The Definitive Guide to Commercial Floor Cleaning in Small Spaces

April 11, 2024 10:00 AM by Tennant Company

Posted in Innovation & Technology, Industry News & Trends,

Think of the last time you walked into a small public space—a bathroom, convenience store, small retail shop or quick-serve restaurant. Was it clean? If not, what impression did the unclean space make? Likely poor. Consequentially, you may have decided not to stay, shop or eat there.

Now, think about your own business—whether it’s an entirely small space or a mixture of large and tight spaces. What kind of impression do you want to make on your customers? Can you afford reputational damage with consumers or losing employees that don’t want to work in unclean, unsafe conditions?

The dirt on dirty spaces

According to a recent update to the State of Brick and Mortar Retail Report by Service Channel, more than 70 percent of shoppers reported a negative in-store experience, including dirty bathrooms, over a six-month span. That’s especially problematic since the report findings revealed that 85 percent of consumers still make more than half of their purchases at physical stores.

Furthermore, 64 percent of consumers surveyed for the report said they have walked out of a store because of the physical appearance or disorganization—with 20 percent citing spilled products or messy floors. Can you afford to lose 20 percent of your business due to messy, dirty floors?

The good news is you don’t have to lose business or suffer reputational damage due to unclean conditions. Sure, smaller spaces are tighter and tougher to clean. But there are technological advances and proven tools available that make convenience store cleaning and retail floor cleaning quicker, more efficient, and more cost-effective than ever.

Commercial floor cleaning machine comparisons

Mop and bucket: why it falls short as a solution

The traditional mop-and-bucket approach to cleaning floors in small spaces has gone the way of the dinosaur—or at least it should. Cleaning with a string mop and bucket is counterproductive to keeping the floors in small spaces clean. This method just pushes dirt around rather than lift it—leaving surface soil on a so-called clean floor.

With a traditional string mop, mildew can build on the mop, which results in spreading bacteria on floors. Likewise, too much cleaning solution on the mop can leave streaks on floors. In terms of maintenance, mop heads need to be washed after each use to minimize spreading dirt around. In addition, the cleaning solution in buckets need to be changed often to prevent mopping with contaminated solution.

Microfiber systems

Microfiber flat mop systems and corded or battery-operated micro scrubbers are a step up from traditional string mops and buckets. Microfiber mops are easy to learn and use, but the pads must be replaced frequently to prevent the spread of grime. Depending on how frequently small spaces need to be cleaned, this could add time to the task of floor cleaning.

Micro Scrubbers for small space cleaning

Micro Scrubbers are another far superior alternative to cleaning floors with string mops and buckets. They come with a variety of options and at various price points. Micro scrubbers like the Tennant CS5 eliminate many of the challenges of traditional mop and bucket cleaning. Its separate solution and recovery tanks deliver fresh water for scrubbing. Easy to operate under and around obstacles to clean hard-to-reach areas with the movable handle and compact size. The ability of 50-75 minutes of run-time, depending on battery type.

The Tennant CS16 walk-behind floor micro scrubber is compact, reliable, and user-friendly machine that suits cleaning in tight spaces with easy-to-use controls, low-profile design, and ergonomic handle. It’s ideal for hard-to-reach spaces in retail and convenience stores. With up to 70 minutes of run-time and a reduced noise level with Eco Mode setting.

Micro scrubbers have a higher up-front cost. But when factoring in productivity, sales impacts, and slip/fall risks, automated floor cleaning equipment provides a lot of value over time.

The latest innovation—i-mop^® Lite

The latest breakthrough for cleaning small commercial spaces is Tennant’s i-mop^® Lite. This smaller, mechanized scrubber was specifically designed to clean small commercial spaces. It makes cleaning bathrooms, kitchens, entrances and other tight areas far more easy, effective and efficient than other alternatives.

The i-mop Lite cleans in tight spaces and around obstacles, which is ideal for retail floor cleaning and cleaning floors in any small public space. It’s lightweight, easily maneuverable, and capable of 360° movement. In addition, i-mop Lite has a minimal footprint and can be easily picked up, carried, stored and used.

Sustainable, user friendly mechanized mop

There are no electrical cords with the i-mop Lite mechanized scrubber. It’s powered by environmentally friendly Lithium-ion batteries that can clean from 15,069 ft² hourly with a run time of 45 minutes per charge. This commercial floor cleaning machine comes with a rechargeable modular battery pack, and additional battery packs can be ordered for continuous run time by swapping out and recharging with an extra set of batteries.

A detachable tank makes it easy to replace or change cleaning solutions quickly or empty recovery water in a sink with minimal downtime. It also has a powerful 500 RPM motor that operates at twice the speed of many conventional disk scrubbers.

Make small spaces shine

It’s time to act—now that you know the business risk of not maintaining clean floors in small commercial spaces. The old mop-and-bucket approach to cleaning these spaces isn’t effective or efficient.

There are a variety of options that are far superior to string mops and buckets, including micro scrubbers and modern mechanized mops. Level up your cleaning routine in small spaces to make a positive, lasting impression on your customers and staff.

Learn more about Tennant solutions for commercial floor cleaning in small spaces.

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