Sweeper Or Scrubber Machine: Which One Is The Best Machine For You?

Sweeper or Scrubber, both machines can make the hectic task of cleaning big floor areas easy. Buying a sweeper machine or scrubber machine is an investment, and therefore it is important to know what each machine does and which one is best suitable for you. There are several factors to consider when deciding whether to buy an industrial sweeper or a scrubber. The target is obviously cleanliness but the level of cleanliness needed, facility, floor condition, type of debris, dirt, stains, etc., decides which one you need to get the job done in your space.

Let us share with you how a sweeper differs from a scrubber so that you can decide easily what works in your facility. Choosing the right machine can save you labour cost, maintenance cost and operational cost giving benefit to your business.

Sweeper Machine

If your floor needs sweeping of dust, dirt and debris such as sand, marvels, metal pieces, cement, etc., an industrial sweeper is a right choice for you. A sweeper has a broom and a vacuum system that sweeps all the dust into the chamber, leaving your floor dust-free. Industrial sweepers are best suitable to be used in factories, warehouses, schools, carparks, and generally in all big dusty environments where you need to sweep dust and debris.

There are different types of sweepers available in the market. Walk-behind sweepers are highly manoeuvrable and are suited for small areas, narrow pathways, corridors and tight spaces. If a factory is small to medium with over 1000 square meters, then a rider machine is the best option. A Ride-on sweeper is used to sweep large surface area floors in quick time. So, with the right industrial sweepers, get light, medium and heavy debris and dust removed from your commercial and industrial floors and enjoy floor-sweeping benefits in quick time by saving labour costs.

Scrubber Machine

If you want your floor to be squeaky clean with no grits, spills, grease and stain, etc. scrubber machine is what you need for your floor. A floor scrubber machine uses a brush, water and cleaning chemicals in combination to scrub all the dirt, chemicals and marks from the floor, leaving it clean and dry. A scrubber produces automatic mopping and scrubbing by injecting water and cleaning chemicals on the floor with scrubbing brushes breaking up the stiff dirt and stains. The dirty water is collected into a water tank for disposing of it later. There are different types of brushes fixed in a scrubber machine. Disc and cylindrical brushes are the most common types. Disc brushes are suitable for concrete or non-contoured vinyl floors where you need aggressive cleaning, whereas cylindrical brushes are better if your floor is rough and grouted. The cylindrical brushes are great for picking up the light debris and eliminating the need to pre-sweep before scrubbing.

Scrubber machines are well suitable in large warehouses, factories, pharmaceutical plants, shopping plazas etc., where you need your floors to shine and need supreme standards of hygiene. Using a floor scrubber is time-consuming and labour-intensive as compared to a sweeper machine. You obviously need to keep a stock of cleaning chemicals, and you need to fill it before use. Using a floor sweeper is faster and easier than using a scrubber, but there is a difference in the end result that is cleaning.

Scrubber machines are also available as walk-behind and ride-on machines. Choose a walk-behind machine if your factory area is not so big and you need a machine that is capable of manoeuvring tight spaces. Whereas as buy a ride-on scrubber machine for your large factory and let your operator do the efficient cleaning in a single pass leaving the floor neat and clean safe for people. The advantages of floor scrubbers are great as the end result is a squeaky shiny neat floor with better air quality with reduced dust.

Examine your floor cleaning requirements and decide whether you need a sweeper, scrubber, or a sweeper-scrubber combo

Assess your floor requirements and the current cleaning practices to make the right move. Evaluate total area in square footage, floor type, time currently required for cleaning the floor, number and width of aisles, pathways, the type of debris in your facility and the number of personnel involved in cleaning activities. Sometimes, your business needs both that is sweeping and scrubbing. If there is loose dust on the floor and the usage of chemicals and grease and forklifts moving around, it is better to sweep and scrub to achieve high cleaning standards. Hence, the choice depends upon what you are trying to achieve. But yes, you should have prior knowledge of your need and both the machines before you finalize which one to buy and what gives you maximum benefit.

Once it is finalized, there is more to look at in these machines. Sweeper and Scrubber machines come in a variety of sizes and with different power sources.  The sweeper and scrubber size obviously depends on the size of your floor and the frequency usage. The price also varies from one model to the other. The machines are powered through different sources. Battery-driven machines are preferred where low noise levels are needed, and they are low in cost and maintenance, but the run time is limited to 2 to 4 hours. Engine-driven machines provide longer runtime as these are powered through LPG, diesel and petrol, suitable for large factory floors, but these certainly have more maintenance cost. There are hybrid machines available as well, giving you the best of both worlds by reducing fuel costs and extending run times.

Bottom Line

In general, both floor cleaning machines, sweeper and scrubber, have their own advantages. These machines have made it really easy to clean industrial and commercial floors quickly, with less labour and less effort. Keeping all the above in mind, decide wisely and keep your floors clean and ever-new.