In 2026, one would be hard-pressed to avoid headlines asserting that artificial intelligence is moving from “pilot to production” across industry after industry. The technology has advanced, trust (from a business lens) has increased, and objections have fallen one by one as organizations witness their peers’ deployment scale and fear the cost of being left behind. For facility managers and building service contractors (BSCs), the same is quickly becoming true for cleaning robotics. This year is likely to see more large-scale adoption of autonomous solutions than any year prior. Three trends define where robotics stands today and where the technology is going. 1. The move from consideration to necessity Even just a few years ago, autonomous cleaning equipment occupied a cautiously optimistic corner in the minds of facility managers. Something to pilot, evaluate carefully, and perhaps circle back to in a future budget cycle. But a few key factors have converged to push cleaning robotics firmly into the mainstream today. Safety concerns that once made teams hesitant—particularly in retail and mixed-use spaces—have largely been diminished by considerable improvements to the underlying technology. Obstacle detection and machine response have both made massive leaps. Some autonomous scrubbers can now deftly differentiate between fixed objects and moving ones (like people) and respond accordingly. That reliability, accumulated over years of real-world deployment, has done more to shift the consensus than any novel product demonstration could. Word of mouth and social proof have also played a pivotal role. The cleaning industry is a tight-knit professional community, and when a meaningful share of teams in a given vertical are actively deploying autonomous equipment (and reaping the benefits), the competitive pressure to keep up is difficult to ignore. Additionally, the sharing of best practices across the same and other verticals has been a common theme, sponsored by industry experts, manufacturers and customers. 2. A shift from primary use to additional benefits Every emerging technology goes through a form of metamorphosis. The first stage includes doubt, and maybe a dash of fear. Then, as the technology demonstrates its viability, people ask, “will this work for me?” And once the market has answered that question, the mindset shifts to “how can we integrate it even more into operations and how efficiently can it be realized?” We’ve arrived at that tipping point for cleaning robotics for a few reasons. The persistent labor shortage that pushed many facility managers toward robotics initially remains acute. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects roughly 350,000 annual openings for janitors and building cleaners through 2034, driven not by growth primarily, but by the need to replace workers leaving the field entirely. This is a structural churn that even the most glamorous recruitment effort can’t solve on its own. Robotics addresses this problem head-on and cleaning teams are embracing it. And by doing so, they’re finding that it surfaces more possibilities than just labor relief. One of the more obvious benefits is data. Cleaning robotics collect performance data that trickles into broader facility analytics platforms: areas covered per shift, resource usage, maintenance intervals, and more. For cleaning teams that previously had little to no systematic visibility into cleaning operations, this information can enable smarter scheduling and more efficient resource allocation. Beyond data, cleaning robotic technology is prompting facility managers to think differently about outcomes a cleaning program can achieve. With floor care running essentially on autopilot, staff are freer to address higher-value tasks that rely on the human element. Robotics handle volume and repetition; humans handle complexity. Lastly, there is something commercially meaningful, though perhaps more difficult to quantify, about the general effect of a consistently clean space. Facilities that have transitioned from manual to robotic cleaning programs report that the difference in cleanliness is perceptible, not just to the people responsible for maintenance but to the people using the building. In environments like retail, corporate offices, and healthcare facilities where cleanliness represents safety and care, that perception speaks volumes. 3. Rising adoption among BSCs BSCs have been among the slowest segments to adopt autonomous cleaning and for a fairly evident reason: labor is their chief offering. And if what you sell is labor, a technology that reduces the need for it looks less like an opportunity and more like a threat to the business itself. But that way of framing cleaning robotics is deteriorating. BSCs are recognizing that differentiation has become a crucial competitive advantage and robotics is one of the clearest paths to it. More importantly, the operational logic of adoption is starting to click. A BSC’s field structure has traditionally been organized around square footage and headcount—how many people it takes to clean a certain amount of space. Autonomous floor scrubbers turn that equation on its head. Now, with robotics handling routine floor care, a single field supervisor can oversee multiple locations rather than being anchored to one. That may be a fundamental shift from a tried-and-true model, but it also may be the sound of a door opening to a kind of growth that wasn’t available before. Reading the market The decline of extended pilot periods across the board may be the clearest signal of where the market stands. Facility managers who once spent considerable time proceeding gingerly are now skipping the pilot phase entirely, trusting the evidence the industry has already accumulated rather than feeling the need to generate it themselves. With the groundwork laid, the most useful question now is where to begin.
