Street Clutter – Who Ya Gonna Call? Street Sweepers!

Ever wondered where street debris end up and who (or what) cleans them? Two words: street sweepers. Get to know the machines behind your streets' daily unclogging project.

Street sweepers go as far back as the Industrial Revolution. Its inventor, however, remains a point of debate. Some researchers say that the first fully-mechanized street sweeper was invented in 1849 by C.S. Bishop. However, this fact is contested by the claim that C.B. Brookes, inventor of the paper puncher, was the first one to introduce the vehicle in 1896.

The first street sweepers were rumored to be horse-powered. Later on, the invention of the automobile put horse-drawn sweepers out of commission. The 20^th century’s automobile popularity boom has turned these sweepers into a street necessity.

The construction of more paved spaces like airport runways and parking lots have given street sweepers more places to clean. Aside from merely cleaning concrete pavements, sweepers are also useful in curbing pollution. Street sweeping has become mandatory in response to Federal and State Clean Water regulations of removing debris from streets and gutters to avoid clogging.

Today, different types of street sweepers are abound, and varieties of the Elgin street sweeper attest to that. Trusted street cleaning equipment dealers all over the country provide pre-owned and brand-new sweeping units and parts to suit particular sweeping needs.