Surface Cleaner Innovations

by Diane M. Calabrese | Published March 2025

Change for the better. That’s innovation. Innovation might produce equipment gains in operational speed or in ease of use. A machine might be made more durable or built to attain greater longevity.

Like all equipment, surface cleaners keep piling on improvements. And as much as the improvements mean to end users, and consequently our entire industry, they contribute significant benefits that affect the whole of society. (More about that in the last section.)

Match the tool to the job. That’s a high-impact adage to remind us that just because we have a hammer in our hand, not everything that requires attention is a nail.

Moreover, there’s a reason hammers come in different sizes: Precision can be achieved.

“I would have to say the variety of sizes is one innovation in surface cleaners that has helped our industry,” says Aaron Auger with BE Power^® Equipment, which is headquartered in Abbotsford, BC, Canada. “When it comes to flat work, often the principle of bigger is better is true as it shortens the length of cleaning jobs.”

Yet there’s more to having a choice of sizes than bigger being faster. (True enough, much of the time.)

“However, in some instances, it’s not easy to use standard surface cleaners on jobs that may involve steps or retaining walls,” explains Auger. “Being able to go down in size makes these jobs easier, which allows the end user to clean a greater amount of surface area over time.”

More cleaning per unit time is music to the ears of contractors as long it is accompanied by good outcomes. And excellent outcomes can be had by matching the size of surface cleaner to the type of area to be cleaned.

“By offering a variety of sizes, a manufacturer or distributor often makes a cleaning crew more efficient,” says Auger.

To be sure, it’s the role of the contractor to not only make the correct choice in the type of equipment used but also to deploy both machines and members of the team optimally. A surface cleaner has so many positive attributes that an end user might begin to assign it magical properties, which it does not have.

Optimal outcomes always depend on a combination of proper planning and execution with the correct tools. Surface cleaners just make it all easier.

“Surface cleaners have really evolved from inception to the present day,” says Dennis Black, president of McHenry Pressure Cleaning Systems Inc. in Frederick, MD. “Original units were adaptations of other technologies or equipment originally made for other uses.”

Designed for the intended use, and not adapted for use, is an innovation in itself. And an important one across industries.

“Today there are manufacturers designing machines made specifically for the surface-cleaner market,” says Black. “The market has grown and matured through my time in the business.”

Certain design changes capture the attention. “The wide array of sizes—diameters—has fascinated me,” says Black.

“From 10-inch to 48-inch diameters, even the self-driven type units grab attention,” explains Black. “The larger diameters have been made usable by the adaptation of larger flow (gpm) of output units. Units can now require or use up to 20 gpm or even more.”

The array of sizes and configurations means that the surface cleaner has become a familiar tool in all settings. “Surface cleaners are now made for homeowner use all the way to heavy commercial units,” says Black.

Fascinating to observe and be a part of—that’s the perspective of Black. “I have witnessed the total growth and evolution of this huge market.”

 

Market Drivers

Do contractors or manufacturers drive innovation? It’s some of each obviously.

And don’t discount the role of distributors in propelling changes that improve equipment. Then, go from there.

Contractors develop wish lists while they are on jobsites saying, “If only I had this machine or this capability.” They may share an idea with a distributor who relays the “if only” to a manufacturer.

At the same time, designers on the teams of manufacturers keep thinking about the incremental—and quantum—changes that can extract the maximums in work, lifespan, speed, ergonomic fit, etc. from a machine.

“Over our nearly 40 years of manufacturing, we have seen a number of technical developments that have impacted surface cleaner design,” says Bruce Tassone, president, HydraMotion Cleaning Systems in Pottstown, PA. “One major improvement has been the evolution of the compounds available.”

We have come a long way from the Bronze Age, but sometimes we forget just how many choices builders have.

The “evolution of compounds” provides manufacturers with more options. “These new materials have vastly improved the cover and seal components,” says Tassone. “With the newest urethanes, the covers of surface cleaners are now lighter, more durable, and virtually indestructible.”

Indestructible is good. But there’s something truly intriguing about the new compounds available. Some make it possible to vary shapes in a way that could not have been done in the past.

For instance, consider again the newest urethanes. They don’t just add toughness. “They also allow for complex geometry that significantly improves cleaning effectiveness,” explains Tassone.

“Similarly, the use of a proprietary, impregnated PTFE [polytetrafluoroethylene] has extended the life of high-pressure seals,” says Tassone. “This has increased swivel life, minimized unit maintenance, and lowered the cost of use for the end user.”

PTFE is a synthetic fluoropolymer. Readers can find an excellent primer on the synthetic compound at the AFT Fluorotec website. Because the compound is hydrophobic and resistant to high temperatures, as well as high density, it is deployed in multiple ways

Other properties of PTFE that stimulate the imagination are its low friction, thermal stability, flame resistance, and corrosion protection ability. That’s the short list.

Interestingly, since we mentioned bronze, one of the grades of PFTE is bronze filled. In addition to the virgin and bronze-filled forms, there are also glass-, carbon- and stainless-steel-filled grades and more.

From components to configuration—and with size always in the picture—each manufacturer of surface cleaners keeps its focus on contractors. What do contractors want in a machine that they don’t have yet? What can the surface cleaner be made to do better still?

“I am a little biased in regard to surface cleaner innovations, but I have to say our new patented Hydro Flow, Infinity Spray, and brand new Xforce bars are noteworthy,” says Maxwell Baldwin, owner and director of operations at Whisper Wash in St. Petersburg, FL. “The three different end options with aluminum, stainless, and high-performance stainless ends can really cater to each individual’s business requirements.”

The options Baldwin describes are the culmination of significant effort. “We have dedicated over two years of research and development into these products.”

But the two years of R&D have resulted in just the outcome Baldwin’s company aimed to get. “The number of interchangeable parts and different options we have are unmatched,” he says.

“The spray bar has been a product that has been overlooked in our industry for far too long,” explains Baldwin. “We identified an opportunity to really bring a high-performance precision instrument to everyone.”

Baldwin views the function of the surface cleaner from the point of its action. “The spray bar is the final delivery vessel for getting that water to the surface and needs to be on par with the machine it’s attached to,” he explains.

“The larger ID hose allows more water, and the aerodynamic shape allows for a more efficient energy transfer which equates to less wear and tear and a better clean,” says Baldwin. “This empowers everyone to do what’s really important—make more money by spending less time on repairs and less time on the jobsite.”

[Reminder that the ID hose connects the surface cleaner to the pressure washer. A bigger diameter hose can feed a larger volume of water per unit time.]

 

Positive Multipliers

The many good things that derive from innovations in surface cleaners extend well beyond a contractor or a contractor’s customer. Any time contractors can do more with less water and energy, there is an environmental positive for everyone in the surrounding community and beyond.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) strives to keep communities focused on what they can do to reduce water and energy consumption. And that includes design upgrades in machines like surface cleaners.

One thing we often forget is that using less water at a jobsite not only directly conserves water but “downstream” directly conserves energy. The less water used, the less water that must be rehabilitated or recovered and again made useable/potable. The EPA estimates that as much as four percent of the electricity consumed in the United States is used to power water treatment.

Using less water at a jobsite becomes a positive multiplier, a companion to prudence in water use. It conserves water, yes, but also conserves energy; and perhaps more important than ever, it reduces the heavy lift for a national water and sewer structure that is in desperate need of an upgrade.

Tapping technology to innovate—do more with less—is far and away better than tapping more water or energy resources.