Tip of the Month

Why Does Cylindrical Brush Technology
Make Such a Cleaning Difference?

For the past several years, Tornado has been touting cylindrical brush technology as an innovative cleaning method. A demonstration with one of our cylindrical brush machines does indeed show that it cleans more effectively than equipment using discs. So we have a great ending to the story.

But what about the real story behind cylindrical brush technology? Why does the cylindrical brush technology perfected by Tornado outperform disc machines and those using other types of cylindrical brushes? The answer will allow you to see cylindrical brushes in a new light and will alter your perception of what “clean” from a machine really means.

First, our cylindrical brushes spin at between 1,000 and 1,500 rpm, depending upon the machine used. Discs rotate at between 175 and 250 rpm. That means that you’re getting about five and a half to six times the number of “hits” on the floor with cylindrical brushes as compared to discs. More hits mean more scrubbing action.

Second, let’s look at the physics of the two cleaning methods. With a disc, the downward pressure needed for effective cleaning is spread throughout the surface area of the disc. With cylindrical brushes, the downward pressure is focused within the inch and a half line of contact that the brush has with the floor. Increased focus brings increased pressure, to the tune of at least six times the downward pressure of a conventional disc. Increased pressure on the floor means better cleaning action. A simple analogy is that of shampooing your hair. When you shampoo your hair, by instinct you don’t rub your hair with your palm to get it clean. Rather, common sense dictates that you scrub your hair with the tips of your fingers in order to get increased downward pressure and, hence, better cleaning. In essence, you imitate cylindrical brush technology every day without knowing it.

Next, because a cylindrical brush with short bristles flicks the surface to get it clean, these bristles can get down into grout lines or into the crevices of textured tile in a way that disc pads just can’t. The pad rides over the crevices, whereas the brush bristle digs down and flicks dirt out. No other system works as well on cleaning grout, period.

But what about other companies that use cylindrical brush technology, you may ask. Why haven’t they been as successful promoting their versions of this cleaning method? The answer is that their versions of this technology were adapted from their sweeper businesses and were not designed specifically for cleaning hard flooring. With sweeper-type brushes, the bristles are farther from one another and are longer. The result is that the bristles strike the floor with their sides, slashing the floor finish and not generating the action needed to truly clean the floor. In contrast, the densely packed Tornado brush bristles strike the floor with their tips, effectively scrubbing and enabling the chemical to work its magic. Another simple analogy is that of brushing your teeth with a six-month-old toothbrush as compared to a new one. With an old toothbrush with bent bristles, the sides of the bristles clean your teeth, which does not allow the chemical (the toothpaste) to get its job done. The bristles don’t get down into the crevices of your molars or into the spaces between your teeth. But with a new toothbrush, the cleaning is done on the tips of the bristles, enabling the toothpaste to do its thing, be it in molar crevices, on hard surfaces, or between teeth. “Tip” cleaning gets the job done, and nobody does it in the world of cleaning equipment like Tornado.

Now you know the whole story. So when considering how machines clean hard surfaces, realize that there is indeed a difference between the cylindrical brush and disc processes. Try it yourself and become a believer. As the adage goes, seeing is believing… and Tornado cylindrical brush technology is something that you’ve just got to see

It’s cylindrical brush technology that really cleans better. And it’s only from Tornado.

Mike Schaffer is the President of Tornado Industries.