The features of your cleaning cart have a major impact on the efficiency of your workers. If you think you have found the perfect cleaning cart for your crew, there are some special features you may watch out for to make their jobs even easier. Listed below are three ways to increase efficiency with custodial carts so you can keep your crew working at their best.
Choose the Right Material for Your Cleaning Cart
In most cases, custodial carts are made from durable plastic or metal (stainless steel or aluminum). Either of these materials will do well for most businesses, but some buildings work better with one option or the other. This all comes down to the effort it takes to keep the cart clean. For instance, in a germ-filled area like a hospital or nursing home, stainless steel or dense plastic may be a better choice because it can be quickly wiped as needed. Other materials with porous surfaces may collect germs and bacteria, making them harder to disinfect. Select the material that your cleaning crew will be able to maintain the best.
If you are worried about the weight of a stainless steel cleaning cart, you could invest in a model with plastic trays and drawers. This will give you a clean surface overall but still make the carts easy to push around.
Choose the Right Size of Custodial Cart
The size of your cleaning cart will also impact the efficiency of your workers. A cart that is too small may not have the right storage options to make cleaning supplies easy to access. With that in mind, a large, oversized cart may be bulky to push through tight halls, and it may be too heavy for some workers to move around. Think about where the cart needs to go, how far it needs to travel, the corners it needs to take, and where it will be stored so you can get the size that best suits your cleaning crew’s needs.
Choose the Right Wheels for Your Cart
The wheels on a custodial cart are often just as important as the cart itself, yet they are some of the most forgotten features on the device. Caster wheels are some of the quietest options on the market, and they work well on smooth surfaces like tile or stained concrete. Caster wheels do not have rubber on them like other wheels do, so they are not prone to scuffing your floors. This will limit the amount of cleaning the floor crew will have to perform.
Black pneumatic wheels are better suited for outdoor surfaces, where the cart is likely to encounter different levels of terrain. They are likely to leave scuff marks, and they are noisier than caster wheels. Nevertheless, they are an affordable alternative that can offer more versatility for your cleaning crew if they are not operating on a smooth floor indoors.
Use the tips above to keep your cleaning crew efficient, and you will see a significant boost in productivity.
