FEATURE TECHNOLOGY UNLEASHING THE POWER OF SCRUBBING Scrubber dryers earn the role of cleaning workhorse by virtue of their versatility alone. But going cordless leads to a raft of further advantages, says Stephen Pinhorne, UK national sales manager of Truvox International machines is fuelling the trend. This is another dimension in which the scrubber dryer most clearly demonstrates its utility, and all the more so with the advent of modern battery power. Cordless scrubber dryers are particularly well suited to hospitals, leisure centres, retail outlets, hotels and transport hubs where continual cleaning is required throughout the day, and contact with the public is guaranteed. High manoeuvrability, ease of control and low noise levels are essential as the cleaning team work around the building – and often around customers. Clients also recognise the safety benefits of going cordless. Trailing power leads stretching across rooms and corridors pose a tripping hazard for building users and operatives. That risk shouldn’t be under-estimated. The Health & Safety Executive says slips and trips are the most common cause of major injuries at work. Its information sheet on the importance of floor cleaning puts cables and leads from cleaning equipment top of its list of potential trip hazards. 24 SEPTEMBER 2016 CLEANING HYGIENE TODAY The more corners, fixtures and narrow spaces, the greater the hazard of snagging cables, and the more valuable a flexible, cordless machine becomes. Productivity also benefits as operatives don’t have to stop continually to unplug, coil the cable and find the next socket. While some in our industry have argued that the time spent recharging and/or swapping batteries can cancel out those productivity gains, the advances made in battery technology in recent years are addressing those concerns. Short run times held back the adoption of battery power but their developers are making great strides. The rechargeable batteries now on the market operate longer between charges and energy usage is also improving. They are faster to recharge so managing the downtime of a fleet is simplified. Past concerns about the reliability of battery-reliant equipment are also being allayed. Truvox adopted lithium-ion technology for the Multiwash 340/Pump Battery. This makes it lighter and highly manoeuvrable, and scrubbing power is not compromised as its cylindrical brushes counter-rotate at 400rpm. The initial capital cost of any machine should always be considered in the context of return on investment. As production of batteries and cordless machines rises, The day is approaching when just about every machine we use may be cordless, given the leaps and bounds being made in battery technology. There are practical gains to be made, not least in convenience, across the board, but in the case of the scrubber dryer, the marriage of fl exibility and versatility is especially productive. Clients in many sectors tell us that their scrubber dryer has become the workhorse of the cleaning team as they wash, scrub and dry in one pass, leaving floors that are both clean and safe to walk on. The variety of flooring in many buildings makes it harder to maintain consistent standards of cleanliness, particularly if operating a mixed fleet of specialist machines. An advanced scrubber dryer – such as Truvox International’s Multiwash or Orbis models – can take most floors in their stride: from timber, laminates and composite vinyl to concrete, terrazzo, slate and stone. The Multiwash can even clean escalators, travelators and entrance matting, as well as soft floors and ‘difficult floors’ like rubber-studded flooring. In an intensively used building, some daytime cleaning is likely to be essential, which only adds to the high standards of professionalism that must be shown in all aspects of the cleaning operation. The shift to daytime cleaning is continuing for financial and other reasons, and the availability of quietly efficient cordless The shift to daytime cleaning is continuing for fi nancial and other reasons, and the availability of quietly effi cient cordless machines is fuelling the trend. ”
Cleaning Hygiene Today September 2016
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