Floor cleaning takes a long time. Admit it: some floors just don’t clean easily, and to give them back their original shine requires a lot more than wiping. Washing, cleaning, shampooing, then cleaning again, and drying—these could take hours; yet, it only takes a couple of days before the floor is dirty again! When the going gets tough, go buy a floor buffer.

A floor buffer is a floor cleaning machine that consists of a water tank and a rotating sweeper attached to one end. It is used to effectively sweep and clean floors faster, instead of doing them by hand. It’s likely you’ve seen a floor buffer already, at the mall and other public establishments, such as hospitals or offices or hotel lobbies, where the floors need to be swept clean several times in a day. You really need a floor buffer if you want to do a good job of cleaning floors.

Using a floor buffer involves three simple steps. Scrubbing, finishing, and touch up. The first, scrubbing, is the most important step and you shouldn’t mess it up. This part revolves around using scrub pads to clean and polish the floor, leaving it with a shiny glaze. The next process is floor finishing. Finishing helps the floor resist bruises and scratches. Finally, touch up involves removing scuff marks and scratches followed by running the floor buffer—or floor waxer, as some people call it—over the entire floor. Following these steps carefully should yield the best results. You’re going to love your floor buffer after this.

Floor buffers come in many different shapes and sizes, each with their own set of features and accessories. Ask the local retailer which type of floor buffer works best on your flooring—it pays to be informed.