Choosing the right cleaning trolley for your business

What type of cleaning trolley would you choose for a hospital, an office or a hotel? The following article serves as a guide in which cleaning trolley to use in each environment and - more importantly why.

For all cleaning trolleys there is a number of characteristics that they share, such as wheels, a handle, storage space. It is first and foremost a mobile platform for cleaning and therefore very useful for professional areas. What’s important here is to look into the special requirements of each environment depending on their needs and priorities.  

Hospital

Manufacturers all agree that hospital trolleys need to prioritize hygiene and safety. In a hospital there are large areas and long corridors to clean and it is mandatory to maximize hygiene and minimize any risk of cross-contamination. The most important features of a hospital cleaning trolley are:

• Good waste separation
• The ability to store clean and dirty mops in different spots
• Ergonomics and color-coded cleaning material
• Space for sufficient flat mops, cloths and gloves to allow new ones to be used in each room
• A double bucket wringer, that enables the operator to use a clean mop for every 10 to 20 square meters
• Function in a silent manner: Sick people need to be able to rest undisturbed while lids and doors close and the trolley must move along the floor making as little noise as possible

Office

Office trolleys are mainly designed for waste collecting and surface cleaning and their functionality should be based on the type of flooring and whether that is carpeted or not. In any case they should be compact and equipped with wheels that easily glide across carpets and corridors. Let’s see their ideal characteristics one by one:

• Rubber-braked wheels for safety
• Buckets and a wringer for floor cleaning
• Trays and spaces for waste bags, all types of cloths and cleaners
• Enough space for cleaning tools, including a large storage section for waste paper, and also a divided bag-holder for separated waste collection
• Space for other cleaning equipment, such as for small vacuum cleaners. 
• Good quality wheels for effective maneuverability and less noise: Office trolleys need to be easy to maneuver in areas with lots of objects and furniture, in a silent manner so as not to disturb the working staff

Hotel

This type of trolley also requires lots of storage space and at the same time it needs to be designed narrow enough so as to move easily around corridors. Also, the hotel size is important in the cleaning trolley choice and its size respectively, as it needs to serve its purpose in the most practical and ergonomic way. The requirements are quite similar to the above trolleys but the main difference here is that aesthetics plays a very important role. The appearance of a cleaning trolley resembles the business’ image and can affect customers negatively or positively towards a hotel. Below you will find not only basic but also differentiating features:

• Noise-free rubber wheels so that they can easily and quietly move around carpeted and non-carpeted areas
• Casters with brakes to keep the cart in place while the room is being cleaned
• Ergonomic to help housekeepers efficiently work with them but also store them
• Adjustable trays, shelves and drawers for bath products, clean linen and towels
• Separate shelves for all paper products
• Extra trays and space for all cleaners, brushes, cloths, sponges
• Top shelf organizers for all amenities, such as coffee cups, drinking cups etc.
• Bag holders for waste separation
• Facilities for segregating dirty laundry items and allow an organized trolley that appears tidy at all times
• Space for bigger equipment such as a vacuum cleaner

Benefits from choosing the right cleaning trolley

Selecting the right cleaning trolley for your business can offer great cleaning efficiency and at the same time save you money and time. It is ideal for large areas such as hotels, big offices and hospitals and a very effective way for your cleaning staff to keep and store all their cleaning supplies and accessories in a mobile station. Just think of all the times a cleaner has to go back to the cleaning cupboard to get a different detergent, another bucket, or pick up extra amenities if a cleaning cart is not available.

A high level of hygiene can also be achieved via the use of the right cleaning trolley, as it provides hotels, hospitals and offices with fast and competent solutions to cleanliness and cleaning emergencies and gives the guests, patients and working staff the feeling of confidence inside the facility.

(www.europeancleaningjournal.com)

(www.webstaurantstore.com)