How can a simple floor pad help address labor shortages, rising chemical costs, and safety concerns in commercial facilities? Facility managers responsible for maintaining hard floors in environments such as hospitals, schools, airports, and retail stores face increasing pressure to improve cleaning results while managing limited staff and tightening budgets. As a result, many organizations are reevaluating traditional floor care programs and exploring technologies that simplify maintenance while improving performance. First introduced in 1989 near Stockholm, Sweden, diamond-impregnated floor pads were originally developed to maintain polished concrete floors. Since then, the technology has evolved to support multiple flooring types, including vinyl composition tile (VCT), polished concrete, and terrazzo. Diamond pad characteristics Unlike traditional floor pads, which are primarily composed of synthetic fibers, diamond floor pads are made from a nonwoven material coated with a resin mixture containing microscopic, man-made diamonds. As the pad moves across the floor, the microscopic diamonds create a controlled micro-abrasion process that gradually removes embedded soil and microscopic layers of worn material while simultaneously polishing the floor surface. Repeated cleaning with diamond pads can improve floor clarity and gloss by smoothing the surface, eliminating the need for additional coatings. In most applications, cleaning crews use the pads with water alone. In environments where sanitation protocols require additional cleaning agents, such as healthcare facilities, crews incorporate pH-neutral cleaners into infection prevention protocols. Depending on the manufacturer, some diamond pads are coated on one side while others are coated on both sides. Pads with single-sided coating offer greater flexibility during use, as the uncoated fiber layer helps maintain consistent contact with the floor, especially on slightly uneven surfaces. The pad also absorbs machine pressure better, improving operator control. For facilities managing large areas of flooring, this streamlined approach improves efficiency and reduces the time required for routine maintenance. Grit levels Diamond pads are color-coded to indicate grit level, ranging from levels for aggressive floor sealant stripping to high-gloss floor finish polishing. Choosing the appropriate grit sequence depends on factors such as the type of flooring, the floor’s current condition, and the desired final appearance. The standard diamond pad color system offers a variety of pads for different procedures, including: Green (3,000 grit): Designed for daily maintenance, this pad produces a high-gloss finish. Yellow (1,500-1,800 grit): Used during the pre-polishing step, this pad removes fine scratches, creates a “wet look” shine, and prepares for final polishing. White (800 grit): This pad removes moderate scratches and prepares the surface for polishing. Red (400 grit): These pads are more aggressive and used for removing deep scratches, stains, or damage. Beyond these standard grit levels, manufacturers have introduced ultra-fine pads, ranging from 8,000 to 10,000 grit, which allow for a safe transition from one floor surface to the next. Streamlined maintenance processes Maintaining hard floors often involves multiple steps, including scrubbing, stripping, refinishing, and burnishing. Additionally, each stage may require different pads, chemicals, and equipment. Diamond pad systems simplify maintenance by combining cleaning and polishing into a single process. Combining these two steps significantly reduces the need for separate burnishing procedures to maintain a consistent floor appearance. Additionally, the micro-abrasion process helps remove surface contamination, including embedded soils and microorganisms, making it particularly valuable in healthcare environments. Labor remains the largest cost component in most floor care programs. By combining cleaning and polishing into a single process and eliminating stripping and refinishing cycles, diamond pad systems can help facilities reduce labor hours while maintaining a consistent floor appearance. For facilities managing large areas of flooring, this streamlined approach improves efficiency and reduces routine maintenance. Improved indoor air quality Indoor air can be two to five times, and up to 100 times, more polluted than outdoor air, according to the American Lung Association. Floor cleaning chemicals can contribute to indoor air pollution. The Environmental Working Group reports that commercial cleaning products may contain as many as 193 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can impact the environment, facility occupants, and cleaning staff. The technology in diamond floor pads enables cleaning with only water, eliminating the need for hazardous cleaning chemicals, floor finishes, and strippers. Additionally, as the millions of microscopic diamonds refine the floor’s surface, rather than aggressively grinding it, the process releases fewer particles back into the air. Fewer particles lead to better indoor air quality and reduced contamination of HVAC filters. Enhanced sustainability Facilities looking to reduce their environmental footprint can implement diamond pad systems into their sustainability initiatives. On average, traditional floor pads last for approximately 25,000 square feet, depending on floor conditions. Diamond pads have a significantly longer lifespan, covering up to 300,000 to 600,000 square feet before replacement is necessary. This longer lifespan reduces the frequency of pad replacement, generating less waste and reducing the need for larger pad inventories. Fewer pad replacements also mean less interruptions during cleaning operations, particularly in facilities where staff must frequently change worn pads during routine maintenance. Additionally, the reduced reliance on chemical products can help lower supply costs and support environmental goals. Reduced chemical use may also simplify training requirements and storage considerations for cleaning staff. Slip resistance Falls are the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death, according to the National Safety Council (NSC). NSC’s Injury Facts® reported that in 2024, 48,308 people died in falls at home and at work. Traditional stripping and refinishing processes often utilize strong chemical solutions that can create slippery conditions during application. By reducing or eliminating the need for stripping chemicals in some maintenance programs, diamond pad systems help minimize temporary slip-and-fall hazards during floor care procedures. Facilities have also reported that floors maintained through mechanical refinement often provide consistent traction compared to floors with heavy coatings. Changing floor-care perspectives As facility managers seek to improve efficiency, reduce chemical use, and maintain a consistent floor appearance, diamond floor pad technology offers an alternative to traditional floor care methods. With continued advancements in pad design and compatibility across multiple flooring types, the technology is becoming an increasingly practical solution for maintaining large commercial spaces.
