Every two years, the global cleaning industry descends on Amsterdam for Interclean — the world’s largest and most influential professional cleaning trade show. In April 2026, I had the privilege of attending on behalf of CCE, walking the floors of RAI Amsterdam alongside more than 900 exhibitors and 30,000 industry professionals representing 140 countries.
The 2026 edition was the biggest yet, and one thing was abundantly clear: the cleaning industry is in the middle of a genuine technological revolution. Robotics, battery autonomy, smart navigation, and sustainable chemistry are no longer emerging trends — they are the new baseline.
My goal was simple: identify the technologies and products that will actually make a genuine difference for Australian cleaning operations. What follows is my account of the standout innovations I encountered, covering 16 products across robotics, scrubbing, vacuuming, escalator cleaning, solar panel maintenance, and aerial drone technology.
These are machines and solutions that we, at CCE, are actively pursuing for the Australian market. If any of these technologies are relevant to your operation, I encourage you to reach out early — demand for leading-edge cleaning equipment in Australia is only growing.
Labour is expensive. Skills are scarce. Standards are rising. The technology I saw in Amsterdam solves all three problems — and is coming soon.
1. Autonomous & Robotic Cleaning
The biggest buzz at the show. Robotic scrubbers have crossed the line from ‘interesting’ to ‘essential’ for any serious cleaning operation. These aren’t prototype machines — they’re working right now in warehouses, airports and shopping centres around the world.
Labour shortages, rising operational costs, and growing hygiene expectations have made robotic scrubbers a serious business case — not a novelty. Here are the key machines that stood out.
Kärcher KIRA BD 20
— Autonomous Robotic Scrubber
This was one of the most impressive compact robotic scrubbers I saw at the show.
Kärcher’s KIRA BD 20 isn’t just another “entry-level” robot—it’s a serious autonomous cleaning solution for real-world environments. It’s built for facilities that want consistent cleaning without relying on staff availability. The KIRA range took home the Visitors’ Choice Award at the prestigious Amsterdam Innovation Award ceremony.
- 360° obstacle detection — safe in high-traffic areas
- Autonomous docking: self-fills, self-drains, self-charges
- Teach & Repeat mapping — no operator intervention needed
- LiFePO₄ battery for extended runtime
👉 My takeaway: compact robotics are now genuinely viable for everyday commercial cleaning—not just large sites.
👉 Ideal for: medium facilities, retail spaces, education, healthcare sites starting with robotics
Tennant X6 ROVR Robotic Scrubber
— Mid-Sized Autonomous Scrubber | 2025 IDSA Bronze Design Award
If you’re cleaning large areas, this is where robotics starts to make serious financial sense.
The X6 ROVR delivers scale, runtime, and intelligence—built for high-demand environments.
A powerhouse that cleans up to 6,967 square metres per cycle. Its 3D LiDAR navigation makes it perfect for busy warehouses and airports.
👉 What stood out: this is about productivity, not just automation.
👉 Ideal for: warehouses, airports, logistics, large retail, distribution centres (large commercial or light-industrial environments)
NEW - Tennant X2 ROVR Robotic Scrubber
— Compact Autonomous Scrubber
This is where many Australian businesses will enter robotics.
Small, agile, and easy to deploy in tight environments.
The nimble sibling. Where the X6 owns big open spaces, the X2 gets into the tight spots — healthcare corridors, hotel lobbies, retail stores. Same BrainOS intelligence, smaller footprint, lower barrier to entry.
👉 My view: the most practical entry point into robotic cleaning.
👉 Ideal for: healthcare, schools, offices, hospitality, retail stores
Tennant X16 Large Robotic-Ride-On Sweeper
— Tennant's First Robotic Sweeping Machine
This is a game changer – the first robotic sweeper I’ve seen.
When you need to cover serious ground, the X16 delivers – built for serious scale.
The “powerhouse” for industrial hubs.
Handles uneven and variable floor surfaces.
BrainOS intelligence with enterprise fleet management.
Combines full sized ride-on power with unattended autonomous intelligence for large industrial cleaning operations.
👉 Simple: this changes the cost structure of large-scale sweeping.
👉 Ideal for: manufacturing, logistics hubs, airports, large industrial sites
2. Combination Machines - 2-in-1 Sweeper/Scrubber
Comac Combimac
— 2-in-1 Sweeper/Scrubber Combination Machine
Why make two passes when one will do? The Combimac sweeps and scrubs in one pass—cutting time, labour, and machine use instantly.
Halving the time on mixed floors where debris and embedded dirt coexist. Smart engineering from Comac, built for food production floors, logistics centres, and anywhere dust and grime share the same space.
- Significantly reduces water use and machine hours
- Comac Italian build quality — proven in tough environments
👉 My takeaway: a fast win for operational efficiency.
👉 Ideal for: warehouses, food production, industrial floors, mixed debris environments
3. NEW Walk-Behind & Ride-On Scrubber Dryers
The backbone of most Australian operations — and the machines getting the biggest upgrade. Battery technology and smarter water management are transforming what these machines can do.
