How to Choose the Best Floor Scrubber Pads & Brushes for Your Machine

June 08 2021

Industrial cleaning machines rely on floor scrubber pads and brushes to help break up dirt and debris. The floor brushes and pads you choose should be able to effectively clean your surfaces without damaging them.

Scrubber accessories are designed for specific environments. The type of flooring you have and the level of dirt you experience will both play a role in the floor machine pads and brushes you choose.

Different floor pad and floor scrubber brush types are available. Learn more about your options before you buy to find the perfect fit for your facility.

Floor Scrubber Pads

An industrial floor scrubber may have pads or brushes. Scrubber sweeper models or large outdoor street sweepers often have both. Floor scrubber pads are often used for indoor areas.

Floor machine pads are round and come in a variety of textures for different types of flooring. The color of the pad indicates its aggressiveness. Use white floor machine pads for general cleaning, red for scrubbing, green and blue for deep scrubbing, and black for stripping. As the color of the pad darkens, its aggressiveness increases.

White and red floor scrubber pads will not remove the floor finish if used as intended.

Polishing pads, or burnishing pads, are typically light pink, tan, or light blue. When selecting floor scrubber pads, keep your flooring type and dirt level in mind. If you have a resilient floor with multiple coats of finish, use a light-duty pad like white or red, depending on the dirt level.

If you have pitted, uneven concrete flooring that is excessively dirty, a much more aggressive pad or a floor scrubber brush would be a better fit. Consult your flooring manufacturer guidelines before purchasing floor machine pads if you are unsure.

Floor Scrubber Brush Types

A floor scrubber brush is a better choice for cleaning tough messes and industrial byproducts than a pad. Brushes are also ideal for textured surfaces like grouted tile. The bristles of a floor scrubber brush effectively reach into the cracks and creases of textured flooring for a deeper clean. Brushes last longer than pads but are much more expensive.

Most scrubbers use a rotary scrubbing brush. These circular floor brushes rotate continuously to lift dirt and debris from the ground. Different floor scrubber brush types have different levels of aggressiveness depending on the bristle types.

Like pads, choose a rotary scrubbing brush based on floor type and dirt level. For resilient and coated surfaces, use soft bristles. For concrete and greasy buildup, use a brush with aggressive bristles. Like pads, different colors are used to indicate the bristle type of each rotary scrubbing brush.

Here are a few floor scrubber brush types:

Poly: Use poly floor brushes for general scrubbing applications. They’re a good fit for concrete, terrazzo, ceramic, linoleum, and vinyl flooring.

Scrub Grit: Scrub grit floor brushes have short, thick bristles for removing grim on non-resilient surfaces like terrazzo, concrete, tile, and epoxy.

Strip Grit: Strip grit brushes are some of the most aggressive options of all the floor scrubber brush types. Use these floor brushes to remove things like grease, sealant, and wax.

Nylon: Nylon floor scrubber brushes are very versatile and common. They can be used on almost any flooring type and have good bristle bend recovery.

As with pads, you should consult your flooring manufacturer if you are unsure whether a certain floor scrubber brush is suitable for your floor type.

Finding the Right Equipment & Accessories

Now that you have an idea of which floor scrubber pads or brushes you need, let’s make sure you have the equipment to match.

Your scrubber accessories are only as effective as your scrubber itself. If your cleaning equipment could use an upgrade, compare new and used scrubbers and sweepers from top dealers in your area with ScrubberShop.

ScrubberShop allows you to compare pricing on inventory quickly and easily. Plus, there’s no cost or commitment to purchase. Simply select the equipment type and specifications you’re looking for here. Then, we’ll send you free quotes on inventory nearby that meets your selections.

Find the Best Deal on an Industrial Scrubber or Sweeper for Your Facility.