The New York City Health Department released a preliminary list of 31 buildings with cooling towers that tested positive for the presence of Legionella bacteria. The city identified the buildings during an initial polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening test as part of the ongoing investigation into an Upper East Side Legionnaires’ disease community cluster that has sickened at least 46 people as of July 9. Every building identified has been ordered to clean and disinfect its cooling tower immediately out of an abundance of caution, and remediation was completed for all buildings on the list by July 11. Additional PCR testing results were available over the weekend, and more buildings may be added to the list. A positive PCR test result does not confirm that a building is the source of the outbreak. PCR testing detects the presence of Legionella bacteria but cannot determine whether the bacteria are alive or dead. Only live Legionella bacteria can cause illness, NYC health officials said. To determine whether live Legionella bacteria were present when the samples were collected, the NYC Health Department is conducting culture testing on every cooling tower sampled. Those results take up to two weeks and will help investigators determine whether any of the cooling towers had live Legionella growing at the time the sample was taken. Cooling towers, which release water mist in the outside air, have been identified as the source of previous Legionnaires’ disease community clusters. Following new emergency measures announced in response to this community cluster, the NYC Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani administration is requiring owners of buildings whose cooling towers have received a positive PCR screening result to clean and disinfect those cooling towers immediately, rather than waiting for confirmatory culture test results. The Mamdani administration is requiring building owners to perform a full cleaning and disinfection immediately after a positive PCR screening test, a more aggressive strategy than requiring a boost of chemical disinfectant levels while awaiting for a culture testing to confirm the presence of live Legionella bacteria before conducing t a full cleaning. The NYC Health Department also has expanded capacity to respond to Legionnaires’ disease clusters by increasing community outreach, inspections, disease surveillance, and laboratory testing. On July 2, the NYC Health Department identified two confirmed Legionnaires’ disease cases in close proximity and immediately launched an investigation in the Upper East Side neighborhoods of Carnegie Hill and Yorkville, including ZIP codes 10028 and 10128. On July 5, the Department expanded the investigation to include ZIP code 10075 after confirming an additional case involving a person who lives, works, or has visited that area. As of July 9, 46 people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease in connection with this cluster. Twenty-two remain hospitalized, 19 have been discharged and are now recovering at home, and five were not hospitalized. There have been no deaths associated with this cluster. Because symptoms can develop up to 14 days after exposure, the NYC Health Department expects additional cases may be identified for two weeks after the source of exposure has been eliminated. As part of its investigation, the NYC Health Department has collected water samples from more than 180 cooling towers and found 31 buildings with positive results for the presence of the type of Legionella bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease.
