The cleaning market is packed with different kinds of scrubbing machines in different capacities for various applications. “A versatile machine that runs on low voltage has the advantage of cleaning even wet floors to meet specific cleaning requirement,” says Carlsson. Being small, it can be easily carried around and with a battery that lasts for at least three hours enables cleaning at a stretch.
Interestingly, CaddyClean, a small scrubbing machine which was originally designed to clean staircases, has over the course of time, found wider applications in tiled areas like washroom or bathrooms, transport industry for cleaning trains and bus seats, football stadium and even for cleaning graveyard stones!
“We are in the cleaning market for a decade now, and our machines have been running in various countries successfully. More than 50,000 units have been sold in the last 10 years and if we are able to expand our market in South America, the numbers will go substantially higher.”
When catalysing the cleaning process through the scrubbing action using the machine, there is a need for having different kinds of chemicals for treating different kinds of dirt. The use of chemicals fastens the process of cleaning thereby reducing the cleaning time. The good part of CaddyClean is that any standard cleaning chemical can be used in the cleaning process.
Not just brushes, CaddyClean can be attached with diamond pads to polish surfaces. In luxury hotels where there are marble stairs or tables, this machine can do effective polishing too. “In fact, the machine is gaining popularity among polishers, who find this machine easy to manoeuvre and handle in the polishing process, be it for tabletops or other surfaces, as it allows one to increase the pressure according to the needs of the surface. Being light weight, it can be used for longer hours in different pressures.”
There is a potential market for CaddyClean in the Indian transportation segment. “While the focus will be more on railways, the other market segments that are intriguing include hotels, hospitals, public buildings, swimming pools, schools, kitchen, where we find a lot of customers.”
Smaller machines cannot have all the features and yet remain light. Hence, Carlsson is also planning to launch products to support CaddyClean. “While CaddyClean does effective cleaning and is equipped with a tank to spray detergents, we need an effective mopping system to go along with the machine. We also plan to launch back-pack tanks and extended shafts, which can be used for cleaning windows of engine room in coaches and glass fibre shaft instead of the metallic shaft to reach the high wall in railway.”
The products are primarily manufactured in the manufacturing facility in Sweden. CaddyClean is also commissioning its production unit in the Ghanzhou province of China in order to cater to higher quantity needs at better prices. The products manufactured here will focus on markets with low-cost requirement like India, South America and North America. “In India, we can look at a production unit in the future.”
Besides, customisation of the product, there is always scope to improvise on the machine. “We are working on submergible power head, so that the brush can submerge deep into the water. We will also look at introducing suction system. In the future, we may go for battery operated machines for the cleaning industry.”
Submergible brushes would be useful in cleaning pools and even in applications for cleaning decks and underneath the surface of boats. In Sweden, the amusement parks are using CaddyClean to clean the chairs in the rollercoaster and other areas.
Carlsson is also developing a special tube for the vacuum cleaner to reach under sofas or over cupboards. The tube will be produced in the China factory to be sold together with vacuum cleaners.
“We look forward to expand into the Indian market which is growing and we are happy to have found the best partner in Krugger & Brent for the India operations.”
