HotelsMag May 2022 | Page 77

Systems . Robots need to improve and evolve a lot more before they can be used for daily housekeeping and nightly janitorial work , he adds .
Although they utilize less electricity , cleaning robots can be ineffective to hoteliers and can ’ t compensate for human intelligence in the cleaning procedure , says Albert Sledge , sales and business development manager , Visual Matrix . “ Robots fail to detect stains on a carpet , whereas humans can , and robots are unable to reach tight corners . Robots are also unable to provide detailer , deep cleaning of a surface ,” Sledge says .
While robots fill in gaps as the industry deals with the labor crisis , the best way to manage is to automate jobs that can be automated and focus staff on jobs that require critical thought and hospitality , says Mark Heymann ,
CEO , UniFocus , which has software for automatic shift scheduling and focuses on optimizing staffing needs . Housekeepers can feed in information about their availability and shift preference , helping head housekeepers jump in and assist in room turnovers .
Renue offers electrostatic disinfection , which involves spraying electrostatically charged mist and then allowing for the chemical to disinfect the targeted surface . “ Relative to a low-tech fogger it is quick and more effective since it reaches the entire surface including the sides not visible ,” Grossman says .
Some hotels have also installed UV-C lights to disinfect high-contact items . While these lights are highly effective in locating contaminated surfaces , it is not a very pocketfriendly option . “ UV-C lights are very expensive making the economic case difficult . As they come down in price , they could be a viable option ,” says Sledge , whose company has a tool to help eliminate confusion and deal with wasted labor as well as modules like integrates texting , Alexa integration and an employee safety device .
ALTERNATIVE METHODS Deep , restorative cleaning is required for disinfecting surfaces , as opposed to daily housekeeping , with the frequency ranging from yearly to quarterly .
“ Our cleaning has been particularly needed since the pandemic recovery began due to hotels ’ labor shortages and guests ’ increased desire for clean properties ,” Grossman adds . “ For many years now , we have offered disinfecting services , but there was
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