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If an unexpected and unpleasant odor is emanating from your autoscrubber, we recommend removing the tank and inspecting it. If the tank has…

White Residue

Cleaning chemicals that were used in the autoscrubber were too dilute, resulting in an interaction with hard water ions (calcium and magnesium). Alternatively, cleaning chemical residue was left behind in the tank due to water evaporation. While these white mineral films themselves do not usually have an odor, their formation at low temperatures is usually accompanied by bacterial biofilms, which are malodorous.

If the white residue is not coupled with a smell, our recommendation is to treat the tank with dilute acid solution, such as MAD, according to the label directions. If an unpleasant odor is present, we advise treating the tank with a mild bleach solution due to the presence of bacteria, again according to the label directions. Symplicity™ Destainer is about 12.5% bleach and can be diluted at a ratio of 1:20 for such a purpose.

Gummy Residue

Incompatible cleaning chemicals were used in the autoscrubber, resulting in cross-contamination in the tank. Similarly to mineral films, gummy residue itself does not smell, but it is often present alongside bacteria in the form of biofilms. Regardless of whether or not odor is present, we suggest treating the tank and cleaning the filter with a mild bleach solution according to the label directions.

Malodor

With or without residue, bacteria is present in the autoscrubber’s tank. We advise treating the tank with a mild bleach solution according to the label directions. Appropriate bleach products, such as Symplicity™ Destainer, will not leave a residue nor potentially lead to excess foaming in the scrubber. 

NOTE: Never mix acids and bleach solutions when cleaning, as it produces a toxic gas.

Do you have different autoscrubber or other equipment issues? Tell us about it at social@betco.com, and our experts will address your problem in an upcoming blog post!