Guide to floor cleaning machine pads

When it comes to floor pads, it’s not just the sizes that change. Different pads have different functions.

To get the most out of your industrial floor scrubber, and the cleanest, safest floors possible, it is important to select the best floor cleaning pads.

Choosing pads for floor cleaning machines that are too soft will have no effect, wasting both time and money, while using a pad that's too aggressive can cause damage and costly repairs.

The stuff floor cleaning pads are made of

Most floor pads are a composition of synthetic and natural fibres. Synthetics such as nylon and polyester create softer pads, while natural fibre content creates a coarser more aggressive pad. The best use for a totally synthetic pad is for low-speed jobs for scrubbing or stripping with wet solutions. Blended natural fibre pads are best used with ultra-high-speed burnishing.

The floor pad colour system explained

Cleaning pads come in different colours. An industry standard colour-coding system for low-speed floor pads helps bring some logic to the situation. In general, pads move from light to dark, least coarse to most aggressive: pink, white, beige, red, blue, green and black.

Basically, the darker the colour the more aggressive the pad: white for cleaning, red for scrubbing, green or blue for deep scrubbing or top scrubbing and black for stripping.

Floor cleaning machines

High-speed machines apply more heat and pressure to the floor to remove wax. Low speed pads are 1,000 RPM and lower and high-speed pads are anything over 1,000 RPM. High speed pads may be used on low pad machines, but not vice versa.

Polishing pads

Buffing, burnishing or polishing pads are lightest in colour, typically synthetic or microfibre and tan or light pink or light blue in colour, and they remove scuff marks and dirt floors. Designed to put a brilliant shine on the floor, they harden the finish to better protect it. Buffing pads are perfect for light-duty use as they will not damage most floors. They are suitable for most daily cleaning tasks and are designed for a low-speed buffing machine. Red buffing pads are the most aggressive and can be used with dry or spray buffing.

Cleaning pads

Cleaning pads are designed to clean a little more aggressively than buffing pads and remove dirt without removing the floor finish.

Scrubbing pads

Scrubbing pads are designed to be aggressive without removing the finish of a floor. Green or blue pads are used for top scrubbing where you want to remove the top layer and any dirt that is imbedded in it. They remove the top layer or two of wax, along with scratches and dirt. Scrubbing pads are made to be used on lower speed scrubbing machines. They don’t hold up as well and often come apart at high speeds.

Stripping pads

An open weave pads, these are made to be reused. They can be rinsed with high-pressure jets or in a sink, a dedicated washing machine and air-dried. Stripping pads completely remove finish, sealer, waxes and dirt so you can refinish your floor. They are very aggressive and abrasive and should be used with low-speed machines.

If you are dealing with harder floors like concrete, you are likely to need to use harder, more aggressive floor pads. Black pads are used for completely stripping the finish from the floor.

Floor pads from Insinc

At Insinc, we offer a full range of floor cleaning machine pads. What you need at your business will depend on the floor finish and the depth of cleaning you need: stripping, cleaning, scrubbing, buffing, polishing or burnishing. Poor results can be caused by using the wrong pad.

• Regular Speed
  Standard pads are extremely versatile and are used for everything from cleaning to stripping, as well as polishing and buffing.
• Ultra-high Speed
  High-speed pads are perfect for polishing and buffing floors. They give an excellent finish.
• Wood Floors
  Especially made for wood floor preparation prior to polishing, these silicon carbides floor pads are used for a variety of floor types to remove dirt and grime and bring out the surface’s natural finish.
• AutoScrub Pads
  Auto scrubbers or ultra-high-speed machines clean light dirt and scuff marks, including black heel marks and prepares floors for burnishing.
• Floor Prep Pads
  Recycled polyester pads that are perfect for removing 1-3 coats of polish as well as embedded dirt layers leaving floors ready for reapplication of polish. Used dry, there is no need to scrub for water, harsh chemicals or detergents.
• Stone Floor Pads
  Floor pads for wet or dry buffing/polishing of stone floors, such as marble, granite, or stone tiles using an ultra-high-speed machine or a regular speed machine and a little water.

Talk to the floor cleaning experts

Our team can help you avoid using a floor pad that will have little effect and is essentially a waste of time. We can also steer you away from a floor pad that’s too aggressive and cause problems that require extensive and expensive remediation.

Not sure which is the right product for you? If you would like advice on which floor cleaning machine pads to use at your business or place or work, call us on 0508 467 462. Tell us what finish and what machine you have, and we will be able to provide you with recommendations on the best pad for the job. We cover every need for the highest possible clean, with all sizes available as we also provide "cut to size" and/or "made to order" services.