A sweeper collects
Brushes move loose material into a collection path and the machine lifts it into a hopper. Grit, leaves, litter, dust, spoil, gravel. It works dry, covers ground fast, and is the right machine for anything sitting on top of the surface.
A scrubber dissolves and recovers
Water and detergent go down, a pad or brush agitates the surface, and the slurry is vacuumed straight back up. Rubber, oil film, ingrained dust, tyre marks, spills. It works wet, covers ground more slowly, and is the only machine that removes what is bonded to the slab.
The ordering rule
Sweep first, then scrub. Scrubbing over loose grit turns it into slurry and drags it around the floor. Every properly run scrub job starts with a sweep.
Choosing by site
Open car parks, civil sites, hardstand, yards and anywhere with leaf litter or grit: sweeper. Warehouse slabs, distribution centres, basement decks, food and pharma floors, hand-over cleans: both — sweeping on a cycle and scrubbing periodically on top.
What neither one does
Neither removes chewing gum, set oil stains or mould on a wall. That is pressure cleaning, and on most commercial sites it runs alongside the other two rather than instead of them.
Side by side
| Sweeper | Scrubber | |
|---|---|---|
| What it removes | Loose material sitting on the surface | Material bonded to the surface |
| How it works | Brushes sweep into a collection path, machine lifts into a hopper | Water and detergent down, pad or brush agitates, vacuum recovers the slurry |
| Wet or dry | Dry, with water used only for dust suppression | Wet, with full water recovery |
| Typical targets | Grit, leaves, litter, dust, gravel, spoil | Forklift rubber, oil film, ingrained dust, tyre marks |
| Speed | Fast — large areas per hour | Slower, and uses consumables |
| Changes how the floor looks | Not on a grey slab | Yes — this is the machine that resets concrete |
| Order | Always first | Always after a sweep |
| Best sites | Car parks, hardstand, yards, roads, anywhere with leaf litter | Warehouse slabs, distribution centres, basement decks, hand-over cleans |
Short answers
Something else? Call 1300 387 713 and talk to someone who runs the machines.
Can one machine do both?
Some combination machines sweep and scrub in one pass, and they are genuinely useful on the right floor. On a heavily soiled slab a dedicated pre-sweep followed by a dedicated scrub still gives the better result.
Which is more expensive?
Scrubbing costs more per square metre because it is slower and uses consumables. It is also the only thing that will change how your floor looks, so on a grey slab it is the cheaper option in practice.
Can we hire either one and run it ourselves?
Yes. Both are available for daily, weekly or project hire, delivered to site with operator instruction. Most are straightforward for an inducted worker to run.
