floor maintenance

Burnishers and Buffers? What is The Difference 2022?

Buffers and burnishers may seem identical to the uninitiated because of their similarities in appearance and function. In reality, the two machines couldn't be more distinct, and employing the wrong one might wreck your floor maintenance routine.

A common question is whether a buffer or burnisher is more appropriate. Find out what happens in the next section.

What Is A Buffer?

A buffer's key roles are stripping and cleaning hard surfaces to preserve their appearance. The tool consists of a motor and a huge, spherical pad driver with a handle. During operation, a red pad is spun around on the floor. The pad needs to be flipped or replaced on a regular basis since it wears out. The buffer is moved from side to side by the operator, hence the name "side-by-side," when cleaning the floor. Buffers are also known as floor machines, swing machines, low speeds, or stick machines.

The typical operating speed of a buffer is 175. While most buffers can only reach about 200 rpm, there are others (sometimes termed dual speed machines) that can reach up to 400 rpm, providing a bright shine to a floor. Use of a buffer to scrub a hard floor clean produces a far more presentable finish.

What is a Burnisher?

Burnishers resemble buffers in appearance. The typical rate of rotation is between 1,500 and 2,500 RPM. A burnisher's sole purpose is to give hard floors that mirror-like sheen sometimes referred to as the "wet look." After buffing a floor, you can get even more shine by using a burnisher.

Regular burnishers are pushed and pulled rather than pushed and pulled like a buffer. The motorised burnisher head makes it possible to quickly and efficiently buff floors to a mirror finish. It is inaccurate to say that a "buffer" can polish a floor. Large areas can be quickly polished with certain types, such as the Tennant B10 Ride-On or the B5/B7 Walk-Behind Burnisher. Dust may be produced during the burnishing process, unlike when using a buffer. This negative impact can be reduced by using a dust-control model.

The use of a buffer or a burnisher in your floor cleaning regimen will greatly enhance the quality of the clean. Get in touch with a Tennant sales professional today to find out what solution is appropriate for your facility.

Professional Floor Maintenance services - Edomey Cleaning

What Is The Purpose Of Burnishing In Floor Maintenance?

A well-polished floor may be recognized at first glance. Its gleam is impossible to miss.

In addition to the sheen, the "wet appearance" is another reason why floor maintenance workers love their jobs. That gleam is the result of a high-speed pass by a burnisher, which smoothed out any scuffs or defects that could attract dirt.

To make hard floors exceptionally shine and to assist the finish to resist filth for a bit longer, is the ultimate goal of using a burnisher.

Now that we know the fundamentals of burnishing, we can discuss how to ensure that you are effectively burnishing your floors. These are some of the ways that we recommend burning down:

floor-burnishing-grocery-store-535x335px.jpeg

Best Benefit for Burnishing Floors

  • Don't Waste Time With The Wrong Tool

In case it wasn't clear, the proper equipment is needed for burnishing. Also, you can't just slap a burnishing pad on a buffer and call it a day, even though most burnishers look a lot like buffers.

We've already established that burnishers spin at high speeds (1,500-2,500 RPM). This increased rotational speed is what gives burnished floors their signature "wet look."

  • Follow The Machine's Instructions.

Contrasted with the lateral motion required when using a buffer, burnishers require only forward and backward motion. Keeping this discussion broad, burnishers are also often simpler to use than buffers. The wheels of a burnisher allow you to adjust the pad's height, angle, and forward and reverse motion. The burnisher only needs to be pointed in a straight line, and the following pass can overlap the previous one by a small amount. You undoubtedly already know that buffers can quickly grow out of control if you aren't careful.

  • Get Your Duck In A Row

Before using a burnisher, you should always dust mop and wet mop the floor. However, before using a burnisher, it is usually necessary to use a buffer to remove surface scratches, scuffs, and stains. The burnisher spins at a dizzying rate, so you might be tempted to let it do some of the work for you. The burnisher is a fast method, although it does not involve much pressure. The burnisher spends the most of his or her time working lightly on the floor's top coat of finish.

  • Select The Proper Pad.

The majority of a burnisher's efforts are focused on the surface layer, but not all. Depending on the pad you use, burnishers can perform a bit more intensive work. In order to achieve a high gloss without damaging the floor's polish, burnishers are typically used with the softest pads available. However, some coarser pads are made for high-velocity machinery. Burnishers can also be used as buffs, but switching to a coarser pad requires extra caution if you intend to use it for this purpose. Because of the burnisher's high rate of operation, it's simple to remove coatings.

  • How Is The Dryness?

Burnishing, in contrast to buffing, is typically carried out in a dry environment, however there are always exceptions to every rule. That means the burnishing procedure could produce some dust. Knowing this, you should keep a dust mop handy for periodic usage during the burnishing process. A dust-control burnisher is another alternative for reducing this undesirable byproduct.

  • Finish The Work

Currently, you've just dragged a machine that's rotating at 1,500 RPM across the floor. Do I have it right that you've finished? Not at this time. Dust mops and wet mops (or scrubbers) should be used together for a last pass to remove all trace of dirt from the floor. When you can step back and take in the gleam, you know you're finished.

The use of a buffer or a burnisher in your floor cleaning regimen will greatly enhance the quality of the clean. Best practises for using a burnisher will help your floors seem better than before.