Have you noticed that your auto scrubber isn’t leaving your floors clean and dry after use? You may need to check your auto scrubber’s squeegee blades.
The squeegee blade on an auto scrubber is used to collect water and cleaning solution from your commercial floors.
When your auto scrubber squeegee blade is functioning correctly, your floors will be left clean and dry after one pass.
However, if your auto scrubber squeegee blade has been installed incorrectly or has damage from wear and tear, it can leave water and solution behind on your floors.
Any remaining water or leftover solution can increase the risk of slips and falls, putting the people in your building at risk.
If you see your squeegee blade isn’t properly collecting so
lution, it’s likely time for your cleaning team to check and flip or replace the squeegee blade.
In this article and video, we will explain how to tell when your auto scrubber squeegee blade needs to be changed and how to change the squeegee blades on your janitorial floor cleaning machine.
How Do I Know When To Change My Auto Scrubber Squeegee Blade?
An auto scrubber squeegee blade should be able to collect all of the moisture from your floors.
It’s normal for squeegee blades to become worn or damaged due to factors like uneven flooring, repeated use, or cleaning chemicals. When this happens, your auto scrubber may leave behind streaks or patches of water or cleaning solution on your floors.
If you’ve noticed that your squeegee isn’t picking up all of the water and cleaning solution or leaving behind streaks, it is time to check your squeegee blade.
Most squeegee blades have four usable edges, but some may only have two depending on the manufacturer.
Squeegee blades that are damaged or visibly worn should be changed to an unused side. After all the “new” sides of the blade have been used, the entire blade should be replaced.
Streaks on your floors may also be caused by squeegee blades that were installed improperly and are unbalanced or uneven on the floor. If that’s the case, the auto scrubber squeegee blades need to be reinstalled so that they’re resting properly on the floor.
Why Should I Change My Auto Scrubber Squeegee Blade?
A worn or damaged squeegee blade will not be effective at removing the water and solution from your facility’s floors. This can cause a variety of issues, including:
- Increased Risk of Slips and Falls
- Longer Downtimes
- Costly Reworks
Increased Risk of Slips and Falls
The moisture left behind by a squeegee blade that needs to be replaced will increase the risk of slips and falls by the people in your building.
Since your floors may not be dried thoroughly, when the people in your building walk on your floors, they may injure themselves, resulting in higher costs for your business.
Longer Downtimes
When you have a wet floor in an area of your facility, your janitorial staff should use a caution floor sign to alert the people in your building of a wet floor.
When you use an auto scrubber to clean your hard floors, your floors are left dry after each pass. That means that an area being cleaned can be re-opened immediately after cleaning.
If the squeegee blade is not able to gather and remove the slurry left on your floors, the people in your building won’t be able to return to the area being cleaned until the floors dry.
Costly Reworks
When streaks and patches of water are left behind, your floors will need to be re-cleaned in order to achieve your desired level of cleanliness.
If your staff or guests walk onto a floor that hasn’t been fully dried, they could cause dirtier floors that require reworks.
Completing reworks takes up part of your cleaning team’s shift and hinders their productivity, which would ultimately cost you more in labor costs.
Everything you need to know about auto scrubbers including types, sizes, specs, & more!
How To Change Your Auto Scrubber Squeegee Blade
- Remove the squeegee blade housing and inspect the edge of the squeegee blade
- Release the squeegee blade from the housing
- Flip the squeegee blade to a fresh side
- Reattach the squeegee and the housing back to the machine
1. Remove the squeegee blade housing and inspect the edge of the squeegee blade
A squeegee blade on an auto scrubber is attached to the bottom of the machine.
Typically, you will have to remove the suction tube and loosen the blade housing using the thumbscrews.
Once removed, inspect the side of the squeegee blade being used for signs that it needs to be changed. This includes curled edges, tears, or any other signs of wear and tear.
Everything you need to know about auto scrubbers including types, sizes, specs, & more!
2. Release the squeegee blade from the housing
Once you’ve identified that the squeegee blade needs to be changed or rotated, you should release the squeegee from the housing. This will allow you to inspect all sides of the squeegee.
You should look at the remaining sides and identify which are fresh and can still be used.
3. Flip the squeegee blade to a fresh side or replace the blade
Next, you’ll have to flip the squeegee blade to the fresh side and attach the squeegee to the housing.
Double-check that the side of the squeegee is fresh before reattaching the housing back onto the auto scrubber.
If all sides have been used, replace the blade.
Pro Tip: If this is the last useable side, make sure to note that it is time to order a new squeegee blade.
4. Reattach the Squeegee blade housing to the machine
Finally, attach the squeegee blade housing back onto the auto scrubber machine.
To do this, you should tighten the thumbscrews and reattach the suction hose.
5. Adjust the squeegee blade
Adjust the squeegee blade so that it is level with the floor and will properly collect water from the floors. If the squeegee isn’t properly adjusted, you may notice that water isn’t properly being picked up from your floors.
Most auto scrubbers have adjustment knobs that will lift and lower the squeegee blade and adjust the leveling.
Make sure that your squeegee has even pressure across the entire length of the blade for adequate moisture pick up.
Final Thoughts
A properly functioning floor cleaning machine is important to keeping your floors clean and looking their best. Your janitorial staff should make sure that your floor cleaning machine is being maintained properly, including the squeegee blades.
You and your cleaning staff should be sure that your squeegee blade is being used and kept in the best condition to maintain your facility’s clean floors.
Imperial Dade locations have a wide range of auto scrubbers and equipment accessories that will help your cleaning staff maintain your commercial floor cleaning equipment.
If you’re located in the United States, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, or Canada contact a Specialist today for more information on how you can maintain your facility’s hard floors.
Check Out These Related Articles:
- Causes of the 6 Most Common Auto Floor Scrubber Problems & How to Solve
- Floor Scrubber Maintenance Guide: Tips to Extend the Life of Your Machine