Numatic 220NX Floor Scrubber
— Ultra-Compact Battery Scrubber Dryer
This NEW compact, cordless scrubber has a 220mm cleaning width for increased cleaning access in tight spaces.
Built around the NX 36V lithium battery platform with up to 120 minutes runtime.
Drop the mop. This is what replaces it. The 220NX is small enough to park in a cleaning cabinet, but it scrubs, recovers dirty water, and leaves floors dry and safe — in toilet cubicles, shower bays, tight corridors, anywhere a larger machine can’t go. More hygienic than mopping, better results, far less chemical and water use.
👉 Bottom line: better hygiene, less water, faster cleaning.
👉 Ideal for: bathrooms, change rooms, aged care, schools, confined areas
Nilfisk SC550 Floor Scrubber
— Walk-Behind Scrubber Dryer
Nilfisk built the SC550 around one question: what does a cleaner actually need? The answer is a machine that’s intuitive from day one, adaptable to every floor type, and kind to the planet.
Designed for simplicity and real-world use.
Easy to operate, easy to train, and highly efficient.
Available in both disc and cylindrical configurations.
👉 What stood out: less training, more productivity.
👉 Ideal for: contract cleaners, retail, supermarkets, healthcare, general commercial cleaning
Comac Mica Ride-On Scrubber Dryer
— Compact Ride-On Scrubber Dryer
Stands out for operators who need a nimble, no-fuss machine. With working widths from 55 to 65 cm, it maneuvers easily into spaces where a walk-behind feels limiting but a full-size ride-on is overkill.
👉 My view: a compact ride-on for everyday cleaning tasks.
👉 Ideal for: retail, aged care, schools, and other facilities where floor space is varied and manoeuvrability is key.
Comac Vela Ride-On Floor Scrubber
— Medium Ride-On Scrubber Dryer
A reliable, solid, no-fuss workhorse from Comac.
Proven Italian engineering. Built for mid-sized commercial environments where reliability matters more than bells and whistles — hospitality, retail, aged care, light commercial.
Delivers consistent cleaning without complexity.
👉 My view: a dependable everyday workhorse.
👉 Ideal for: hospitality, retail, aged care, offices, small-to-mid commercial sites
Comac Vesta Ride-On Scrubber Dryer
— Large Ride-On Scrubber Dryer
Step up in size, step up in output.
The Vesta covers large retail centres, logistics floors, and education campuses faster than any walk-behind, without sacrificing cleaning quality. Comfortable for operators during long shifts, and built to handle daily Australian conditions.
36V…..
👉 Simple: more coverage in less time.
👉 Ideal for: shopping centres, warehouses, education campuses, large facilities
4. Specialty & Compact Cleaning
The machines that solve the problems other machines can’t reach.
Karcher K-Mop 46
— Compact Battery Floor Scrubber
One of the smartest designs at the show.
This is the mop replacement you’ve actually been waiting for.
Developed with ergonomics experts, the K-Mop 46 scrubs and recovers dirty water in the tightest spaces — under benches, in sanitary areas, around equipment.
Height-adjustable handle (an industry first), built-in work light, 80% less water than a bucket and mop. It fits on the FlexoMate trolley and weighs just 24.5kg.
Perfect bridge between a mop and a machine.
👉 My takeaway: this is the future of small-area cleaning.
👉 Ideal for: tight spaces, kitchens, bathrooms, cluttered areas, commercial cleaning teams
Nilfisk DRYFT + Mall Patrol Trolley
— Micro Scrubber Dryer | Overall Winner — Amsterdam Innovation Award 2026
The biggest award at the show went to the smallest scrubber. The DRYFT is a micro scrubber designed for high-traffic, tight spaces: retail checkouts, food service, bathrooms, narrow corridors. Its ultra-low profile gets under furniture and equipment that floor staff currently mop by hand. Paired with the Mall Patrol Trolley, it becomes a mobile one-operator cleaning station for shopping centres and public venues — faster, safer, more consistent.
Built for speed and flexibility.
Designed for modern, high-traffic cleaning environments.
👉 What stood out: fast, agile, and highly practical.
👉 Ideal for: shopping centres, public spaces, retail floors, day cleaning teams
Karcher LVS 1/1 Bp Stick Vacuum
— Battery Cordless Stick Vacuum
Simple, powerful, and highly mobile.
Perfect for quick-response cleaning.
Excellent cyclone suction, HEPA 13 filtration, and three-stage adjustable power — no cord, no hassle.
The LVS Battery is the stick vacuum for professional environments where trailing cables are a trip hazard and cordless flexibility is non-negotiable.
Lightweight, powerful, and it goes everywhere.
👉 My view: mobility is the key advantage here.
👉 Ideal for: spot cleaning of offices, hospitality & retail. Great for cord-free cleaning with no access to power such as lifts, fire escapes, stairwells.
