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Cleaning Automation Across Industries
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November 6 2023
November 6 2023
Uncovering the Benefits of Automating this Sisyphean Task
Cleaning is one of the tasks of daily life that poses an uncomfortable paradox. In most cases, it’s essential to health, safety, and general wellbeing; however, it’s also time consuming, physically demanding, and must be repeated regularly (if not daily) to reap consistent benefits. And while a bit of slacking off can easily be hidden within the walls of a home, businesses and facilities aren’t granted the same leeway. The safety, productivity, and opinion of customers and staff demand an impeccably clean environment.
But with an ongoing labor shortage and rising costs to hire, retain, or outsource janitorial services, many facilities and businesses are feeling squeezed in their efforts to maintain a clean and sanitized workplace. Luckily, automation has emerged as a powerful tool to help facilities enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve cleaning standards in the face of labor shortages and rising rates.
Why Automate?
While different facility types have varying needs when it comes to cleaning and maintenance, automation provides broad benefits regardless of the type of business.
Consistency
Automated cleaning systems, such as autonomous floor cleaning robots, follow pre-programmed routines with unwavering precision, ensuring that every area is cleaned thoroughly and consistently. Many floor cleaning robots also provide comprehensive tracking and documentation of daily cleaning runs, providing great insight and assurance.
Efficiency
Automation reduces the time required for cleaning tasks, allowing facilities to allocate resources more efficiently and effectively. For instance, while it would take a human cleaner approximately one hour to thoroughly clean 1,000 square feet of flooring (from initial vacuuming to mopping/scrubbing), newer robotic floor cleaners clean up to 20 times faster, and combine all cleaning functions into one unit. This frees up janitorial workers to focus on other tasks, making daily cleaning more efficient overall.
Cost Savings
Automation can lead to reduced labor costs, as fewer human hours are needed for routine cleaning tasks. Expenditures on recruitment and hiring can also be reduced when cleaning is automated effectively. And automating certain cleaning processes, particularly in potentially hazardous industrial environments, helps minimize the risk of accidents and injuries, further decreasing expenses that might result from workers’ compensation claims.
Improved Hygiene
Automated systems often include features like UV-C disinfection or HEPA filtration, which contribute to better environmental sanitation and the reduction of pathogens.
Automation Solutions by Industry
Assisted Living Facilities
Assisted living facilities have a legal and ethical mandate to provide residents with a safe, comfortable, and hygienic environment. Automation can play an important role in meeting these goals.
Floor Cleaning Robots
Floor cleaning robots equipped with sensors and advanced navigation capabilities can clean common areas, hallways, and some resident rooms autonomously. This reduces the physical strain on staff and ensures that floors are consistently spotless. It also helps improve indoor air quality by eliminating dust or allergens that can linger in commercial carpeting.
Disinfection Robots
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, disinfection technology—including robots—has come to play a larger role in the daily operations of assisted living facilities. Disinfection robots use germicidal ultrasonic dry mist, UV-C light, or a combination of both to disinfect indoor air and surfaces, killing harmful pathogens and reducing the risk of infections among vulnerable residents.
Laundry Automation
Automated laundry systems not only improve the efficiency of the laundry process but also ensure that linens and clothing are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized, contributing to residents' comfort and well-being.
Medication Dispensing Systems
While not directly related to cleaning, automated medication dispensing systems ensure that residents receive the right medications at the right times, reducing the risk of medication-related accidents and freeing up staff time for interpersonal resident care.
Healthcare Facilities
Healthcare facilities, including hospitals and clinics, can see great outcomes related to patient care, infection control, and operational efficiency by incorporating automation.
Robotic Surgical Tools
While primarily used for medical procedures, robotic tools can minimize the risk of contamination during surgery, indirectly contributing to cleanliness and patient safety.
Autonomous Cleaning and Disinfection Robots
In healthcare facilities, cleanliness and hygiene are of utmost importance. Floor cleaning and disinfection robots are an invaluable asset in maintaining sterile environments and preventing the spread of infections. Floor cleaning robots can operate continuously, ensuring that floors remain clean 24/7, without disrupting patient care. And disinfection robots can combine two powerful pathogen-fighting technologies—UV-C light and ultrasonic dry mist—to disinfect surfaces and reduce the overall cleaning burden of EVS staff.
