Deep Cleaning Buying Guide


Deep Cleaning

Every restaurant, hotel or catering facility must be kept meticulously clean for so many reasons. Firstly, the food standards agency has certain hygiene rules which must be adhered to, also unwanted pests are attracted to dirt, food debris, spillages etc. and if you want your customers to continue coming to your establishment it needs to be a healthy, clean and pleasant environment to visit. Keeping your restaurant clean extends out of the kitchen to the main area, the floors, carpets, woodwork, the restrooms and even the exterior. You will find various items on the Alliance website designed to keep your establishment spic and span all from highly reputable suppliers and at excellent prices.

Carpet Cleaner

Carpets harbour germs, think about how many people pass through your doors with their shoes on bringing in dirt from the outside into your restaurant.  Food and drink gets spilled too so it is important that your carpet looks as good as new because customers will not appreciate a stained, dirty looking carpet.  There are various different types of carpet cleaners available from standard carpet washers which will clean your carpets but are unable to pick up dirt and debris meaning you need to use a hoover or vacuum first.  There are also multi-function carpet cleaners which can do both jobs, vacuum, and wash carpets.  The latter is a good idea if you want a space saving model because you don’t need two different pieces of equipment but they are never quite as powerful as vacuum cleaners when using the vacuum function.  Some carpet cleaners can even be used on hard floors but before you use your new carpet cleaner on a hard floor check the specification because on laminate floors or wooden floors which are not sealed the water could be damaging.  Upright carpet cleaners are more heavy duty and deep clean very quickly and efficiently, reviving carpet piles so they look fresh.

Points to Remember      

Look for carpet cleaners which auto-mix water and detergent because this is an excellent time-saving feature.

  • Look for lightweight models so they are easy to move around.
  • Look for carpet cleaners which leave upholstery and carpet almost dry after washing.
  • Crevice tools are essential for getting into tight corners and narrow spaces.
  • If you have tough stains you will need a detergent spray which treats stains before you wash the carpet.
  • Hand-held brushes are necessary for cleaning stairs and other carpeted areas, they can also be used on upholstery (check your manufacturer guidelines first).
  • A turbo tool is a rotating brush which is handheld and used to clean areas that can’t be reached with the main head.

Steam Cleaners

Industrial dry steam cleaners are designed especially for heavy duty cleaning using steam to lift and remove dirt so there is no need to use detergents.  Steam can be heated up to very high temperatures, 150 Deg C and cleans very efficiently.  Steam cleaning is good for all types of cleaning including in the kitchen, the bathroom, floors and walls so ideal for restaurant and catering environments.  Look for a product with a range of accessories for example:

  • Floor tools.
  • Upholstery tools/brushes.
  • Steam tubes.
  • Suction hoses with handles.
  • Jet controls to switch between hot water and steam.

Air Blowers

When you buy a carpet or floor cleaner you need it to dry out fast so you can open up and begin serving customers. Domestic carpet cleaners can take hours to dry which has little impact in the home but restaurants and hotels need something that doesn’t impact on their business, so business can carry on as normal which is why an air blower is a cleaning essential.  These products are designed to blow hot air in rooms which have been cleaned using steaming or washing appliances.  They are powerful and useful drying very quickly plus they are easy to store away when not in use; additionally they don’t produce too much noise so they are unobtrusive.

Scrubber Dryers

Scrubber dryers are used especially to clean floors, they are easy to work and produce efficient, professional cleaning results.  Most are suitable for deep cleaning including crystallising, shampooing and polishing. They are also easy to keep clean.  Mains powered scrubber dryers are best for small areas and look rather like a vacuum cleaner, cleaning and drying floors in one single pass. Whereas battery powered walk behind scrubber dryers are best for medium sized areas.  For very large areas there are ride-on battery powered scrubber dryers.    There are many advantages including no reusing dirty mop bucket water, good brush pressure, high speeds and instant drying so no wet floor dangers.

Points to Remember:

  • Which floors do you want to be cleaned?
  • Think about how many square metres can be covered per hour.
  • If you have an upright scrubber dryer check it has adjustable height.
  • Look for compact storage, some models fold down completely.
  • What is the productivity of the scrubber dryer you are interested in?
  • What pads and brushes do you need?
  • Some scrubber driers are simple to operate with only one button for all cleaning settings.
  • Look for easy to manoeuvre appliances.
  • Look for detachable dirty water tanks which are easy to empty.
  • Check the battery life of your scrubber dryer because you want one charge to be able to complete your task in one go!

All-Purpose Cleaners

All-purpose cleaners are especially designed to multi-function clean all rooms such as kitchens, washrooms, changing areas, restrooms and more.  These cleaners are suitable in wet and dry areas so they are perfect for many different businesses.  Fast, efficient and user-friendly when purchasing an all-purpose cleaner look for the following benefits:

  • Vacuum included.
  • Fresh water should be constantly available in the appliance.
  • Perfect dosage of detergent automatically distributed.
  • High pressure hose for large areas.
  • Disinfectant distribution.
  • Large capacity water tank.

Jet Washers

Jet washers are the perfect cleaning appliance for the outdoors because they are superb at getting rid of dirt and mud, bringing stonework, decking and paving back to new again.  Additionally, jet washing is very hygienic and excellent for high performance daily cleaning in food areas. They also work fantastically on steps, uneven surfaces and outdoor furniture so owning a jet washer is very handy.  Do remember that they use up a lot of water too.  The pressure of the jet washer is important because the higher the pressure, the harder it works to shift dirt quickly.  Pressure is measured using bars so look at the machine you are interested in purchasing to check the specification.  Additionally the wattage is also key because the higher the number, the better performance you can expect from your pressure washer.   You should also look for jet washers with wheels so they can easily be moved round and consider the weight because some machines can be very heavy so if you have lots of steps you might want to look for a lighter piece.  Do remember that there are cold water jet washers and hot water jet washers.

Cold Water V Hot Water

Jet washers come in two variations, cold or hot water.  Cold jet washers are perfect for dirt removal but if the area you are cleaning has grease or oil on it then cold water will not clean as effectively as a hot water jet wash.

Points to Remember:

  • Look for a long hose so you can use the jet washer in large areas.
  • Look for a lightweight machine if you have lots of levels or steps, machines that are too heavy can be uncomfortable to keep lifting.
  • The higher the pressure, the more power output, likewise the higher the wattage the better performance.
  • Always use the right attachment and invest in a piece of equipment with all the relevant attachments you need.

Cordless Brooms

A cordless broom or cordless sweeper is an excellent additional appliance for any food business.  These pieces of equipment are small, compact and ideal to clean small areas or when you need to sweep something up speedily.  The cordless broom is similar to upright cleaners but much lighter and significantly smaller plus they are portable so you can easily transport them to wherever you need them to go.  The handle often converts so the cordless broom becomes handheld so you can use it as a dust-buster when required.  The cordless broom is powered by a rechargeable battery pack which is plugged into an electrical supply.  Check the run time of the product you are thinking of purchasing this refers to how long the cordless sweeper will run on a full charge before you need to recharge it, some will perform for up to 45 minutes on a full charge.  Cordless brooms can easily be emptied out too with a removable area where the dust and debris is collected.

For further information on Deep Cleaning visit the Deep Cleaning pages in the Catering Appliances section or contact the Alliance customer care team

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