Job shadowing to the Netherlands from 15 to 17 May 2024
Puhastusekspert led a job shadowing to Amsterdam in the Netherlands from 15 to 17 May 2024. Consortium members from Tartu University Hospital, Valga Hospital, East-Tallinn Central Hospital, Arkaadia OÜ, SOL Baltics OÜ, Järva County Vocational Training Centre, Pesuekspert OÜ, Ideia OÜ and Uma Puhastus OÜ took part in the job shadowing. The job shadowing was supported by the Erasmus+ consortium learning mobility project No. 2023-1-EE01-KA121-VET-000133792.
Participants were trained by the following companies: I-team Global, Vileda Professional, Johannes Kiehl KG, HAKO Ground & Garden ja Unger Professional. The products made by these companies are used daily in the Estonian cleaning market, but it felt very inspiring to see the concepts of all these companies at a large trade fair.
We got a closer look at how these companies invest in environmentally friendly products and packaging, including new packaging for familiar products. They also prioritise the approach that the cleaner should not have to adapt to cleaning equipment and techniques, but that the latter are to be adjusted to the needs of cleaners or to the specifics of the site. For example, you adjust a Vileda cleaning trolley based on the specifics of the site by adding drawers, modules and accessory holders as needed. As an innovation, the cleaning trolley has been equipped with a tablet that contains all the information you need for cleaning – job list, room layout, feedback, etc. Everything is there to clean as needed and to consciously create cleanliness.
The winners of the Innovation Award are also honoured at the Amsterdam Interclean professional cleaning fair. The overall winner for 2024 was the LESSAU NO-touch bar soap and dispenser by Diversey – A Solenis Company. It is the first automatic soap dispenser with bar soap. This soap is free of microplastics and vegan, because there is no need to put packaging in the dispenser as with regular liquid soap. A grater in the automatic dispenser drops soap shavings onto the hands. One bar is enough for 300 people to wash their hands. The bar soap produces no waste and leaves your hands feeling soft and smelling great. The automatic dispenser is compact, elegant, energy-efficient and has a rechargeable battery. Liquid soap tends to drip, and heavy refills require storage room and generate a lot of waste. This soap minimises these issues. The LESSAU NO-touch bar soap also won the Sustainability & Environmental Innovation Award.
In the category of Smart Technologies & Digitalisation, the award went to Kärcher BV’s autonomous vacuum cleaner KIRA CV 50. This medium-sized robot vacuum cleaner is a good tool for cleaning open offices, hotels and other large open areas. The vacuum cleaner is equipped with replaceable batteries to support 24/7 operation.
The prize for Workforce & Ergonomics Innovation went to Baudoin Wash-Systems BV for their Wash Drone that can be used for cleaning facades, roofs, windows and solar panels. The powerful Wash Drone and smart technology enables cleaning hard-to-reach surfaces that are often almost impossible to clean. The Wash Drone cleans under high pressure, using clean water technology, and it is easy to operate from the ground. The Baudoin Wash Drone was also awarded the cleaners’ choice award for making cleaners’ work easier and making work a lot more fun. When presenting the award, the cleaners remarked that operating the drone is less like cleaning and more like playing a computer game.
875 companies were represented at the Amsterdam Interclean cleaning fair, which attracted a total of 30,000 visitors from 143 countries. The next Amsterdam Interclean fair will be held in April 2026. We would like to thank all those who accompanied us during the job shadowing and made it all the more interesting to dive into the world of cleaning and innovative solutions.
Until the next job shadowings and knowledge sharing!
