Ten emerging technologies for retail cleanliness, hygiene and sanitisation

Hygiene is vital whether you operate a business or a service in retail, industry, food, or any other sector.

There's always the chance of harmful bacteria between suppliers, employees, and customers alike. And in a post-Covid world, retail cleanliness is more important than ever.

Fortunately, you can begin to test some of the most innovative cleaning solutions around right now. Some are experimental and expensive, while others are low-cost and effective.

Here's a quick rundown of some of the most effective you can look into right now.

Non-polluting building maintenance

Cleaning is essential, and you should regularly sanitise all parts of your establishment. This includes surfaces and facilities. But it also extends to carpets, walls, and even facades. These are all germ magnets and can be home to bugs and animals.

And while cleaning is important, you also need to ensure it is done responsibly. You need to ensure that no harsh chemicals are used for customer and employee health. Fortunately, specialized contractors like See Brilliance clean all manner of external surfaces using non-abrasive, PH-neutral chemical solutions.

UltraViolet cleaning

UV cleaning isn't new. In fact, your drinking water is cleaned using UV radiation in water treatment plants.

As a result, various industries have found UV light to be an excellent cleaning solution. It's also less expensive and easier to install than most other cleaning systems, either for premises hygiene or as a service.

In addition, you can operate and maintain a UV system cheaper than standard cleaning like steam, which has its own issues. Because of this, many businesses are installing UV-C lights that kill bacteria and viruses in response to the pandemic.

Robotic AI driven cleaners help with retail cleanliness

It's only a matter of time before robots undertake low-paying jobs like cleaning. And some public spaces, such as airports, are already playing with the idea.

Some robots come equipped with UV-C lights and can thoroughly disinfect one of your rooms in under 12 minutes compared to the 90 it would take a human employee. While you might not want to replace valued staff with machines, sometimes it's for the better.

Robotic cleaners are more efficient than humans. But in addition, they reduce human to human contact.

Non-contact hand gel dispensers

Because of COVID-19, the sale of hand gels skyrocketed. Almost every store, bar, and public facility is littered with them now. And it would help if you didn't neglect them either.

However, there is a case to be made about the efficacy of hand gels that people need to touch to use. It kind of defeats the point. Therefore you should consider automated hand gel kits that sense movement and dispense a cleaning solution accordingly.

Some of the best dispensers include Ponydash, SwiftFinder, and ANVASK. Of course, use a reliable gel as well as a suitable device.

Self-cleaning surfaces

You might have a hard time believing this one, but there are self-cleaning surfaces. One of the best around is NitroPep from the University of Birmingham.

NitroPep is an adhesive material that can be applied to any surface like walls, floors, and counters. Rather than killing viruses with chemicals, it punctures them with tiny spikes. Traditional cleaning methods like wiping down surfaces with antibacterial chemicals are good.

But depending on the surface material, viruses can live for days. On the other hand, NitroPep kills them in a few minutes.

Remember to stock up on janitorial supplies.

BONUS: educating employees about post-Covid hygiene

The worst of the pandemic is over, for now. But the Covid-19 virus hasn't gone anywhere, and people are still dying. Therefore, now would be a bad time to get lax about Covid safety. Instead, you can help keep people safe by continuously educating employees about Covid-19.

●      Remind about safe practices using social distancing posters.

●      Send weekly emails about Covid safety.

●      Distribute official government Covid health advice.

●      Encourage vaccinations and booster shots.

●      Hold meetings where people can share their concerns about Covid.

●      Hand out Covid killing wipes and sprays to employees for shared equipment.

●      Encourage social distancing whenever possible and necessary.

Your staff and customers alike need to stay safe. You can help with official WHO advice about Covid and ensure people follow basic rules.

However, even though social distancing measures might no longer be law in your country, it doesn't mean the threat of infection is gone.

Non-hazardous cleaning sprays

Cleaning sprays are traditionally hazardous, making them suitable for killing germs, bacteria, and viruses. However, it would help if you considered the safety of everyone around the cleaning products you use.

For example, many of the best anti-Covid sprays are harmful if used in a poorly ventilated area. Fortunately, advancements in cleaning technologies make some sprays safe to use around people.

Some of the best include Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds, Better Life Natural Cleaner, and CleanWell Botanical Disinfectant.

Disinfectant survey drones

It seems like there is no end to the use of drones. Since they have become commercially available, drones have helped with all kinds of things. Some benefits include aerial photography, assessing safety areas, and herding cattle.

Now they can help keep large indoor or outdoor areas clean by spraying disinfectant. For instance, suppose you operate a large nightclub where people mingle. Then your drone can cover over 20,000 square feet in just an hour.

But, of course, learning to use a drone is another matter. So get some practice so you don't crash it.

Antibacterial coatings help retail cleanliness 

Like spraying with drones, you can coat surfaces in your store with antibacterial sprays. Some specialist cleaning companies like Denmark's ACT Global offer reactive cleaning solutions. What this means is that the transparent coating reacts to light.

Under any kind of lighting conditions, the chemicals react to break down harmful microbes. Stopping them dead in their tracks.

While the process isn't quick, at around eight hours, it's a great way to cover a large area that isn't in use. Making it a great choice for an overnight cleaning before customers arrive.

Autonomous item delivery

Viruses spread through human-to-human contact. Therefore, you can minimise risk by reducing contact.

Autonomy is one method of making sure there is as little contact as possible. Autonomous warehouses are already in use by some of the world's largest companies.

And fast food services are experimenting with fully automated food services. While Amazon has successfully tested drone deliveries. However, the systems are in their infancy.

Still, it won't be long before these systems begin to replace people for a more hygienic experience.

Cleaning tracking apps

Keeping track of things is part of cleaning. And like most things today, you can use apps to do it faster. Apps help by providing data such as what was cleaned, how, and when.

But some of the more advanced tools can integrate with smart technology. For example, you could use sensors to check for touch level on a surface and send automated robots to clean them.

However, while robotic cleaners and integrated technology are the way forward, there is no substitute for a human. Humans can get into areas machines can't and use reasoning to decide what to clean.

Summary

You have a duty to protect employees and customers alike when you own a business. New technologies make cleanliness and hygiene easier, affordable, and much more effective.

Some of the simplest include UV-C lighting, non-hazardous chemicals, and cleaning management apps.

Yet there are more technologically advanced systems such as AI cleaners, non-contact autonomous service systems, and drones that can disinfect large areas quickly.

Some of these are off-limits to most, but you can easily install non-contact hand stations.