Robot vacuum cleaners and automatic floor scrubbers have entered the programme: from 1 August 2026 the cleaning technician must know about robot technology. Here is what NIR Rengøring says about robots, what you must do yourself, and where the machines make sense.
Introduction
In the subject Commercial cleaning at stage 1, it now says that the student must be able to «under guidance acquire knowledge and skills in relation to robot technology». The objective is new in the education order from 1 August 2026.
What NIR says
- 01If robot vacuum cleaners are used in a hospital, it is mainly in common areas and not in patient rooms.
- 02Robot vacuum cleaners are increasingly used in home care and in nursing homes.
- 03The robot vacuum cleaner is not always as effective as an ordinary vacuum cleaner. That is why it is supplemented with another method when needed.
- 04Automatic floor scrubbers, including robotic ones, are mainly used on larger areas, e.g. entrance areas and other common areas.
- 05If they are to be used in clinical areas, this requires a local assessment of whether they can clean corners and other hard-to-reach places.
Your job with the robot
The robot does not take away your work, it changes it. You get the room ready (clear the floor of cables and loose items), empty and clean the machine, change filters and cloths and check afterwards whether the result is good enough. You do corners, edges and contact points yourself. NIR says that there must be a plan for cleaning, use and maintenance of cleaning machines and trolleys, and that using automatic solutions requires an assessment of which rooms they are suitable for.
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