A heat dome has broken all-time temperature records in Utah, Wyoming, and Montana, and is now moving eastward, bringing triple‑digit heat and high humidity to the Midwest and East with forecasts of 90‑plus temperatures and limited nighttime relief, The Weather Channel reported. Extreme heat watches and warnings extend from the Rockies through the Dakotas and Minnesota. Billings, Montana, recorded a high of 111°F, its first 110°F temperature in 92 years of records dating to 1934. Salt Lake City also reached an all‑time high of 109°F. Meanwhile, New Mexico health officials warned residents to watch for heat illness over the weekend and beyond as temperatures exceeded 100 degrees across much of New Mexico. Since April 1, 453 people have visited New Mexico health facilities for heat-related emergencies. In the summer of 2025, 761 people made heat-related emergency department visits around the state. So far this year, neighboring state Arizona’s Maricopa County, home to Phoenix, has preliminary confirmed 18 deaths related to heat. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE ) also urged Coloradans to take precautions during the weekend as high temperatures and wildfire smoke affected parts of the state. Heat and wildfire smoke can each cause health problems on their own. When they happen at the same time, they can be especially hard on the body, the health agency said. Heat can increase the risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Wildfire smoke can irritate the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs; worsen asthma and other lung diseases; and increase risks for people with heart disease. Signs of heat exhaustion can include heavy sweating, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, or muscle cramps. If a person exhibits symptoms of heat exhaustion, the person should move to a cooler place, loosen clothing, and drink water if they are awake and able to drink. New Mexico health officials said heat-related illness symptoms include: Warm, red skin that can progress to cold, pale and clammy skin. Fast, weak pulse. Nausea, vomiting, and muscle cramps. Tiredness, weakness, or dizziness leading to possibly passing out. Heat stroke is a medical emergency. Call 911 if someone has confusion, loss of consciousness or fainting; seizures; very high body temperature; skin that feels hot, even if the person is not sweating; or repeated vomiting. Heat stroke means your body’s cooling system is failing, so you may not be sweaty. CDPHE urged people to reduce outdoor activity during the hottest and smokiest parts of the day. When possible: Move outdoor yard work, and other strenuous activities to a cooler time of day. Take frequent breaks in shade or air conditioning. Drink water regularly and before you are thirsty. Wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing. Use sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat if outside. Pay attention to symptoms, and stop activity if you feel dizzy, weak, nauseated, short of breath, or unusually tired. People with asthma, chronic lung disease, and heart disease should follow their healthcare provider’s action plan and keep medications available. Some medications need to be stored at a stable temperature, so keep them out of extreme heat.
Associated Press reported the largest parasitic infection outbreak in Michigan history and one of the nation’s largest in years is currently unfolding. In Michigan, 1,251 cases of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection that can cause weeks of watery diarrhea, have been reported, according to Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). As of July 9, 44 cases involved hospitalizations. Typically, Michigan only identifies around 50 cyclosporiasis cases per year, MDHHS said. As cyclosporiasis cases continue to rise, the largest increase is occurring in Southeast Michigan, MDHHS reported. As of July 4, no specific produce grower/supplier, or specific produce type has been identified as the source of the outbreak. Meanwhile, 28 other states have similar ongoing illnesses, including Ohio, where people just across the Michigan border are also becoming sick, AP reported. As of July 2, Ohio Department of Health reported 177 cyclosporiasis cases in the state in 2026, with 28 Ohioans hospitalized. Cyclosporiasis is caused by infection from the parasite Cyclospora cayatenensis, which is commonly found in developing countries and spread by food or water contaminated with feces. In recent years, outbreaks have occurred in the U.S. because of eating contaminated fresh produce, especially during the summer months. Cyclosporiasis is not known to spread from person to person. Symptoms occur two to 14 days after exposure and may include: Frequent watery diarrhea. Loss of appetite and weight. Abdominal cramps and bloating. Nausea (vomiting is less common). Low-grade fever. Individuals experiencing sudden gastrointestinal illness are encouraged to seek evaluation by a health care provider. Symptoms of cyclosporiasis can be significantly improved with antibiotic treatment. If untreated, the illness may last for a few days to a month or longer. Providers are urged to consider cyclosporiasis among patients presenting with acute gastrointestinal illness in southeast Michigan. The following foods have been specifically linked to previous Cyclospora outbreaks in the United States and Canada: Bagged salad mixes and kits (precut lettuce blends with romaine, iceberg, red cabbage, carrots) Fresh cilantro (coriander leaves) Fresh basil Raspberries Snow peas Green onions (scallions) To help avoid any illness from cyclospora or other harmful bacteria or organisms, MDARD also recommends the following: Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water before eating, cutting or cooking. Scrub firm fruits and vegetables, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush. Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fruits and vegetables before preparing and eating. Refrigerate cut, peeled, or cooked fruits and vegetables as soon as possible.
Attention building service contractors (BSCs): Cleaning & Maintenance Management is conducting its annual BSC Benchmarking Survey, and we need your help to provide an accurate picture of this always-changing market. Your participation will provide valuable insights into contract cleaning practices, trends, challenges, and solutions. Your responses are completely confidential and will be used for statistical purposes only. Check out the 2025 BSC Survey report for statistics and opinions garnered from your colleagues last year. Then add your voice to this year’s survey, sponsored by Sofidel. You may win a prize, but, more importantly, you will assist the industry with your valuable insights and information. Check your email inbox for the survey or click the link here to participate. You can see the fruits of your participation by reading the survey results in the September/October issue of CMM magazine and on CMM’s website this fall at cmmonline.com. Take the BSC Benchmarking Survey now!