Keeping on Top of Product Innovation 

To innovate means to introduce something new. In terms of product innovation, that could mean an entirely new tool, or an upgrade/improvement to an existing one.  

Every year, there are thousands of innovations made to cleaning products. Trust me on this — marketers flood my inbox with new product announcements daily.  

These updates are shared in our Product Watch section in every issue and daily on CleanLink.com. We also showcase innovation through our Distributor Choice Award where distributors vote on their favorite products (2024 winners will be announced in April).  

Even with this extensive coverage, we can't possibly showcase every industry innovation. That's where our Buyer's Guide comes in handy. Featuring more than 500 industry suppliers and 180 product categories, this guide can keep distributors informed of innovative companies and steer product decisions for the year ahead.  

The companies listed within this issue put a lot of time into product research and development. In fact, many of them are at the forefront of innovation on a global scale.  

I am fortunate enough to represent the United States on the international jury for the Amsterdam Innovation Award, a prestigious product award that serves the global cleaning and hygiene industry. The program highlights four different categories: Sustainability and Environment; Smart Technologies and Digitalization; Workforce and Ergonomics; and Hygiene and Health.  

This year, there were almost 100 products entered into the award — many of which are from the manufacturers listed in this guide — and the jury has already narrowed those down to the top 12 (three for each category). I'm writing this just days before flying to Amsterdam for presentations from those nominees still in the running. From these dozen, four category winners and one overall winner will be chosen and recognized at Interclean Amsterdam 2024 in May. Additionally, there will be a Visitors' Choice Award and a Cleaners' Choice Award given out.  

People sometimes think that if a product is working fine, there’s no need to innovate. But keeping on top of innovations both nationally and internationally can be good for business. It can improve the bottom line as new-product introductions often lead to increased sales. Diversifying product offerings can also result in new opportunities for distributors. And anticipating the needs of customers can help with retention and keep competition at bay. 

Corinne Zudonyi is the Editor-in-Chief of Sanitary Maintenance and has been in the cleaning industry for 17 years. She also oversees CleanLink.com, Facility Cleaning Decisions magazine and Contracting Profits magazine.