Squeegees

The squeegee is the part of a floor scrubber that decides whether the floor is left dry or wet. It is a curved frame with a slotted front blade and a solid rear wiping blade, connected by a hose to the vacuum motor. As the machine moves forward, the blades channel dirty solution to the center, where the vacuum lifts it into the recovery tank. When the squeegee is set up correctly, the floor behind the machine is dry within seconds. When it is not, you get water trails, streaks, slip risk and complaints, even if the vacuum motor is perfectly healthy.

Most water pickup problems operators report are squeegee problems: a rounded or nicked blade edge, uneven deflection, worn casters, or a blade material that does not suit the floor. The guides in this section explain how the squeegee system works, how to adjust tilt, height and pitch for even contact, which blade material to choose for oily, gritty, textured or smooth floors, and when to rotate or replace blades. Each guide includes practical checks you can run in a few minutes on the floor. If water is still being left behind after the squeegee checks out, move on to the vacuum system and the fault finder.