature. That way, you don’t even have to think about it, you can just get it done! And you can rest assured it will be done the right way every time.

Edward Bertrand