Keeping your auto scrubber in peak condition will make sure that your team is able to clean your floors thoroughly and efficiently throughout the year.
After an auto scrubber is used, your janitorial team will need to pay close attention to certain areas of the machine and be sure to properly maintain parts that are prone to damage and corrosion.
Keeping your machine in good condition will allow it to last longer and help you achieve a good return on your equipment investment.
Without maintenance, you can experience costly consequences, like unexpected machine breakdowns and damaged or corroded elements.
To combat unnecessary costs and machine downtime, you and your cleaning team need to know the most effective ways to keep your auto scrubber working its absolute best.
In this article, we will walk you through the 8 maintenance steps that should be completed after every use.
How To Keep Your Auto Scrubber In Good Condition
There are certain cleaning and maintenance steps to perform after each time you and your cleaning staff use your auto scrubber to clean your commercial hard floors.
If regular maintenance procedures aren’t being completed, you might notice that your floor pads are wearing out more quickly, metal parts are corroding, or your solution tank has an unpleasant odor.
What Are The Steps To Maintaining An Auto Scrubber?
Below, we’ll cover the 8 steps that should be followed when maintaining your auto scrubber after use:
- Drain Solution and Recovery Tank
- Rinse The Solution and Recovery Tank
- Clean The Float Shut-off Filter
- Leave The Tank Open To Dry
- Remove, Rinse, And Store The Floor Pad
- Remove, Rinse, And Store The Squeegee
- Remove/Clean the Clean Water Filter
- Charge the Auto Scrubber
1. Drain Solution and Recovery Tank
The first thing you should do when you’ve finished using your auto scrubber is drain the solution and recovery tanks.
The solution tank holds clean water and soap while the recovery tank holds dirty water that has been removed from your floors.
These tanks need to be emptied after each cleaning procedure.
If your solution tank isn’t fully drained, leftover cleaning chemicals can form a gel-like substance that can block the water flow from your solution tank.
If your recovery tank isn’t drained after use, it could lead to a sludge-like mixture forming on the bottom of the tank. This mixture is made of dirt and soils collected from your floors. If it dries, it could cause a lingering odor in the recovery tank even after it’s been cleaned.
You can drain your auto scrubber tanks using the drain hose if your machine has one. In the event that there’s no drain hose, you can manually dump the tanks into a mop drain or sink.
2. Rinse the Solution and Recovery Tanks
Once you have drained the solution and recovery tanks on your auto scrubber, you should rinse both tanks.
Rinsing the tanks will ensure any dirt or soils that were leftover are removed.
You can rinse your auto scrubber tanks using a hose to thoroughly clean leftover debris. Remember to empty the auto scrubber tanks after rinsing them.
3. Clean the Float Shut-Off Filter
The float shut-off filter is located in the recovery tank.
In an auto scrubber recovery tank, the shut-off filter has a float mechanism that stops the flow of water when the tank is full.
There might be hair, dirt, or lint stuck in the shut-off filter of the machine. You should rinse the filter, wring it dry, and replace it.
4. Leave the Tank Open to Dry
You should leave the recovery tank of your machine left open to dry. Some machines have a mechanism that will hold the lid of the tank open.
Pro Tip: If your auto scrubber tank is not left open to dry, mold, mildew, and odors may develop.
Everything you need to know about auto scrubbers including types, sizes, specs, & more!
5. Remove, Rinse, and Store The Floor Pad or Brush
After you’ve finished rinsing the tanks of the auto scrubber, you’ll have to remove the floor pad or brush from the machine.
You should not leave the pad on the auto scrubber between maintenance procedures because it could cause the floor pad to become uneven.
Once you have removed the floor pad, you should rinse it thoroughly to get rid of excess dirt and debris from the floor pad. This will allow your floor scrubber to achieve the best clean possible.
Place the floor pad aside to dry.
If you used a floor brush on your auto scrubber, you should remove and rinse it, as well.
6. Remove, Rinse, and Store the Squeegee
The auto scrubber squeegee should be rinsed and wiped after performing cleaning procedures to reduce the chance of spreading dirt or soils across the floor.
Start by removing the squeegee housing from your equipment. You will likely have to remove the suction tube and unscrew the blade housing.
Next, rinse the side of the squeegee blade that has been used to clean the floors.
Then, dry the squeegee and store the squeegee where it can air dry.
7. Remove/Clean the Clean Water Filter
The clean water filter catches any dirt or debris from the clean solution before it reaches the floor.
You can usually find this filter on the bottom of the machine. Once a week you should remove and rinse the filter to clean any debris or dirt that’s accumulated there.
After cleaning, the clean water filter should be replaced.
8. Charge the Auto Scrubber
Many auto scrubbers have onboard battery chargers that can be plugged into the wall. These machines can be charged using the provided charging cord. 
You should be careful not to opportunity charge your auto scrubber batteries.
Opportunity charging can lead to reduced battery life due to repeated overheating.
Pro Tip: Opportunity charging is charging your batteries before they reach their minimum discharge before the cleaning procedure has been completed. Learn more about opportunity charging.
Only charge the batteries on your auto scrubber after you’ve finished the cleaning procedure.
Allow the machine to charge until the battery has reached full capacity and has had time to cool down.
Final Thoughts
Taking the necessary steps to maintain your auto scrubber after every use is important to get the most out of your floor cleaning machine.
Your janitorial team should be sure to perform these steps after each use to keep your machine operating at peak performance.
Even with proper maintenance, your auto scrubber may require periodic maintenance to prevent unexpected breakdowns.
Imperial Dade locations have a range of floor cleaning machines to help maintain your facility’s flooring.
If you’re located in the United States, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, or Canada, contact a Specialist today for an evaluation of your floor maintenance program.
Everything you need to know about auto scrubbers including types, sizes, specs, & more!