Cleaning Made Easier with Cordless Backpack Vacuums

ProTeam

Protecting student health and the institution’s reputation was made easier for the University of Utah when they adopted the GoFree Flex Pro cordless vacuum in their cleaning operations.

The University of Utah’s campus in Salt Lake City is comprised of 130 buildings with 8.5 million square feet of facility space. The custodial staff of about 300 people maintains the campus through a district system with six groups that run somewhat independently of one another. Todd Stoneking works with a core group that supports the other six groups with equipment, training and other knowledge.

Motivated to protect the health of building occupants and enhance the respected image of the university, Stoneking and the rest of the custodial staff work to maintain the campus to a high standard in spite of challenging spaces. To improve cleaner productivity in challenging spaces, they implemented eight GoFree Flex Pro cordless backpack vacuums from ProTeam in six different buildings.

“Cordless backpack vacuums have their fit in cleaning a university, places where it is cost-effective to use them,” says Stoneking. “We can’t put one in every room, so we place them where they save enough time to save manpower in relation to the cost of the unit.”

The GoFree Flex Pro cleans in areas where power outlets are infrequent, where obstacles are prevalent, and where 24-hour traffic makes it difficult to clean safely. In each of those areas, it saves time. In the case of the campus library and lecture-style classrooms, it cut vacuuming time in half.

“We have another brand of cordless backpack vacuum as well,” says Stoneking. “After using them both a bit, my personal feeling is that the ProTeam is just a stronger vacuum with a better runtime.”

Stoneking improved upon the university’s cordless backpack vacuums by upgrading to the most recent harness design.

“The staff likes the new FlexFit harness a lot better than the previous harness,” says Stoneking. “It has better padding, so it’s a lot more comfortable.”

proteam.emerson.com

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Moline-Coal Valley School District to Consolidate Two Schools into New Facility

    The Moline-Coal Valley School District in Moline, Ill., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff from two existing schools, according to local news. Robert Ontiveros Elementary School will serve as the new home for Lincoln-Irving Elementary School and Willard Elementary School.

  • Texas District Breaks Ground on Second High School

    The Waller Independent School District in Waller, Texas, recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for what will become its second high school, according to a news release.

  • Photo credit - Chuck Coates

    Florida District Modernizes Central Energy Plants at Two High Schools

    Flagler Schools, a public school district in Flagler County, Fla., recently partnered with Matern Professional Engineering to modernize the central energy plants at two of its high schools, according to a news release. The project is part of a larger, district-wide effort to reduce energy costs and operational expenses.

  • Spaces4Learning Trends & Predictions for Educational Facilities in 2026: Part II

    As education leaders look toward 2026, the design of K–12 and higher education facilities is being reshaped by powerful, converging forces. Survey respondents point to the rapid growth of Career and Technical Education, deeper alignment with workforce and industry needs, and the accelerating influence of AI and emerging technologies.