Underneath Every Great Cleaning Cart is a Dependable Set of Wheels
When it comes to commercial cleaning carts, their overall success is made possible in part by the dependability of their wheels. While wheels on a cleaning cart offer mobility and convenience for cleaning professionals, they can also present some potential difficulties. To avoid potential challenges and reap the benefits of your commercial cleaning equipment investment, during your evaluation process, we encourage you to take a closer look at what is driving the cleaning carts with wheels.
Challenges Wheels Can Pose to Cleaning Success
Failing to assess the terrain and consider the load capacity of the cart, along with the overall design of the cleaning carts with wheels, can jeopardize cart functionality, convenience, and durability. Without the right set of wheels driving the job at hand, the following challenges may present themselves:
- Maneuverability in Compact Spaces:
Cleaning carts with wheels may face challenges when navigating through narrow doorways, aisles, cramped areas, or high-trafficked spaces, such as when cleaning a convenience store or public restroom. The size and design of the cart, along with the wheel configuration, can impact maneuverability. Compact carts with wheels support all the necessary on-board features needed while being lightweight and easy-to-maneuver.
- Stability on Uneven Surfaces:
Uneven or rough surfaces, such as thresholds, carpeted areas, or entryways with floor mats, can pose challenges for cleaning carts. If the wheels are not well-suited for these surfaces or lack adequate suspension, the cart may become unstable, making it difficult to easily push or causing items to shift or fall.
- Wheel Maintenance:
Moving around a facility, wheels can quickly accumulate dirt and debris, particularly when used in high-trafficked areas. Regular cleaning and maintenance of the wheels are necessary to ensure smooth operation and prevent them from becoming clogged or damaged.
- Potential for Wheel Damage:
If the cleaning cart is overloaded or subjected to excessive force, the wheels may experience strain or damage. Heavy loads, rough handling, or accidental impacts can result in broken wheels, bent axles, or other wheel-related issues.
- Limited Terrain Adaptability:
Some cleaning carts may have wheels that are specifically designed for smooth indoor surfaces. If you need to move the cart across different terrains, such as gravel paths, uneven pavement, or outdoor areas, the wheels may not be suitable or provide adequate traction and stability.
Steering Clear of Challenges with Cleaning Carts with Wheels
To avoid these wheel-related challenges, it is important to choose a cleaning cart with sturdy, well-designed wheels that are appropriate for the intended environment in your facility. Selecting a janitor cart with specific functionality and design can help overcome potential obstacles. Here are some beneficial features to look for:
- A combination of caster and fixed wheels
While fixed wheels are stationary and lack the ability to swivel or rotate, a caster wheel is mounted on a swivel mechanism, allowing it to rotate 360 degrees around a vertical axis. These wheels are designed for enhanced maneuverability. Since they can move in any direction, including forward, backward, sideways, and even diagonal movements, caster wheels are ideal for navigating tight spaces, making turns, and changing directions effortlessly.
The best cleaning carts with wheels benefit from having a combination of caster wheels in the front and fixed wheels in the back. The caster wheels offer maneuverability, and the fixed wheels provide the necessary cart stability. That said, the choice between caster wheels and fixed wheels depends on the specific requirements and intended use of the janitor cart within your facility.
- Debris-proof covered wheel bearings
Debris-proof covered wheel bearings, as opposed to traditional open-wheel bearings, help protect the cleaning cart’s wheels by providing a protective barrier against dirt, dust, moisture, and other debris. The cover prevents particles from entering the bearing assembly, reducing the risk of contamination and extending the bearing’s lifespan.
By keeping debris out of the bearing, wheels with this feature require less maintenance, cleaning and lubrication, saving time and effort in the cleaning process. The design also enhances the durability of the wheel, which overall, results in reduced downtime and replacement costs.
When the cleaning cart is in use, you will find that by protecting the bearings, the cart wheels roll more smoothly, supporting more efficient and effective cart use.
- Wheels made for a smooth, non-marking ride
To avoid leaving marks on the floor, we recommended using cleaning carts with wheels made of materials designed to be non-marking. Rubber wheels are a popular choice for cleaning carts as they tend to minimize the risk of leaving scuffs or marks, while also providing good traction and shock absorption for a smoother ride. It is important to ensure that the rubber used in the wheels is specifically designated as non-marking to avoid any potential staining or marking issues across floor surfaces, including hardwood, tile and linoleum.
Even with non-marking wheels, occasional cleaning and maintenance is necessary to ensure that the wheels are free from debris, dirt, or other substances that could potentially transfer onto the floor surface. Regular inspection and cleaning of the wheels can help maintain their non-marking properties and minimize any risk of leaving marks on the floor.
Staying on Track with the Best Cleaning Carts with Wheels
Once you know your facility’s requirements for a janitor cart, we recommend testing a cart to find the one that strikes the right balance between capacity and maneuverability for your facility. Testing a cart onsite at your facility allows you to evaluate all the cart’s components, including the wheels, while also assessing cart configurability, performance, comfort and quiet operation.
Looking for a Better, Safer, and Faster Cleaning Experience? Unger’s durable and high-quality janitorial cleaning carts with wheels are fully customizable for specific applications. Each cleaning cart system is a ‘prescription for clean,’ giving you the right tool, in the right place, for the right job.