Pacvac Pink Velo - Limited Edition
— Backpack Vacuum | Australian Brand
Lightweight at just 3.9kg, powerful, and built for all-day use.
Designed with operator comfort in mind.
It’s our most-requested vacuum, back in limited edition pink. Serious machine, serious filtration, and it’s made with an Ecoharness from recycled plastic bottles.
Stock is genuinely limited. Don’t miss it.
👉 Bonus: strong sustainability story.
👉 Ideal for: contract cleaners, schools, offices, large areas requiring mobility
4. Escalator & Step Cleaning
Escalators are one of the hardest-to-clean assets in any venue. The right machine changes everything.
Duplex Combi Escalator Cleaner
— Combination Scrubber and Vacuum | Italian Made
A true specialist machine.
Escalator grooves and treads cleaned in a single pass.
Shopping centres, airports, transit hubs: any venue with escalators knows how labour-intensive and inconsistent manual cleaning is. This machine fixes both problems.
- Cleans steps and treads simultaneously
- Fraction of the time of manual methods
- Consistent result every time — reduces slip risk
👉 Bottom line: faster, safer, more consistent cleaning.
👉 Ideal for: shopping centres, airports, transport hubs, large public venues
Duplex 350 Escalator Cleaner
— Entry Level Escalator Cleaning Machine
Compact but highly effective.
Targets deep dirt in escalator grooves.
The Duplex 350 goes where mops and cloths never reach — deep into the grooves and ridges of escalator steps where dirt, gum, and grime pack in.
Its cylindrical brush system agitates and extracts embedded soiling properly. This is what ‘actually clean’ looks like for escalator steps
👉 My takeaway: solves a problem most sites still struggle with.
👉 Ideal for: escalator maintenance teams, retail centres, facilities management
5. Solar Panel Cleaning & Drone Technology
Two categories that barely existed at Interclean four years ago. Both are now fully commercial. Both are highly relevant for Australia.
Kärcher Solar Panel Cleaning System
— Solar Panel Maintenance
Highly relevant for Australian conditions.
Restores solar efficiency by removing dust and buildup.
Dirty panels lose up to 25% of their energy output. In regional and agricultural Australia — where dust is relentless and panels are everywhere — that’s not a small problem.
Kärcher’s purpose-built system uses the right brush technology and water management to restore efficiency without scratching surfaces or wasting water. If you’re cleaning solar panels with a regular pressure washer and a brush, there’s now a better way.
Works in conjunction with a Karcher pressure washer.
👉 Simple: clean panels = better energy output.
👉 Ideal for: farms, industrial sites, commercial buildings, solar installations
Baudoin Cleaning Drones
— Aerial Surface Cleaning Technology
One of the most exciting innovations at the show.
Removes the need for high-risk, high-access cleaning.
This was the most genuinely jaw-dropping thing I saw at the entire show. Baudoin’s cleaning drones fly to building facades, curtain walls, industrial ceilings, and skylights — and clean them. Precisely, safely, without scaffolding or rope access.
For Australia’s high-rise buildings, large industrial sheds, and growing solar infrastructure, this isn’t the future. It’s available now. And the safety case alone is compelling: no more humans working at height for surface cleaning.
👉 My view: this is the future of external cleaning.
👉 Ideal for: high-rise buildings, warehouses, solar farms, large-scale facilities
At Commercial Cleaning Equipment (CCE), we are committed to bringing the latest global innovations to our customers. Our visit to Interclean ensures we stay at the forefront of industry advancements—so you can too.
What this means for your Australian Business
The message from Interclean Amsterdam 2026 is unambiguous. The tools to build a more efficient, less labour-intensive, and more technologically advanced cleaning operation exist today — and they are no longer experimental.
The technology gap between what’s available globally and what most Australian operations are running is real — and it’s closing fast. The businesses that move first on autonomous cleaning, smart battery platforms, and specialist solutions will have a genuine competitive advantage in labour efficiency, hygiene outcomes, and client satisfaction.
For Australian businesses, the opportunity is clear. Labour costs continue to rise, skilled cleaning staff are genuinely difficult to attract and retain, and client expectations for hygiene standards and environmental responsibility have never been higher. The technologies showcased at Interclean 2026 address all of these pressures directly.
Whether you are interested in autonomous robotics, battery scrubbers, specialist escalator cleaning, solar maintenance, or drone technology, we can help you understand which solutions are right for your specific operation.
We are offering no-obligation live demonstrations at your facility for many of these products. Contact us today to register your interest.
Need to Know More?
Contact Commercial Cleaning Equipment today to find out more about the latest cleaning innovations to help your business reduce labour costs, improve cleaning consistency and adopt more sustainable cleaning practices.
We can provide expert advice and demonstrations of our comprehensive range of cleaning equipment from leading global brands including Tennant, Nilfisk, Comac, Duplex, Karcher, Numatic, Pacvac and more. Our experienced team is ready to help you find the right machine for any cleaning challenge.
