Benefits of Choosing the Right Size Equipment
Having the right tool for the job can make all the difference. If you have equipment too small for a large area, your operation is wasting labor hours that could be spent making facility improvements elsewhere. A piece of equipment too large for a job can have adverse consequences as well like poor maneuverability or the need to clear out an entire room or workspace to use it. There are a few things that need to be determined first in order to make the correct choice to suit your needs.
Size of the Area
One of the most important things to consider when purchasing equipment is that it matches the area you’re cleaning. We recommend first measuring the size of the area you’ll be cleaning and determining the total square footage. This can be done with a laser tape measure, measurements off of a blueprint, or (for hard surfaces) by counting and multiplying tiles on a VCT floor.
Density of the Space
You will also need to consider the density of the space. Is it a wide open space like a ballroom or corridor or are you cleaning offices that have obstacles like desks, chairs and tables? Understanding how much space there is to maneuver equipment will help you select the right pieces.
Potential Equipment Production Rates
Once you determine the size and density of the areas you’ll be cleaning, the next thing to do is to figure out how long it will take to clean it with the equipment you’re considering. To do this you’ll need to know how many square feet per hour the equipment options clean. There are several ways to determine this:
- Use manufacturer’s practical (not theoretical) production rates
- Use the ISSA 612 cleaning times to provide a third party production rate
- Calculate the production rate of the cleaning process by timing it yourself
Time Savings Calculation
Divide the area you are cleaning by the production rate of the equipment to determine how many hours it will take to clean the area with the specific piece of equipment. Multiply that number by the weekly frequency of cleaning and by the number of weeks you plan to clean the area per year. This will give you an understanding of the hours you will need to invest per year to clean that area with the tool selected.
Results
Small changes to your process can yield big labor savings over time. Even saving 30 minutes a day, five days a week, 52 weeks a year adds up to 130 hours of labor saved. Think about how much more your team could accomplish with that much reserve time for other tasks.
How Johnston Can Help
Johnston has access to numerous trusted & high quality equipment lines like Karcher & Windsor. Johnston’s experts can assess your current equipment and cleaning areas and verse you in the ideal equipment options to match your cleaning needs. In addition our experts can help identify potential problem areas in your processes and help you to improve them through training, reinforcement and proper product selection. Contact a Johnston expert today to get started.
About Johnston
Johnston has always stood for reliability, commitment, quality, and service. Our heritage means years of accumulated industry knowledge, the ability to see the bigger picture, and the know-how to determine the best possible approach. Combining this mastery with the drive to deliver exceptional results, Johnston goes beyond sales, developing strategic, end-to-end tailored solutions for each customer since 1881.
