Cleaning liquid dispensing in a mobile hard surface cleaner

A mobile hard surface cleaner comprising:

• a machine frame having a front end and a rear end with respect to a direction of travel of the cleaner over a surface;
• motorized wheels connected to the frame and supporting the frame for travel over a surface;
• a motorized scrub head supported by the frame;
• a fluid recovery device supported by the frame and comprising a vacuum squeegee;
• a primary cleaning liquid component container supported by the frame;
• a cleaning agent container supported by the frame;
• a flow control device supported by the frame and configured to supply a flow of cleaning agent from the cleaning agent container at a predetermined volume flow rate of greater than 0 cubic centimeters per minute and less than 10 cubic centimeters per minute to a flow of primary cleaning liquid component from the primary cleaning liquid component container;
• and
• a fluid flow path configured to receive a flow of cleaning liquid, which comprises the cleaning agent and the primary cleaning liquid component.

A method comprising:

• advancing a hard surface cleaner including a machine frame having wheels over a surface, the machine frame supporting a motorized scrub head, a vacuum squeegee, a cleaning agent container, and a cleaning liquid component container;
• driving a flow of cleaning agent from the cleaning agent container at a predetermined flow rate of less than approximately 10 cubic centimeters per minute and greater than 0 cubic centimeters per minute;
• supplying a flow of primary cleaning liquid component from the cleaning liquid component container;
• combining the flow of cleaning agent and the flow of primary cleaning liquid component to form a flow of cleaning liquid;
• dispensing the flow of cleaning liquid to either the motorized scrub head or the surface;
• and
• recovering liquid from the surface with the vacuum squeegee.