A UK government-funded trial involving robot vacuum cleaners to clean floors in 25 care homes found pathogen levels were cut by 41 per cent in three days.
The trial, funded by Innovate UK as part of the fight against Covid-19 and provided by The Perfect Little Company (TPLC), used advanced ATP (adenosine triphosphate) testing equipment, commercial robotic vacuums and antiviral surface cleaner.
Combining the technologies, controlled tests were taken for two days prior to the introduction of the Abbee cleaning robots and then for three days following the introduction.
The pathogen levels dropped on average by 41 per cent from the control test level to the levels achieved by the automated robotic vacuum.
Reductions were seen across various floor types including carpeted and hard floors, both with and without the antiviral surface cleaner.
With the support of Innovate UK, Oxfordshire-based TPLC - an business and the UK's leading provider of commercial automated vacuums - were able to provide complimentary Abbees to care homes across the UK.
“By being part of the trial, we have successfully proved that pathogen levels are reduced by using robots and that staff time is saved so teams can concentrate on the more important tasks at this time – such as touch points,” said TPLC chief executive Michael Richardson.
“With these findings, we believe, our automated solution would suit premises such as schools and GP surgeries – where cleaning is outside of opening hours and reducing transmission is paramount,” he added.
