Ben Valenzuela

Conversely, pads are better for cleaning smooth surfaces, says Ben Valenzuela, service technician, Waxie Sanitary Supply, Las Vegas, Nev. "A floor pad's contact area, or cleaning surface, is greater than a brush's, so it cleans smooth surfaces better," he says.

Pads often are used for floor scrubbing and polishing.
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"If you choose a more aggressive pad by mistake, like using a stripping pad to clean vinyl composite tile, the tile could be permanently scratched," Valenzuela says.

"Also, if a cleaning employee stays in one spot with the floor machine too long, especially when cleaning softer floors, the machine could cut into the tile," he added.

If a soft pad is chosen for an application that requires abrasiveness, productivity goes down."If a cleaning employee chooses a lighter pad instead of the correct one, it could take up to twice as long to clean a dirty floor," Valenzuela says.

Franklin's rule of thumb is to use the least aggressive pad or brush first."You want to test the pad or brush first in an inconspicuous place to make sure you're not scratching the floor," he says.