Ask the Expert (Cordless Vacuums)
Are Battery-Powered Backpack Vacuums Worth the Gains?
Cordless equipment is something of a
holy grail to the cleaning industry. It is safer to
clean without the potential tripping hazard of
a cord, and the elimination of cord management
tasks and outlet limitations considerably
speeds up vacuuming. Some cordless units
clean faster than a corded model and an
upright. Many calculate their labor savings and
purchase them for that reason alone.
That said, cordless backpacks are still a
relatively new technology, so early adopters
do pay a premium price for a quality model. In
order to determine whether that investment
is worthwhile for your program, look at the
proven benefits of cordless equipment, and
determine which are specifically relevant to
your facility challenges.
For example, one school we talked to was
losing time cleaning their library with corded
backpack vacuums because their bookshelves
were longer than a 50-foot extension cord
could reach. They would have to unplug and
plug in again just to clean a single row. With a
cordless backpack vacuum, they significantly
improved productivity for vacuuming the library,
and they were able to apply the cordless
backpack vacuum in other areas to maximize
the return on investment.
Another school needed to do high cleaning
of rafters and ductwork on a lift. They were
not comfortable with the risk of hanging a
cord off the lift and invested in a cordless
backpack vacuum for that task. Once they had
it, they discovered that other types of detail
cleaning, like vacuuming along all the baseboards
of a room at once, were more efficient
with the cordless backpack.
Quiet cleaning, cleaning amidst building
occupants, and cleaning areas with large
square footage are other ways that we have
seen clients justify the investment.
About the Author
Jacalyn High is director of Marketing for ProTeam Vacuums. She can be reached at 866/888-2168 or through proteam.emerson.com.