Most of the problems you run into with floor cleaning machines aren’t major breakdowns. A smelly tank, a blocked suction hose, a squeegee blade with a torn edge, or a battery that ages early because it was charged the wrong way… All of these can be prevented with a few minutes of maintenance every day. Whether you call the machine a scrubber-dryer, a floor scrubber or an industrial cleaning machine makes no difference; the maintenance logic is the same.
A machine whose maintenance is neglected first loses performance quietly: the floor isn’t left as dry as before, marks appear behind it, and the operator starts going over the same area twice. Then it actually breaks down. Yet maintaining a machine like this is much simpler than maintaining a car; what it takes is a regular habit.
In this guide we explain the end-of-day routine, squeegee, filter and tank maintenance, the brush unit, the battery and charging routine, the weekly and monthly maintenance schedule, long-term storage and when to call service. In every case your machine’s user manual takes priority; the information here is a general framework.
End-of-day routine: a ten-minute checklist
After every use, before putting the machine on charge, follow this sequence:
- Empty the dirty water tank. Empty it into the drain designated by the facility, using the drain hose and keeping the hose close to the floor.
- Rinse the tank with clean water, removing any sand and sediment left at the bottom.
- Clean the float and the suction filter. Remove any hair, string and fluff wrapped around them.
- Empty any solution left in the clean water tank. Water with detergent in it shouldn’t stand in the tank overnight.
- Wipe the squeegee and visually check the edge of the blade.
- Remove the brush or pad, clean off any tangled string and leave it to dry.
- Wipe the outside of the machine with a damp cloth. Don’t wash the machine with a pressure washer or hose; water can reach the electrical components.
- Leave the tank lids open so the inner surfaces can dry.
- Put the machine on charge in a dry, well-ventilated place.
- Note any problem you noticed during the day: weakening suction, an unusual noise, a strip that stays wet.
The most neglected item on this list is the first one. Leaving dirty water in the tank with the thought “I’ll empty it tomorrow” is the starting point of almost all the odour and blockage problems we describe in the next section.
What is a squeegee? The secret to a dry floor
The squeegee is the rubber assembly at the rear of the machine that wipes dirty water off the floor and directs it to the vacuum inlet. Most squeegees have two blades, one at the front and one at the rear. The squeegee width is 800 mm on the K1 and K2 and 1,200 mm on the KL860; give this measurement and the machine model when asking for replacement blades.
Daily care
After every use, wipe the squeegee without removing it, and clear away debris such as sand, paper and hair that collects in front of the vacuum inlet. Run your finger along the edge of the blade that touches the floor: a cut, nicked or rounded edge comes back as a thin wet line on the floor.
Turning and replacing
Many squeegee blades are designed so they can be turned over or reversed and used on more than one edge. When one edge is worn, rather than throwing the blade away straight away, switch to an unused edge using the method described in the manual. When all the edges are worn, or the blade tears, hardens or cracks, it is time to replace it.
Adjustment and use
The blade should touch the floor with a slight bend. Too much pressure wears the blade quickly; too little leaves water behind. Set the height and angle according to the method in the manual. Raise the squeegee when moving the machine without working and when reversing; a blade dragged the wrong way folds over and wears out quickly.
Suction line and filters
If the floor stays wet, the cause is often not the vacuum motor but a blockage or leak on the way to the motor. Check the suction line at four points:
- Suction hose: Debris builds up at the bends of the hose between the squeegee and the dirty water tank. Remove the hose and wash it with clean water, and check it for cracks or holes; even a small hole in the hose weakens suction. The reinforced suction hose on the HY660 is no exception to this check.
- Float: When the dirty water tank is full, it shuts off suction to stop water reaching the vacuum motor. A float that sticks or gets dirty either cuts off suction unnecessarily or fails to do its job.
- Suction filter: The filter in front of the vacuum motor catches foam and fine particles. A clogged filter reduces suction and strains the motor.
- Tank lid seal: If the lid doesn’t sit properly or the seal is dirty, a vacuum leak forms and suction weakens. This is the cause most often overlooked.
There is a filter on the clean water side too: the side-access clean water filter on the K2 stops sediment in the water from clogging the valve. If less water is reaching the brush, this filter is the first place to look.
Tanks and the odour problem
Water standing in the dirty water tank soon becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. The smell comes from the slimy layer that builds up on the inside of the tank and from the sediment at the bottom. In a building full of people, a smelly machine draws more attention than the cleaning itself.
- Empty and rinse the dirty water tank after every use.
- Once a week, clean the inside of the tank, the inside of the lid and the seal with a soft brush or cloth.
- Leave the lids open so the tank can dry.
- Don’t leave water with detergent standing in the clean water tank; drying detergent leaves deposits and can clog the valve.
- If you want to disinfect the tank, confirm with the supplier that the product is suitable for the machine and follow the ratio on the label.
