Autonomous cleaning robots are taking the Jan-San and facilities management industries by storm, and for good reason. They offer the promise of improved efficiency, heightened cleaning standards, and a lightened workload for cleaning staff. But often twinned with that optimism is reticence, informed largely by the ongoing cultural narrative surrounding the role of robotics within our homes, schools, workplaces, and society at large. 

 

Fear and hesitation regarding commercial and industrial cleaning robots is often driven by lack of knowledge, misconceptions, and myth. That’s why, in this blog post, we’re taking a look at some common myths about cleaning robots, and using our expertise to debunk them.

 

The fact is, cleaning robots do a few things really well. Autonomous scrubbers sweep and scrub floors with incredible efficiency and to a very high standard. Multipurpose floor cleaning robots do the same, on more diverse flooring types. But they are not human. They do not have the dynamic range of an experienced human custodian, and they don’t have the interpersonal skills or judgment to motivate a team, laugh with coworkers, or respond to a sudden cleaning crisis. 

 

What they can do is take over one of the most time-consuming and repetitive tasks that custodians face, thereby lightening their load and giving them the time and energy to tackle more detailed work like deep cleaning, building repairs, and surface disinfection. And that’s important in today’s labor market, with businesses struggling to find and keep dedicated cleaning staff. Being able to reduce workload, streamline grueling schedules, and alleviate repetitive physical strain can all go a long way towards fostering a healthier and more rewarding work environment for janitorial staff. 

 

While the idea of a 400-lb robot autonomously roaming the halls may sound like a potential safety issue, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Safe self-navigation and precise obstacle avoidance are inherent to the basic design and functionality of any autonomous robot. Autonomous cleaning robots use omnidirectional LIDAR, the same technology behind self-driving vehicles, to navigate their environment and detect obstacles or the presence of human beings in their path. And unlike self-driving cars, their top cruise speed is generally only about 2 mph. Some autonomous robots can even back up out of the way of a person in their path. Autonomous cleaning robots are also equipped with anti-collision, anti-skid, and anti-fall functions for maximum safety.

 

Autonomous cleaning robots are so safe that they are now being rapidly adopted for use in high traffic settings such as schools, hospitals, retail stores, and airports. And quite the opposite of being perceived as a threat, we’ve found that most people encountering our BoTs during demos or deployments are charmed by their useful, unobtrusive presence. It doesn’t hurt that our cleaning robots are smaller, sleeker and more nimble than many on the market (while outpacing competitors in cleaning efficiency), meaning they never get in the way of daily operations or the people using the facility. 

 

Some business owners or facility managers see others in the field jumping on the robot bandwagon and think, “That’s foolish; these robots are a fad, basically just expensive toys destined to gather dust in a supply closet.” But they couldn’t be more wrong. Those in the know are confident that cleaning robots are the future of the Jan-San industry. And service robotics as a market is seeing incredible momentum that shows no signs of slowing: the service robotics market size is projected to reach $84.8 billion by 2028 (from $41.5 billion in 2023). 

 

What’s more, in only a few short years, commercial cleaning robots have transitioned from a disruptive novelty embraced by a few early adopters, to a must-have tool for some of the world’s biggest hospitals, airports, hospitality venues, and other facilities. And that’s largely due to the rapid advances in technology that have allowed floor cleaning robots to morph from large, bulky, retrofitted “cobot” scrubbers to newer fully autonomous models capable of cleaning just as well (or better) within a smaller, more nimble, and virtually “hands-off” package. As the technology continues to become smaller, smarter, and more user-friendly, the presence of cleaning robots in everyday life will only become more commonplace.

 

Sometimes we come across decision makers who quietly wonder if it’s worth investing in a machine they perceive to be a “one trick pony.” Sure, it can scrub the floors, but so can our custodian, using a walk-behind or ride-on scrubber. But this mindset is a bit shortsighted. Not only are autonomous robots capable of providing an excellent clean, they provide value that goes beyond spotless floors.

 

First and foremost, autonomous cleaning robots help your custodial team and facility do more in a shorter amount of time or with fewer people. They don’t replace people, but rather allow existing cleaning staff to get more done each shift because they’re not stuck spending hours cleaning the floors. With numerous cleaning tasks to tackle each day, floor cleaning robots allow custodians to be more productive by letting them check “floor cleaning” off their to-do list.

 

Robotic technology can help alleviate high rates of turnover by providing custodial workers with opportunities for upskilling and the creation of new roles. For instance, tech-oriented custodial staff can be designated as “BoT managers,” learning how to map, maintain, troubleshoot and retrieve cleaning data from the robots. As they become more familiar with the facility’s robots, they can help train other employees, elevating their role and providing deeper job satisfaction.

 

Because regular floor cleaning takes so much time out of a custodian’s day, many businesses could easily hire someone just to clean floors, allowing other employees to focus on more detailed and varied tasks. But it doesn’t make sense for most facilities to pay someone hourly wages or a salary, plus benefits and taxes, just to clean the floors. Logically, each new hire must be able to tackle a range of jobs to justify the expense. But floor cleaning robots can complete that repetitive task, 24/7, making the initial purchase outlay far less than a janitor’s salary + benefits after one or two years, depending on the model. RaaS (robots as a service) models are another great option for accessing this reliable technology without excessive capital investment.

 

Data is everywhere these days, but the Jan-San industry is still very analog in many ways, due to the highly physical nature of the work. Cleaning robots are changing this. Using advanced sensors and IoT connectivity, they can record how long they run, precise times of operation, exact square footage and locations cleaned, water and chemical usage, and more. This type of hard data allows for more insightful decision making while also providing hard proof of completed cleaning tasks. And all of this data can be usefully integrated into helpful monitoring, tracking, and scheduling platforms like Pringle NOC and Pringle Pristine.

 

Finding the perfect-fit solution for your business or facility is anything but a guessing game when you work with us. Read about our process, and get in touch to learn more!