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In conjunction with the Cleaning & Support Services Association (CSSA), The Cleaning Show 2021 will play host to the brand new CSSA Innovation Showcase when it returns to ExCeL, London tomorrow. The dedicated pavilion will celebrate the industry’s most innovative and new technologies at a time when cleaning and public health is at the forefront of the agenda.
Demonstrating products that offer the potential for positive change, nine finalists were selected by a panel of eight industry experts and representatives including David Garcia, Vice President and Treasurer, Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association (CSHA) and Neil Nixon, Cleaning Show Conference Director & Editor of Cleaning & Maintenance Magazine. The panel reviewed and interviewed 30 entrants in a ‘Dragons Den’ style ‘Innovators Pitch’ before choosing the final nine companies to take part in the Innovation Showcase at this year’s event.
Meet the finalists
From robots to sustainability services, the nine finalists including Bunzl Cleaning & Hygiene Supplies (BCHS), Washroom Wizard, w’air, ICE, NextDynamics, Optiqo, Orion Eco Solutions, Selden, and Softbank Robotics will be on hand to provide the 7,000 attendees that are set to attend the show a first-hand insight into the cleaning industry of the future.
Demonstrating the future of technology in cleaning
As a first of its kind, w’air is a new fabric care system that unlocks a more sustainable approach to cleaning whilst saving time and money. Ideal for use across hospitality services, contract cleaning, and fashion retail, the w’air device uses less energy, up to 99% less water and 77% less detergent, making it a truly sustainable solution. From carpets and cars to sofas and sneakers, the versatile solution cleans and protects a wide range of fabrics using a patented, hydrodynamic technology that creates a ‘blast’ of air, water and detergent which actively collides with dirt, odours and bacteria. Reimagining fabric care, the hand-held device can be utilised in most professional cleaning settings. For example, in retail, one two-month pilot with a leading designer brand found that faulty stock was reduced by 22%+ as shop soils could be easily removed thus preventing markdown or destruction of the garment.
Highlighting the future of automation live on the show floor, the Innovation Showcase will also feature a robotics demonstration from CSSA Member specialists in the robotics sector. With over a decade of experience in robotic floor cleaning machines, ICE Co-Botics will demonstrate its complete range of autonomous vacuums, scrubber dryers, and sweepers in various sizes, suitable for a whole host of environments. With a focus on integration, the full range works off the same software and is designed to run alongside cleaning operatives so they can focus on crucial detailed tasks such as sanitisation. Further to this, the range recycles all water during operation, offering tangible sustainability benefits.
Also offering the latest in robotics, SoftBank Robotics EMEA will demonstrate Whiz – an autonomous cleaning solution designed for vacuuming. Simple to use and train, the self-driving robot is designed to work alongside commercial cleaning teams, taking over repetitive, heavy-duty vacuuming of large areas of flooring, and freeing up workers to focus on high-value tasks. Whiz can clean up to 500 m² per hour and covers 1,500 m² on a single charge, increasing efficiency and productivity.
Driving a sustainable, green future
Elsewhere, Bunzl Cleaning & Hygiene Supplies Ltd will showcase its suite of Sustainable Solutions that offer customers support for sustainable procurement decisions ranging from product choice to delivery frequency. This includes Carbon Forecast – a tool to inform customers of the actual and potential carbon savings in their contract by utilising advanced data diagnostics, Carbon Offset – a value-add part of BCHS Sustainable Solutions, intended to incentivise the reduction of supply chain emissions and, Product Award – a trusted insight into the sustainability of the products they are buying across a range of criteria.
Whilst product quality and reliable, cost-effective supply will always be important considerations, Selden’s proposition goes far deeper. Its product innovation, technological development, environmental protection, and exceptional service have always been at the forefront of what it offers, now enhanced by this latest innovation aimed at eradicating the use of single-use plastics within the cleaning industry – the patented Solution system.
Improving business performance with technology
Demonstrating the diverse applications for technology across the cleaning sector, Optiqo, which offers digital system solutions to optimise the service and maintenance of properties, will be demonstrating its system ‘live’ across the three days of the show. Allowing visitors to have a play with foot flow monitors, NFC tags, QR codes and the sign off App, Optiqo will use a live dashboard to present the activity whilst also incorporating data live from its offices in Sweden and Canada.
Elsewhere, Washroom Wizard Ltd’s EcobreezeSmart offers a complete IoT air care solution that aids occupancy monitoring while improving indoor air quality. Using a simple heat map, operators can see visits by time and day, aiding the management of cleaning rotas and cost savings. The technology, which has undergone rigorous performance tests at independent laboratories in the UK and US, was found to remove 89% of malodours and airborne microbes within just 30 minutes.
Further enhancing the use of automation to improve business functions, Squeegee Advanced from NexDynamic joins the list of innovation finalists for 2021. By using real-time data, together with a full suite of features designed with automation at their core, Squeegee Advanced provides businesses with the tools to stay one step ahead. This almost completely eliminates any manual business administration saving on average the equivalent of two full time staff per month. Squeegee Advanced improves organisational sustainability by ensuring that the workforce can enjoy more flexibility in the way they work, communicate with customers and record data. It will allow a business to meet the demands of the 21st century client where 24-7 communication is increasingly expected while providing excellent opportunities for business growth.
Squeegee Advanced provides end-to-end management of the entire business; from adding new prospective clients and sending quotes, to managing accounts, all in one place.
Keeping our public spaces safe
Offering environmentally friendly solutions that make it easier for the world to fight viruses and create safe spaces, Orion Eco Solutions has been recognised for its Vortex One range. Specially formulated for use in the commercial environment, Vortex One is a powerful concentrated odour eliminator with a Eucalyptus fragrance, multi-purpose, multi-surface cleaning fluid that effectively eliminates bacteria, viruses and fungi. Fully scalable to deal with any area, another solution within the range, ‘VortexAir’, is the most effective air sterilisation technology, eliminating 99.9999% of bacteria and with washable and reusable filters.
Stuart Dacre, Event Director at The Cleaning Show, said:“Against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, there has never been a better time to highlight and celebrate the most forward-thinking products within the cleaning industry. Innovative cleaning processes are fundamentally altering the industry and those that want to stay ahead of the competition should not miss the CSSA Innovation Showcase! The innovation on show within this dedicated pavilion, as well as on the stands of so many of our exhibitors is astounding and we can’t wait to bring everyone together next week so cleaning industry professionals can see the industry’s latest innovations for themselves.”
Paul Ashton, Chairman of CSSA Innovation & Technology Executive added: “The Showcase celebrates Innovation in the widest sense, whether it is a new method, idea, approach or product. The event not only demonstrates that the industry is a driving force for the evolution in the cleaning field but has the potential to reinvent a wide range of industries. As the event for the cleaning industry to network, source and learn, we’re delighted to deliver this showcase as part of The Cleaning Show’s offering.”
