Reducing manual labour, chemical waste and improving cleaning processes through data tracking and analysis were just some of the benefits of future cleaning on display at ISSA/INTERCLEAN in Amsterdam.
Conquest’s Managing Director Michael Mathews attended the event, which showcased current and future technology in the commercial cleaning industry.
Here are three areas of innovation in the cleaning industry that he found particularly inspiring.
Robotic cleaning
New equipment models featuring semi-automatic scrubbing capabilities are set for release later this year. Though the technology is still in its infancy, the current designs promise to dramatically reduce manual labour required when scrubbing floors.
A common issue in busy facilities is the lack of staff or time to properly complete cleaning tasks, or the inability to train someone in-house to do the job safely.
Semi-automatic machines not only cut back the amount of physical effort needed to clean, safety and efficiency is also increased. The knowledge required to operate the machinery, though many machines are already designed to be ‘newbie friendly’, is also reduced.
Robotic cleaning offers us a future where cleaning is consistent, fast, and effortless.
No doubt there will come a day when cleaning your factory floor is as easy as the press of a button. For now, look out for the advances so far as they are released toward the end of this year.
Chemical-free cleaning and stripping
Environmental concern is always an issue when using detergents and other cleaning-related chemicals. They must be stored and disposed of carefully, material safety data sheets made available, product details on display and staff trained in what to do should they come in contact with a hazardous chemical.
Not only this, but using the wrong chemical can damage your floor. Even too much of the right chemical can leave a residue that causes damage over time, and too little of any chemical simply won’t get the job done.
The future of cleaning seeks to eliminate these issues. New models of equipment are already configured to take human error out of the equation by mixing solution to the correct strength. But what if the need for chemical cleaning could be removed entirely?
Orbital scrubbing has proven success in chemical-free cleaning. With a variety of pads developed for different applications, orbital machines can be adjusted to clean almost any floor type without risk of damage. Even floor stripping, which traditionally requires the area be treated with extremely harsh chemicals, can be completed chemical-free. Orbital machines can also be used in conjunction with detergents for an unbeatable clean.
We expect to see cleaning solutions become increasingly more environmentally aware. Kinder to the environment and less hazardous to work with while surpassing the quality of clean we’ve come to expect from traditional detergents.
Connected Cleaning
If you thought that the data revolution was going to bypass the cleaning industry, think again! Connected cleaning equipment and machine tracking software is already popular overseas, with facility managers benefiting from the ability to quickly assess the true efficiency of their cleaning processes.
Knowing where machines are, how many hours they have logged, which operators have been using them, along with statistics on solution and power usage and automatic alerting to potential technical issues provides managers with a quantifiable insight into how their processes might be improved.
Although these softwares haven’t yet become a trend in the Australian cleaning industry, plans are in the works for software especially designed to manage cleaning equipment fleets in Australia.
In conclusion
The future of the cleaning industry centres around reducing manual inputs and puts importance on data as the key to developing regimes to suit each unique facility. Automated machinery, specially designed pads that require little or no solution, and cleverly designed milder chemicals all contribute to creating a safer cleaning environment that looks great and lasts longer.
We’re excited to see what comes next.
