Everything You Need to Know About Squeegee Blades

Squeegee blades are a crucial component to effectively cleaning floors with a floor scrubber, so it’s important to know what kind to use, when to replace them, and how. Staying on top of replacing your squeegee blades will ensure that your floors are cleaned better and dry faster.

Follow this helpful guide to learn all you need to know about squeegee blades.

What kind of squeegee blade should I buy?

The kind of squeegee blade you should buy depends mainly on what kind of floor you have and what you will be cleaning off its surface. Some other considerations may be how large of an area you need to clean and how often you need to clean it as these can impact your desired level of durability.

There are three main types of squeegee blades: gum rubber, Linatex, and urethane. Check out the following section to learn about these three types, including best uses and pros and cons of each.

Gum Rubber Squeegee Blades

Gum rubber squeegee blades are the softest option and are the best at removing water to decrease drying time. They are also the least expensive option, but have the shortest wear life.

Gum rubber squeegee blades work best on even, smooth floors such as tile. However, they should never be used to clean oil or harsh chemicals as this will quickly deteriorate the blade, making them wavy and inefficient.

To sum it up, here are the pros and cons of gum rubber squeegee blades:

Pros of gum rubber squeegee blades:

• Cost-efficient / inexpensive
• Soft material
• Good at removing water, leaving floors as dry as possible
• Works well on smooth floors, such as tile

Cons of gum rubber squeegee blades:

• Short wear life
• Should not be used on oil or harsh chemicals
• Should not be used on rough surfaces as the soft blade will degrade even faster

Linatex Squeegee Blades

Linatex squeegee blades are a high-performing general-purpose option that have excellent wear and tear resistance and a long wear life.

Because they are flexible and durable, Linatex squeegee blades work well in a broad range of conditions including rough or uneven floors. However, despite being more durable than gum rubber, Linatex squeegee blades are not designed for use on harsh chemicals or oil.

Pros of Linatex squeegee blades:

• General/multi-purpose
• Long wear life
• Good wear & tear resistance
• Work on both smooth and rough/uneven floors

Cons of Linatex squeegee blades:

• Should not be used on oil or harsh chemicals

Urethane Squeegee Blades

Urethane squeegee blades are made from the synthetic rubber compound, polyurethane, and are considered to be the most durable squeegee blade due to their high quality abrasion and chemical resistance. For cleaning up harsh chemicals, oils (both organic and petroleum-based), and fuels from floors, urethane squeegee blades are the best option. Urethane squeegee blades also work best for rough surfaces and in environments requiring non-marking blades.

Due to their high durability and resistance to oils and chemicals, urethane squeegee blades are frequently used in factories, auto shops, and for rough concrete applications.

Pros of urethane squeegee blades:

• Long wear life
• Chemical/oil resistant
• Work well on highly abrasive surfaces
• Good for use in environments requiring non-marking blade

Cons of urethane squeegee blades:

• Not ideal for all surfaces/not a general purpose blade
• Most expensive squeegee blade option

Download our FREE squeegee blade comparison guide:

How can I extend the life of squeegee blades?

The most obvious way to extend the life of your squeegee blades is to ensure that you are using the correct type for your floor and cleaning needs. If you aren’t using the most compatible type of squeegee blade, your squeegee blades will degrade faster.

Once your squeegee blades become worn and show signs of inefficiency (leaving streaks or too much water, etc.) you can rotate the blades to a new edge. There are four different edges that can be utilized: The initial side can be flipped around horizontally, then vertically, and then horizontally again (see photo below).

When should I replace the squeegee blades on my floor scrubber?

You should replace your squeegee blades if they become wavy, start to crack, or stop picking up water and you have exhausted this list of troubleshooting tips .

Worn & torn squeegee blade

Wavy squeegee blade

How do I know what size squeegee blades to buy for my floor scrubber?

The easiest way to determine the size of your squeegee blade is to remove the squeegee assembly and find the stamped number or letter on the top in between the two squeegee blades on either side of the hose connection.

The letter indicates a manufacturer specific size, while the numbers typically provide the measurement in either inches or millimeters. These stamps are typically found on Factory Cat, Nilfisk-Advance, and Tennant machines. See below for examples:

If there is no stamped number or letter, you can manually measure the squeegee by removing it from the squeegee assembly and measuring the length of it from end to end straight across*.

If you are unable to do this, you can also call us with the make and model of your machine and we can determine what size squeegee blades you need.

*You must measure the squeegee assembly straight from end to end, NOT by following the curve to get an accurate measurement. Using this number, we will be able to determine the correct sizes needed for both the front and the rear squeegee. This will also save you time as you will not need to remove the blades from the assembly to measure them.

My squeegee blade isn’t picking up water. What’s wrong and how can I fix it?

• If your squeegee blade is leaving streaks of water behind the machine:
  • First, make sure that the blade does not have any cracks and is not warped or wavy. If you observe any of these issues, you will need to replace the squeegee blade as it has deteriorated.
  • Once you confirm that none of these issues are causing the problem, raise the squeegee assembly and take a clean rag and wipe the squeegee blades from one side to the other until all possible debris has been removed.
  • If you continue to experience this issue, it may be time to flip/rotate your squeegee blade to a new edge. You can use all four edges on a squeegee blade as indicated in this photo.

• If your squeegee blade isn’t picking up water in the center:
  • You might need to adjust the amount of pressure on the squeegee blade to ensure equal distribution of pressure across the squeegee blades as the center of the squeegee blade may be slightly higher than the ends.*

• If your squeegee blade isn’t picking up water on the outside edges:
  • Again, this may be an issue with the amount of pressure applied to the squeegee blade. Please adjust the amount of pressure on the squeegee blades to make sure the pressure is evenly distributed and that the blade is at the correct angle.*

*Refer to your operator manual for help with properly adjusting the pressure.

If these adjustments do not fix the problem, your squeegee blade should be replaced.

Questions?

As always, if you need any assistance with determining what kind of squeegee blades to order for your machine, please don’t hesitate to contact us:

Call us at (888) 834-9948

Email us at parts@triadservice.com 

Or submit a help request here: Parts Request