A University’s Path to Sustainable Floorcare

Cylindrical Brush Auto-Scrubbers Deliver Low-Moisture Cleaning

When a major Chicago university decided to transfer to Green cleaning, the school's administrators decided to take it a step at a time. The first thing to change was the cleaning chemicals, they figured. A variety of products were tested, all meeting specific Green criteria, and then the ones that performed the best were selected.

The university then decided to replace its aging vacuum cleaners with HEPA-filtered machines. Staff, students, and the custodial crew were all happy about this because the old machines seemed to release as much dust into the air as they collected.

Carpet extractors followed. Meeting with their jansan distributors, visiting tradeshows, and speaking with facility managers at other colleges around the country, the school administrators became familiar with the benefits of carpet extractors with enhanced, multistage vacuum motors. These systems provide superior water/moisture/solution recovery so carpets dry faster with little chance for mold, mildew, or unhealthy microorganisms to develop.

But when it came to selecting more environmentally responsible floor machines, the administrators hit a brick wall. How can a floor machine be Green?  Aren't all floor machines essentially the same?

In recent years, new technologies have been developed that make floor machines Greener and more environmentally friendly. However, one new technology, the administrators discovered, seemed to be healthier, more effective, and overall easier to use than any other system they tried: cylindrical brush floorcare technology long promoted by Tornado.

Cylindrical brush floor machines are low-moisture floorcare machines. This means they use less water and less chemical than conventional rotary machines. Whenever less water, and especially less chemical, is used in cleaning, it promotes sustainability and is a key component of Green cleaning.

Also, unlike rotary machines that glide over floors, the brushes on cylindrical machines are designed to penetrate deep into the pores and grout of floors. The machines have four to as much as six times the contact pressure of a typical rotary machine, and this also helps remove soils and contaminants without the need for more cleaning solution.

And the school administrators were impressed with one more Green aspect of cylindrical floor machines. Most industry professionals are unaware of the fact that as much as 500 million pounds of cleaning tools and equipment are sent off to landfills every year. A great deal of this includes the pads on rotary floor machines.

But cylindrical brushes are doing their part in reducing this. They last as much as 100 times longer than the typical rotary pad, which not only helps protect the environment but is a cost savings to the school as well.

Most Green cleaning experts know that a facility cannot turn all-Green overnight. It is a step-by-step process. Taking it a step at a time, this university now incorporates Green cleaning in all its campus buildings. And cylindrical brush floor machines have been a key part of the school's

Green cleaning transformation. They play a major role in keeping the facilities' floors clean, shiny, and Green.