You may notice several new tools around campus that are helping Custodial Services improve service levels. Seeking inventive ways to meet the needs of the campus is a key focus of Custodial Services, especially with the additional cleaning requirements prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of new equipment, including robot floor scrubbers, new paper towel dispensers, and touchless restroom cleaners, is one way that the custodial team has proven to find innovative solutions to new challenges. 

Four robot floor scrubbing machines now sweep and mop floors in Shields Library, Tupper Hall, Sciences Lab, and the University Credit Union Center.  These machines replace older models that required staff assistance. They improve safety since their automated features help reduce potential staff injury from repetitive mopping and sweeping motions and other repetitive or lifting activities associated with mopping and sweeping. In addition, the machines are able to recognize people and other obstacles and stop if someone walks in front of them. The scrubbers can run up to two hours on a single charge, and provide digital reports on areas covered and runtime.  You may not see the machines in action, as they run in the early hours of 5-7 am! 

Joseph (Joe) Williams led the rollout of two touchless restroom cleaning machine systems. They are pressure washing systems that clean toilets, urinals, and restroom floors. The staff sets up the machine, which power washes the area, and then picks up the wastewater, eliminating the need for mopping. Custodial Services has six more on order for new buildings where this will be a good fit. A no-touch system will cut down on the spread of germs and contaminants to staff and make their job much easier.  In addition, students can enjoy cleaner restrooms and staff are able to utilize their time to clean classrooms and common areas more frequently. 

Also, Custodial Services is in the process of installing new Tork PeakServe® paper towel dispensers. The new dispensers are not only the latest innovation designed for high-traffic washrooms, but they are also more efficient than past dispensers. The ability to refill towels before the unit is empty eliminates waste from partially used rolls. The towels are also thicker than those in the previous system, encouraging the need for fewer towels.  

Each of these machines saves time and allows custodial staff to focus on more detailed cleaning and achieve greater customer satisfaction. However, the process to add the equipment to campus inventory did not come without challenges. The robots went through a Vendor Risk Assessment since they connect to the campus wifi. The campus cyber security team evaluated whether the equipment threatened cybersecurity via the apps and web connectivity of the machines. The machines passed this evaluation and were approved to use. Once the robots were delivered, the custodial staff then set up the machines to map their routes and input them into the system.  However, these extra steps were well worth the effort: Deployment of the machines led to time savings and improved custodial service!