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

  • UTampa Breaks Ground on STEM Academic Facility

    The University of Tampa in Tampa, Fla., recently broke ground on one of its largest academic facilities ever, according to a news release. The Dickey Science Innovation Center will measure 153,000 square feet and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • Designing Third Spaces That Do What AI Can't

    In 2026, education is evolving faster than ever. With AI reshaping everything from lesson planning to personalized instruction, schools and universities are turning their attention to what AI can’t replicate: spaces that foster collaboration, community, and creativity.

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.

  • Minnesota District Converts Middle School into Community Hub

    White Bear Lake Area Schools in White Bear Lake, Minn., recently announced the end of a major renovation project that converted a former middle school into a new centralized district and community hub, according to a news release.