The cleaning industry is undergoing significant change, and it's happening just as the regulatory screws tighten on chemical usage. For instance, the 2024-25 EU chemical reforms—introducing new CLP hazard classes and overhauling detergent regulations—are forcing facility managers to rethink their  usage of traditional cleaning chemicals. Meanwhile, the sobering reality of 2.97 million non-fatal workplace accidents across the EU annually, with over half linked to slips, trips, and strains, means that cleaning choices cannot go ignored.

Up until now, it’s been a given that effective cleaning must come with a trade-off: chemical effectiveness versus environmental responsibility, deep cleaning versus safety risks. However, recent innovations may sweep away the outdated assumptions beneath this outlook.

The Hidden Costs of Chemical-Heavy Cleaning

The financial impact of slip-and-fall incidents alone should give any facilities manager pause. Saudi Arabia, as one example, uses its abundant chlor-alkali supplies for bleach and disinfectants, but much of the region remains reliant on imports of phosphates, surfactants, and biocides. This dependency introduces volatility in pricing and means obvious vulnerability to supply chain disruptions. In the UK, employers lose more than £500 million annually to slip and trip incidents, and that's before considering reputational damage and regulatory fines. In Ireland, the average settled slip-and-fall claim across the state sector reaches €42,000, but the true cost reaches  over four times that figure when you account for downtime and administrative overhead.

What’s more, labour still looms over cleaning budgets at 92-97% of total spend. When you're cycling through expensive chemical products that require multiple applications, extensive rinsing, and lengthy drying times, you're essentially throwing money at a problem that creates more problems. Every wasted chemical cycle adds cost without significantly offsetting wage expenses.

Why the Chemical Pivot is Accelerating

The regulatory landscape is changing in real time. Siloxane, PFAS, and phosphorus restrictions tighten from 2026, effectively shrinking the toolbox of "easy" cleaning chemistries that facilities have relied on for decades. The EU Council's draft detergent regulation is adding digital product passports and refill targets directly into procurement rules, which will reward solutions that reduce packaging and hazard labels.

More broadly, rising ESG disclosure requirements will mean a greater need to quantify cleaning's Scope 3 emissions, and every litre of neutralised chemical counts towards an organisation’s carbon footprint. The pressure is coming from investors, regulators, and increasingly, from staff who rightly question why they should handle dangerous chemicals when alternatives exist.

The Science Behind Detergent-Free Technologies

Enter ec-H2O Technology—a technology that sounds like a space age innovation. ec-H2O Technology produces hypochlorous acid and nanobubbles that lift soils effectively, then revert to ordinary water, avoiding chemical discharge entirely. 

The safety benefits are equally promising. ec-H2O Technology scrubbers are linked to improved dynamic-coefficient-of-friction values, meaning lower slip potential compared to traditional mop-and-soap regimes. Perhaps most importantly, eliminating rinse steps leaves floors dry up to 40% faster, minimising downtime and moisture-related falls—a claim supported by both slip-resistance research and insurance claims data.

Robotics as the Force Multiplier

The European autonomous commercial floor-cleaning robot market reached €2.1 billion in 2024 and is tracking a 14-16% CAGR to hit €6-8 billion by 2033. These aren't just fancy gadgets—they're precision instruments that deliver consistent pad pressure, exact travel speed, and on-board ec-H2O Technology generation. These are variables that manual teams would struggle to replicate consistently, resulting in a greater degree of soil removal.

Fleet telemetry helps document compliance on connected machines, allowing companies to meet audit requirements with precision that manual logging simply cannot match. For high-traffic environments—airports, retail spaces, 24/7 logistics facilities—the combination of extended uptime and reduced chemical ordering frequency creates efficiencies that reach far beyond the cleaning department.

Quantifying the Value Case

The numbers are plain and simple. A single moderate slip-and-fall claim at €42,000 offsets the price of multiple autonomous units or ec-H2O Technology retrofits. Add in the elimination of daily chemical orders, and you're also cutting ordering complexity, warehouse space requirements, and transport emissions.

Implementation Guidance for Facilities Leaders

For best outcomes, it's worth starting with an audit of existing floors for slip-resistance and residue load. Prioritise detergent-free pilots in zones with high incident rates or where water-sensitive assets demand quick drying. Align robotics roll-out with sustainability reporting cycles to capture low-chemical wins under CSRD or local green-building certifications.

Collaborate with safety committees to validate friction improvements post-deployment, documenting before-and-after DCOF results for insurers and regulators. Before full deployment, it’s worth training staff on hybrid human-robot workflows, emphasising that automation redistributes labour to detailed tasks rather than replacing teams.

Looking Forward

Detergent-free robotic cleaning can be understood within the broader context of tightening chemical laws, corporate carbon goals, and ever more demanding safety obligations. Early adopters can be in a position to reduce compliance headaches, cut the silent costs of slips and inventory management, and free their staff for higher-value work.

About the author:

Sylvain Rottier is VP & General Manager EMEA at Tennant, where he leads a 2,000-strong team and has driven record sales and profitability, even amid major global disruptions. With over two decades of international leadership experience spanning B2B and B2C, Sylvain is known for his strategic acumen in M&A, integrations, and business transformation. Before Tennant, he held senior roles at IP Cleaning and Philips, where he led high-impact initiatives including global integrations and product innovation.