Every individual knows the struggle of keeping your floors clean when you use a narrow motorized wheelchair, such as the Edge 3 Stretto®. Your power chair tires are designed to handle a wide variety of terrain. Unfortunately, this also means that all kinds of debris may stick to your tires and you end up bringing the mess into your home. Plus, even if your tires are clean, your electric wheelchair may still leave marks on your floors. Read on for some helpful tips to avoid messy and marked up floors.
How to Clean Your Narrow Motorized Wheelchair Tires
After a day of running errands or spending time outside, the first thing you should do before you enter your home is to clean off your electric wheelchair tires. We recommend using a broom, dustpan brush or any kind of brush with stiff bristles. Using the brush, you can gently sweep off any dirt or debris on your wheelchair tires. If your tires are caked with mud, we suggest letting the mud dry for a few hours. This makes it easier to brush the mud off. Never use a rubber conditioner on the tread area of your tires. This can make the tires slippery and cause your power chair to skid. If you were caught in rain or snow, it’s important to dry your chair immediately. Find out what to do if your narrow power wheelchair gets wet.
While you are cleaning the tires, this is a good time to give your power chair an examination to make sure everything is in working order. If you have pneumatic tires, check for proper tire inflation and make sure you maintain (but not exceed) the psi/bar/kPa air pressure rating that is indicated on each tire. Get more tips on cleaning your narrow power wheelchair and other maintenance checks to perform, including daily, weekly and monthly checks, to keep your power chair in top condition.
How to Avoid Wheelchair Marks on Floors
We believe that the best way to avoid causing wheelchair scuff marks on your wooden or linoleum floors is to avoid any sudden starts and stops when operating your narrow power wheelchair. Stop and go driving may contribute to these rubber marks. It also can affect your battery life and cause your wheelchair batteries to deplete more quickly.
How to Clean Wheelchair Marks on Floors
Even if your tires are totally clean and you drive your chair appropriately, there’s still a possibility of getting rubber marks on your floors. If your narrow motorized wheelchair leaves black marks on your wooden, laminate or linoleum flooring, don’t panic. These rubber marks are easy to remove. First, consider the type of flooring you have and consult the manufacturer of the flooring to determine which types of cleaners are appropriate to use. Generally, when removing wheelchair marks on flooring, we recommend a magic eraser sponge or mop. You can also try a pencil eraser or a tennis ball. Any of these remedies may help to remove the majority of rubber marks on floors. Once you get the worse of the mark removed, spray a glass or surface cleaner on the area and wipe gently with a paper towel or cloth.