Automated Sterilization
Automated sterilization equipment ensures that medical instruments and equipment are consistently cleaned and sterilized to the highest standards. Healthcare-appropriate delivery robots can also assist in this process by transporting instruments and supplies to and from sterilization machines, saving nursing staff and technicians time each shift. Some delivery robots even disinfect items as they transport them, adding extra efficiency to the process.
Industrial facilities
Industrial facilities have unique cleaning needs due to often round-the-clock manufacturing processes and heavy machinery.
Robotic Floor Scrubbers
Autonomous industrial-grade floor scrubbers are a must-have automation tool for large facilities. These machines can efficiently clean large manufacturing floors with minimal human oversight, covering up to 20,000 square feet per hour as they clean up industrial residues and contribute to workplace safety.
Automated Conveyor Belt Cleaning
Conveyors are an essential element of food processing facilities, but they can become a contamination risk if not thoroughly cleaned and sanitized regularly. Automated systems effectively clean and sanitize conveyor belts, eliminating human error and ensuring that every inch is cleaned to prevent bacterial growth or cross-contamination.
Dust Extraction Systems
Automated systems for dust extraction help maintain a clean and safe environment in manufacturing plants, reducing the risk of accidents and respiratory issues among workers.
Schools and Educational Facilities
Educational facilities, with their high student and staff populations, require regular and thorough cleaning to prevent the spread of illness, ensure student safety, and maintain a pleasant environment.
Automated Floor Cleaners
Robotic floor cleaners can clean large areas consistently, ensuring that classrooms, corridors, and common areas are always presentable. These robots are designed with safety features to prevent accidents and collisions with students and staff, and many of them operate quietly, making sure they won’t disturb the learning environment. What’s more, their consistent use improves indoor air quality by eliminating dust, dirt and allergens, helping keep everyone healthy at school.
Air Purification Systems
To improve indoor air quality even further, schools can look to automated air purifiers to remove contaminants from the air using HEPA filtration, UV-C light, or electrostatic technology.
Touchless Technology
Long before Covid, many schools were built or retrofitted with touchless technology in restrooms and cafeterias to prevent wear-and-tear on things like soap and paper towel dispensers. Post-Covid, touchless technology in high traffic common areas is non-negotiable, as it reduces the need for physical contact with surfaces, improving cleanliness and hygiene.
Hospitality
Possibly more than any industry mentioned thus far, first impressions are vital in the hospitality sector. Here, automation can be used to enhance cleanliness and guest satisfaction.
Robotic Room Service
Some hotels have begun adopting robotic solutions for room service and other guest deliveries. Automating repetitive delivery errands frees up an enormous amount of staff time that can be devoted to providing exceptional customer service.
Digital Guest Services and PoS
Restaurants, hotels and entertainment venues have begun implementing digital kiosks to assist with guest services needs such as check-in/check-out, dinner reservations, venue information, and point-of-sale. Autonomous concierge robots can take this efficiency one step further by interacting directly with guests, reducing the need for multiple front desk workers and allowing staff to focus on more complex interactions.
Automated Cleaning
Once again, floor cleaning robots can play an important role in maintaining a pristine and welcoming environment for guests while also reducing staff workload. Floor cleaning robots come in various sizes appropriate for a range of hospitality-focused facilities, and their high-quality, non-stop cleaning power ensures that floors never look worse for wear.
There’s No Going Back
As our lives and workplaces become more and more intertwined with technology, automation is no longer a “nice to have” option for businesses and facilities. Automation is now an essential tool, providing unquestionable advantages in terms of operational efficiency, cost savings, and improved hygiene. Embracing automation in cleaning and facility maintenance isn’t just a technological leap—it's a commitment to providing the best possible environment for everyone who spends time in a business or facility.
If you’re ready to take the next step in cleaning and operations automation, reach out to one of our experts today.
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