White, Clean and Shine, HV and UHV: comparison of the 4 families of discs
Whether with our range of professional single-disc floor machines or an automatic floor scrubber, polishing and buffing floors extends their lifespan while conveying an image of cleanliness and safety to users.
Polishing, a key step in soil enhancement
Floor polishing is much more than just an aesthetic measure. It's the final step in the maintenance cycle, giving a protected floor its glossy appearance and resistance to marks. In professional establishments such as hotels, large retail stores, healthcare facilities, and public buildings, the quality of the polishing directly influences the visual perception of the premises.
Polishing pads are the most diverse category of abrasive pads. White, beige, Clean and Shine, high-speed, ultra-high-speed: each type is designed for a specific use, machine speed, and floor type. Choosing the wrong pad can result in a dull finish, prematurely wear the flooring, or simply prevent it from working with your machine.
This guide covers the entire range available at Voussert, 3M Scotch-Brite and Janex brands, including the Clean and Shine disc, an innovative 2-in-1 solution that eliminates the separate polishing step.
The white and beige disc: classic low-speed polishing
This is the historical benchmark for professional polishing. Recognizable by its white or beige color depending on the brand, this disc is designed to restore shine and a "wet look" effect to a clean and properly waxed floor.
Operating mode and use of the disc.
The white pad works by lightly rubbing the surface of the floor coating (emulsion or wax), gently heating it to bring out its shine. Its action is non-abrasive—it doesn't remove material, but rather redistributes and polishes the surface layer. For this reason, it cannot be used on an unprotected floor: without a wax or emulsion to polish, it would have no effect.
| Important: Polishing must be done on a clean, swept floor. A grain of sand trapped under the pad can scratch the surface. Always damp-mop with impregnated cloths before polishing. |
Rotation speed and machine type
The low-speed white disc is used between 150 and 300 rpm. This is the range of low-speed, high-speed, and even very high-speed single-disc floor scrubbers and automatic scrubbers equipped with a disc-carrying plate. For large areas, an automatic scrubber with a disc-carrying plate is a possibility, but the single-disc floor scrubber remains the benchmark tool for optimal results.
The beige disc, slightly more abrasive than the white one , is suitable for floors with slightly older protection or for the first polishing passes after recent waxing.
With or without product?
The so-called spray polishing method can be carried out in two ways:
• Dry: the disc alone, without any product. Suitable for a well-maintained floor in a regular cycle.
• With the spray method: a neutral polishing or cleaning-polishing spray is sprayed in front of the machine. This results in a shinier finish and provides a gentle cleaning action simultaneously. In this case, the use of a spray-method polishing product is recommended.
| Tip: The spray method is particularly suitable for tiled and PVC floors in hotels or restaurants: it combines light maintenance and polishing in a single application |
Brands and sizes available
• 3M Scotch-Brite white: premium product, available in widths from 254 to 530 mm
• Janex white/beige: excellent value for money, available in standard sizes from 330 to 505 mm
The 3M Clean and Shine disc: cleaning and polishing in one step
The Clean and Shine pad is the most significant innovation in the polishing range. Developed by 3M Scotch-Brite, this two-tone (red and white) pad combines two functions that are usually separate: floor cleaning and polishing. A single pass with an automatic scrubber replaces two separate operations.
Make your floors shine while you clean them!
Scotch-Brite™ Clean & Shine Disc
The Scotch-Brite™ Clean & Shine cleaning pad shines and cleans your floors in one step. The more you use it, the higher the shine your floors will achieve, eliminating the need for additional polishing. When used with a low-speed scrubber and water or a neutral detergent, the pad lasts longer and removes black marks faster than traditional cleaning pads, leaving you with a brilliant shine.
faster, with less effort and less equipment.
"We were eager to test the new Clean & Shine disc and immediately saw stubborn scratches disappear and a brilliant shine appear after just a few days."
– Nick Schmidt, ICE, manager, building custodial & support services at Western Michigan University.
Use the Scotch-Brite™ Clean & Shine reversible cleaning pad for daily cleaning and a flawless shine.
Faster cleaning — removes black marks
3 times faster than traditional maintenance discs.
Reduced polishing step — shine increases in a few uses and the need for polishing is reduced or even eliminated.
Less equipment — clean and shine your floors in one step, using only a low-speed scrubber dryer.
Less chemicals — effective with water. Less frequent replacement — lasts longer than traditional maintenance discs (minimum 20,000 square meters).
Versatility — can be used on most protected or unprotected floors such as thermoplastic floors, vinyl floors, stone, terrazzo, concrete, marble, granite or rubber. | The 2-in-1 daily maintenance disc puts traditional maintenance discs to shame.
Effective on floors with a dull initial shine or already a brilliant shine. The shine improves with each use, giving your floors a sparkling reflection more quickly, with less effort and less equipment than traditional maintenance discs.
And that's good for your image. |
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High-speed and ultra-high-speed drives
For establishments with a high-speed (HV) or ultra-high-speed (UHV) single-disc machine , a specific range of discs makes it possible to achieve a level of shine inaccessible with low-speed equipment.
Difference between HV and UHV
The distinction lies in the machine's rotation speed:
• High speed (HV): 300 to 1,500 rpm — specialized equipment but common in large stores and hotels
• Ultra High Speed (UHV): 1,500 to 3,000 rpm — dedicated machines, intense professional results, maximum "wet look" effect
These high speeds generate significant heat on the surface of the disc, which temporarily liquefies the wax or emulsion layer and allows for even redistribution — producing a gloss far superior to that obtained at low speeds.
The orange 3M UHV disc
Recognizable by its bright orange color, the 3M Scotch-Brite ultra-high-speed disc is designed for machines rotating between 1,500 and 3,000 rpm. Its highly open web (low fiber density) allows air to circulate around the disc, preventing the floor from overheating.
The result obtained with an orange UHV disc on an emulsified tiled floor or metallic concrete is clearly superior to low-speed polishing: deeper shine, longer durability of the effect, "showroom" level finish.
| Note: The orange UHV disc is primarily available in 406 mm from Voussert. This is the standard size for UHV platters. Check compatibility with your platter before ordering. |
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