On machines working in oily areas, oil sticks to the inside of the tank; weekly tank cleaning is even more important on these machines.
The brush unit
Removing the brush every day protects not just the brush but also the brush motor and its bearings. String, stretch wrap and hair caught in the bristles and the hub gradually wind round the hub and make rotation harder. When you remove the brush, also check the inside of the brush cover and the splash skirt around it, if fitted; a torn splash skirt lets water be thrown outside the squeegee.
Don’t leave the machine standing for long periods with the brush on the floor; the machine’s weight bends the bristles permanently. We explain which brush or pad to use on which floor, and the signs of wear, in our brush and pad selection guide.
Wheels and body
On walk-behind machines, an increase in the force needed to push is often caused by hair and string wound round the wheels. On swivel wheels, such as the K2’s twin swivel wheels, this tangling also makes turning harder. Check the wheels once a week and clean off any tangled material. If you need to tilt the machine to do this, empty both tanks first and follow the method in the manual; on a machine tilted with full tanks, water can escape into the vacuum side. A loose screw, a cracked cover or a dislodged bumper on the body is both cheap and quick to fix while the problem is still small.
Battery-powered floor scrubber maintenance: battery and charging routine
The battery is one of the most expensive parts of a cleaning machine, and its life is largely determined by charging habits. The general rules are:
- Only use the charger supplied with the machine or approved by the manufacturer. A charger designed for a lithium battery isn’t suitable for a lead-based battery, and a lead-based battery charger isn’t suitable for a lithium battery.
- Follow the charging routine in the manual. For example, the 24V 60Ah lithium battery in the K1 and lead-based batteries call for different charging habits; we explain the differences in detail in our lithium and gel battery guide.
- Keep the terminals clean and tight. In battery packs made up of several batteries, such as the 4 × 6V/200Ah on the KL860, check the connecting cables and terminals regularly.
- Charge in a dry, well-ventilated place away from flammable materials. Don’t charge with a damaged cable or a wet plug.
- Don’t leave the battery flat. Lead-based batteries in particular can suffer a permanent loss of capacity if left discharged.
Maintenance schedule
The schedule below is a general framework; adapt the frequency to how intensively you use the machine, and go by the intervals in the manual.
| Frequency | Task | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| After every use | Emptying and rinsing the dirty and clean water tanks; float and suction filter; wiping the squeegee; removing the brush; charging | Prevents odours, blockages and brush deformation |
| Weekly | Clean water filter, washing the suction hose, lid seal, inside of the tank, string and hair round the wheels, battery terminals | Maintains suction power and water flow |
| Monthly | Squeegee blade edges (turning if needed), brush and pad wear, cable and plug check, loose connections | Catches loss of performance early |
| At the intervals in the manual | Service check of the motors, charging system and electrical components | Stops faults before they grow |
Turning the schedule into a checklist card hung next to the machine, and marking every job done with the date and a signature, is the simplest way to make sure maintenance really gets done where several operators use the same machine.
Keep it to hand: a short spares list
Consumables usually run out on the busiest day. To keep the machine from standing idle, consider keeping these parts in stock: a set of squeegee blades, a suction filter, and at least one spare brush or a few pads. For parts such as the tank lid seal and the suction hose, note your machine’s model and serial number too; then finding the right part when you need it takes minutes. You can find out which parts for your machine are in stock from our technical service line.
Long-term storage and when to call service
If you won’t be using the machine for a long time
For seasonal work or during holiday periods, a machine may stand for weeks. Before storing it, empty and dry both tanks, remove the brush or pad, and raise or remove the squeegee so the blade doesn’t lose its shape. Charge the battery according to the storage instructions in the manual and check whether it needs top-up charging during long storage. Store the machine in a dry place with no risk of frost; water left in the lines can damage the pump and valves if it freezes. We explain general storage principles in our long-term storage guide.
When should you call service?
In the following situations, stop using the machine and contact technical service:
- If suction stays weak even though the filter, hose and seal are clean
- If there is a burning smell or unusual noise from the motor
- If water is leaking from under the machine
- If the brush doesn’t turn or a warning appears on the control panel
- If the battery won’t charge or the run time has become noticeably shorter
We explain which information and photos to prepare so that your service request can be resolved quickly in our service request guide; you can also submit your request directly via the service request form.
Summary
- Most maintenance is the ten-minute routine at the end of the day: tanks, filters, squeegee, brush, charging.
- Dirty water isn’t left standing in the tank; that is where odours and blockages start.
- A squeegee blade can be turned and used on more than one edge; a torn or hardened blade is replaced.
- With weak suction, check the hose, filter, float and lid seal first.
- The battery is charged only with a suitable charger and following the routine in the manual; the machine is never pressure-washed.
Take a look at the features of the KL860 ride-on floor scrubber, with its large tanks and 1,200 mm squeegee. For questions about maintenance, spare squeegee blades or faults, message our technical service line on WhatsApp.
