There are several simple questions that should be asked in order to provide the proper brush for the cleaning application.

Do you want a brush or a pad driver?

What is the make and model number of the machine? When you have this information, please proceed to the Equipment Reference List section of this web site. The machine manufacturers are listed in alphabetical order. Once your brand of machine is found, continue down until you find the correct model. By reading across, you can then determine the proper brush or pad driver size as well as the correct clutch plate.

There is an easy way to cross check your selection from the Floor Machine Brushes and Clutch Plates section of this web site. A brush, long-trim pad driver, or short-trim pad driver without a riser, should be 2" smaller than the machine size. A pad driver or MIGHTY-LOKÆ should be 1" smaller than the machine size. Therefore, a 20" floor machine would use an 18" brush, MAL-LOK™ or PAD-LOK™ without a riser, or a 19" PAD-LOK™ or MIGHTY-LOKÆ. This rule applies to over 90% of the applications.

Determining Diameters

Block Diameter: Lay the brush on the bristles, block side up. Measure the actual outside diameter of the block (not the bristle flare). See photo below for reference (measurement B).

Center Hole Diameter: Lay the brush on the bristles block side up. Remove mounting hardware, if any. Measure actual inside diameter of the center hole. See photo below for reference (measurement D).

NOTE: Malish brushes are designed to fit each machine as shown, even though the block diameter listed on the charts may vary slightly from the diameter of the block originally supplied with the machine.

Once the correct size of brush and the proper clutch plate is determined, a few questions will enable you to select the correct type of brush or pad driver that is needed to fill your needs.

What is the surface that is to be cleaned? How dirty is the floor?

With this information you can then refer to the charts below to select the ideal brush fiber to use for each cleaning application.

Fill Material Options:

MAL-GRIT XTRA™
The most aggressive grit fiber available. Used primarily on concrete floors in factories. It can also be used for extremely heavy stripping applications. Comparable to a high productivity strip pad. Must be used on a wet surface. The color of this fiber is orange.

MAL-GRIT™
The most widely used grit fiber. Ideal for stripping finishes from hard surfaces. Comparable to a black or brown pad. Must be used on a wet surface. The color of this fiber is black.

CLEAN-GRIT™
This grit fiber is used for general cleaning of most hard surface flooring. Comparable to a blue pad. Must be used on a wet surface. The color of this fiber is blue.

MAL-GRIT LITE™
The least aggressive grit offered. Ideal for daily cleaning of burnished floors. Mal-Grit Lite™ is comparable to a red pad. Therefore it can even be used to polish surfaces. The color of this fiber is grey.

NYLON
Used in a wide variety of scrubbing applications. It offers excellent resistance to many chemicals but should not be used with acids. Although it is offered in a wide range of diameters, the combination of .025"/.028" for use in carpet scrubbing is the most common.

POLYPROPYLENE
Used for general scrubbing of most hard surfaces. The most common diameter offered is .028" which gives a scrubbing action similar to bassine but with much longer life.

WIRE
Most often used to scrub concrete floors. However, the use of this fiber has been replaced in recent years by the grit brushes that offer longer life and better scrubbing action.

BASSINE
A natural fiber that years ago was offered as a standard scrubbing brush. Although this is a low cost brush, it does not provide good value due to the limited life of the fiber.

UNION MIX
A combination of white tampico and palmyra, used primarily in polishing applications.

WHITE TAMPICO
Has excellent natural acid resistance and therefore is used extensively in marble care. This natural fiber has a slight abrasiveness which makes it a good polishing material.

BUTCHER (FLAT) WIRE
An extremely aggressive wire that is used to scarify concrete floors.

 

Cleaning Applications

CLEANING APPLICATION

STRIPPING

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Unsealed Concrete

X

X

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Sealed Concrete

X

X

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Terrazo

X

X

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Vinyl Tile

-

X

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Ceramic/Quarry Tile

-

X

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Linoleum

-

X

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

 

CLEANING APPLICATION

GENERAL SCRUBBING

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Heavily Soiled Concrete

X

X

X

-

X

-

X

-

X

X

-

-

-

Moderate to Lightly Soiled Concrete

-

-

X

-

X

-

X

-

X

X

-

-

-

Vinyl Tile

-

-

X

X

X

-

X

-

-

X

-

-

-

Terrazo

-

-

X

X

X

-

X

-

-

X

-

-

-

Ceramic/Quarry Tile

-

-

X

X

X

-

X

-

-

X

-

-

-

Linoleum

-

-

X

X

X

-

X

-

-

X

-

-

-

Marble

-

-

-

X

-

X

-

X

-

-

-

-

-

Raised Disc Rubber Tile

-

-

-

X

-

X

-

X

-

-

-

-

-

Scarifying Concrete

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

X

Non-Slip Epoxy Finish

-

-

-

X

X

-

X

-

-

-

-

-

-

Carpet Scrubbing

-

-

-

-

-

X

-

X

-

-

-

-

-

 

CLEANING APPLICATION

HARD SURFACE POLISHING

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Raised Disc Tile

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

X

X

-

Marble Polishing

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

X

X

-

Linoleum/Vinyl Tile

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

X

X

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