By Rick Schott
CEO of Factory Cleaning Equipment, LLC
I know what you’re probably thinking: why is the Bulldog Scrubber guy telling me not to buy a floor scrubber for my gym?
Here’s the truth. After more than 30 years in the cleaning equipment industry, there have been a handful of machines I wish I never sold. Not because they were bad machines, but because they were a poor fit for the application.
At Factory Cleaning Equipment, we care more about lifetime happy customers than a quick sale. So, if you’re wondering whether a Bulldog floor scrubber is right for your gym, here are a few situations where it may not be the best solution.
If your gym uses soft matting, interlocking puzzle mats, or flooring designed for gymnastics or children’s play areas, you may run into major issues almost immediately.
Most commercial floor scrubbers, including the Bulldog, have hard urethane or nylon wheels, heavy batteries, and a full water tank that adds even more weight.
That weight causes scrubbers to sink into soft flooring, and in some cases, the wheels can pull interlocking mats apart. In fact, you’ll usually know within 10 seconds of trying it. Your scrubber may barely move or it stops completely.
The Bulldog also has a strong vacuum and squeegee system, which is great on hard surfaces. But on thin, lightweight matting, that vacuum can literally pull mats apart as you move across them.
If your gym flooring is soft, lightweight, or flexible, a autoscrubber may create more problems than it solves.
Another difficult gym cleaning scenario is a facility with several different floor surfaces, especially when there aren’t smooth transitions between them.
For example, concrete floors, rubber flooring, three quarter inch thick matting, turf lanes, and vinyl or tile in locker rooms.
Without transition edging, going from a hard surface onto a raised mat can be rough on the machine and uncomfortable for the operator. The constant jolting can also increase wear and tear over time.
If your facility has multiple floors, steps, or a second level without an elevator, then a floor scrubber might not be practical.
We’ve had customers try to carry their scrubber up and down stairs. That’s not a great plan. Floor scrubber machines are heavy, awkward, and difficult to manage on steps. It’s a safety concern for employees, and it can lead to expensive damage.
If your gym is compact with limited open floor space, a Bulldog scrubber can do the job, but it may be overkill.
In some facilities, a combination of microfiber flat mops, the right mat-safe cleaner, and a lightweight cleaning system can be more cost effective and easier to use day to day.
The best way to know is to let us look at your facility.
Send us a few photos of your floors, or schedule a quick FaceTime walkthrough, and we’ll tell you honestly if a Bulldog Scrubber makes sense.
If it doesn’t, we’ll recommend the best alternative tools for your space, like microfiber mop systems, mat-safe cleaning chemicals, and lightweight scrubbers or manual options depending on the floor type.
If you’re not sure whether the Bulldog is a good fit, give us a call (800) 793-3790, or fill out our contact form. We’ll help you determine if the Bulldog is right for your gym, and if it isn’t, we’ll help point you in the right direction.
Our philosophy at Factory Cleaning Equipment is simple – we want lifetime happy customers.
That means doing our best to make sure the equipment you choose is the best choice for your unique gym flooring and cleaning needs.
Please call us to talk it over: (800) 793-3790. We have one of the most experienced teams in the industry, and we’d love to help if we can!