Why should we use orbital scrubbers?

Education facility managers and administrators struggle to balance limited operational budgets and a need to maintain clean and healthy schools for their students and faculty.

Subject to continuous foot traffic, floors become soiled quickly and that dirt is tracked throughout buildings. Soiled floors not only detract from the overall aesthetics of facilities, but slick dirt and grime can cause slip-and-fall hazards while dust and allergens adversely impact indoor air quality (IAQ). Numerous studies have identified poor IAQ as a key contributor to the development of asthma in young people and the spread of other illnesses among students and faculty. These illnesses lead to increased absenteeism, which is directly linked to poorer classroom performance.

Orbital scrubbers allow maintenance teams to maintain a high level of cleanliness with minimal chemical and water usage. By actively removing dirt and grime, as well as the chemical residue that attracts dirt, orbital scrubbers help maintenance staff to keep schools healthier. The introduction of orbital scrubbers has allowed schools to maximize operational resources and enhance the learning environment while continuing to achieve a high level of appearance that meets the expectations of students and staff.

While orbital scrubbers achieve a high level of performance for daily scrubbing, they also offer the flexibility to be used for deep scrubbing and chemical-free floor finish removal. Traditionally, the deep scrub and recoat process required many hours of labor, multiple machines and harsh chemicals. Orbital scrubbers allow this operation to be performed with water only — no chemicals — helping schools to enjoy significant budget savings while introducing fewer chemicals into their facilities.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

Scott Keller is a market manager for Nilfisk, Inc. (www.advance-us.com, www.clarkeus.com). He can be reached at 763/745-3824.

Featured

  • Utah Valley University Opens New Engineering Building

    Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, recently held a grand-opening ceremony for the new Scott M. Smith Engineering Building, according to a news release. The facility is one of the largest engineering buildings in the state at almost 200,000 square feet, and it plays home to the university’s Smith College of Engineering and Technology (SCET).

  • University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Launches New Emergency Communications System

    The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) recently deployed a new emergency notification and incident management system for its campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with 911Cellular to launch Safe@UTC, a smartphone app allowing university officials to communicate and respond during emergency situations.

  • Indiana Wesleyan University Schedules Grand Opening for New Welcome Center

    Indiana Wesleyan University recently announced that it will soon open a new Welcome Center on its campus in Marion, Ind., according to a news release. The facility will serve as the home base for prospective students and their families to learn more about the university and student life there. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for February 19.

  • Round Rock ISD Completes New Early College High School

    Round Rock ISD near Austin, Texas, recently announced that construction is complete on a new, 46,500-square-foot campus for Early College High School, according to a news release. The new facility will allow the school’s students and staff to move from portables into a permanent building and increase its enrollment to 500.