A local guide from people who work with these machines every day
If you’re looking for a floor scrubber, the choices can get overwhelming fast. Different floors, brands, price points and everyone claims theirs is the best.
We spend our days in hospitals, aged care homes, schools, and hotels across Southeast Queensland. One thing we’ve learned is that the right machine is the one that actually suits your site. Not just the spec sheet.
Here’s how we help customers pick the best commercial floor cleaning machine for long term performance, low repair costs, and reliable results.
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1. Match the Floor Surface
This is the first and most important step. We often see sites buy a machine that looks great on paper, only to find it won’t pick up water properly on their floor type.
• Safety and Non-Slip Flooring:
Kitchens and aged-care corridors usually have grippy, textured floors that trap dirt. The Duplex 340 and Duplex 420 are built for this. Their rotating brushes dig deep into the ridges to clean this type of flooring.
We’ve replaced plenty of cheap imports that just skimmed over the surface and leave black marks and puddles of water.
• Smooth Vinyl and Tile Floors:
In hospitals, you want streak-free cleaning and minimal downtime. The Tennant T300 and T500 are brilliant for this — quiet, powerful, and easy to handle. They’re a bit of a workhorse in the healthcare world.
• Epoxy and Concrete Floors:
For larger spaces like halls, warehouses. The Tennant T7, T12, or Nilfisk BR755 are our go-to options, heavy duty, comfortable for operators, and proven to handle daily long runs without complaint.
👉 See our full range of floor scrubbers.
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2. Match the Duty Cycle
How many hours a day your team runs the scrubber makes a big difference.
If you’re only cleaning a couple of classrooms, you don’t need the same unit as a hospital with 24/7 traffic.
• Light-Duty:
The Duplex 280 is fine for small or domestic jobs, not something we’d put into a hospital, but great for house or small office.
• Medium-Duty:
Schools often sit in this bracket. The Nilfisk SC500 or Tennant value range give reliable results at a fair price, and the parts are easy to source if anything goes wrong.
• Heavy-Duty:
For hospitals, airports or large industrial sites, we almost always recommend the Tennant T7 or T12. Built tough, with long battery life and world-class squeegee recovery, they’re designed for serious daily use.
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3. Think About Total Cost of Ownership
We hear this a lot: “We just want the cheapest one.”
Unfortunately, the cheapest machine often costs the most over time.
The main hidden expense is repairs, usually linked to poor water pick-up. A weak vacuum or cheap squeegee setup leaves the floor wet and adds hours of extra work.
That’s why we lean towards Tennant, their squeegee systems are in a league of their own, and spare parts are easy to get here in Queensland.
All Tennant and Duplex parts are available through our Brisbane workshop, and our techs carry most common spares on the van. It’s one of the reasons hospitals rely on us, they can’t afford downtime.
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4. Keep Up With Maintenance
Even the best machines need attention. We recommend a six monthly service for most sites, and more often for hospitals or high traffic areas.
Our team checks and services every major system:
• Brushes and drive motors
• Battery and electrical systems
• Squeegee, vacuum, and recovery system
• Solution and water delivery lines
• Full test-and-tag inspection
• Detailed service report for your records
Sticking to that schedule keeps your scrubber performing like new and avoids expensive surprises later on.
👉 View our Service Plans & Pricing.
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5. Try Before You Buy
If you’re unsure which machine fits your site, we offer free on-site demos for all products we sell.
We’ll bring the machine to you, test it on your actual flooring, and make sure it’s the right fit.
We also hire out Tennant and Duplex models across Brisbane, Gold Coast, and Sunshine Coast, ideal if you want to trial a unit or cover short term cleaning projects.
| Site Type | Recommended Models | Notes |
| Hospitals | Tennant T7, T12 | Maximum uptime, fast parts support |
| Aged Care | Duplex 340, 420 | Ideal for carpet tile and safety flooring |
| Schools | Nilfisk SC500, Tennant T300 | Cost-effective and reliable |
| Hotels | Tennant T500, Duplex 420 | Compact, versatile, and easy to use |
Each of these machines is backed by strong parts availability and responsive local servicing, ensuring you spend more time cleaning and less time waiting for repairs.
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7. Why Choose Commercial Cleaning Machines
We specialise exclusively in floor scrubbers, sweepers, and commercial floor cleaning machines, it’s what we do every day. As a Queensland based business, we provide local expertise, fast turnaround, and direct access to parts and technical support.
Our team helps you choose the right machine, set up a service schedule, and keep it performing at its best whether you run a hospital, aged-care facility, school, or hotel.
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Ready to Choose the Right Floor Scrubber for Your Site?
If you want a second opinion on your floors or need help selecting a machine that will stay out of the workshop, get in touch today.
We’ll visit your site, demonstrate the best options, and provide a tailored quote with clear pricing and service recommendations.
