Maintaining smaller, public spaces like convenience stores, fast-food restaurants, and small retail stores can be challenging. Because floor space is at a premium, cleaners often have to walk through shelves, displays, or furniture. Plus, the constant flow of people makes it difficult and unprofitable to close an area for a thorough cleaning for long periods of time… and it constantly brings in new dirt. Of course, customers want to see a clean space, no matter the challenges.
There are a variety of tools available for cleaning smaller, obstructed public spaces. Many facilities rely on traditional mop and bucket systems, or corded or battery-powered micro-scrubbers, which clean well and efficiently, but are more expensive than manual cleaning.
How do you determine which floor cleaning system is best for your smaller space?
First, Take Inventory
- To ensure you get the best cleaning system for your space, it's important to take some time to make sure you've considered your daily routine and space needs. Here are some questions to consider:
- How much time does a typical shift take to clean the floors? Time your cleaning sessions on a few days during the week and average them to get a sense of how much time your staff spends cleaning the floors with your current system.
- What do your customers expect from your facility? Customers always want clean spaces, but for restaurants and grocery stores, the requirements can be even higher.
- In addition to regular cleaning, how often do you need to clean? If your facility is prone to spills and must clean up when they occur, it means someone on your team needs to be pulled away from other tasks.
- If you have to close off parts of your floor for cleaning while customers are present, how does that affect foot traffic and sales? Will customers leave your facility while floors are closed for cleaning?
- Do wet floors pose a risk of slip and fall accidents for customers or employees? If you need to make floors accessible while they are still wet, this may increase the likelihood of accidents.
- How does weather affect cleaning?Are there other external factors that can affect these tasks? Snow and ice or sand and dust can affect cleaning needs…and costs.
Then consider your options
Mop and bucket systems have their pros and cons. The same is true for micro scrubbers. Here are some things to consider when looking at the available options.
Traditional mops
Cost and ease of use are the biggest advantages here. Traditional mops, buckets, and wringers are inexpensive and don't require a lot of training for new employees, so cleaning operations are very consistent.
But consistently? If you've ever walked past a bucket of chocolate-colored mop water and wondered how clean your floors could possibly be, you've discovered one of the main drawbacks of traditional mops. Mop water is difficult to clean once it's dirty. Some even say that mops are really good at getting your floors spotless-it's hard to see dirt when it's everywhere.
Also, mops leave water on the floor. If cleaning is done during customer hours, water on the floor can present a slip risk, something you may want to consider. While you can mitigate some of the risk by cordoning off areas of your store, this can affect customer traffic and sales.
Finally, traditional mop systems, while easy to use, can be bulky and cumbersome. If your team members are mopping frequently, this can be tiring, whether it's maneuvering a soaking-wet mesh mop head or picking up a full bucket of water
Micro-Scrubbers
You can opt for a "miniature version of a traditional scrubber – there are a wide range of options and price points for these cleaning tools. There's no doubt that automated cleaning equipment will cost a lot more upfront than a rope mop. But a few quick calculations on productivity, sales impact and slip/fall risk will show that the value over time is more than justified.
The cleaning results are where micro-scrubbers really win out. In any automated system, spinning brushes scrub the floor with clean water, and a vacuum system collects the dirty water into a separate tank so that the dirt isn't redistributed. If your cleaning is about meeting your customers' high expectations, a micro-scrubber can help you achieve your goals. The vacuum also means that the floor is virtually dry when the cleaning is complete, minimizing the time you have to close or restrict cleaning areas.
Micro-scrubbers come in a variety of designs and different features, so if you're exploring this option, you'll want to consider Another set of questions:
Is your space open and unobstructed?
If so, a slightly larger machine with a wider cleaning head and larger water tank will provide greater efficiency.
Do you need to clean around and under furniture and fixtures?
In this case, a small, easy-to-maneuver cleaner based on a mop design may provide greater efficiency for your space than a scaled-down brush design.
Does your equipment often need to handle quick, unplanned tasks?
Battery-powered equipment adds cost and maintenance requirements, but when leaks occur or dirt and water enter your space, it is easy to grab and carry away.
How often do you need to train new employees?
Most micro-scrubbers are easy to learn, but consider ease of use and maintenance in your decision-making process.
Ultimately, there is no "one size fits all" solution for small space cleaning. Your productivity requirements, your customers' needs, your space requirements, and your budget are all factors that will determine your decision. Taking the time to carefully consider the potential benefits and trade-offs of different cleaning systems will help you make a choice you can be confident will deliver the cleaning results you expect.