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Spotted: Cleanliness has gotten a new lease on life in the post-COVID world. Nick Sohnemann, founder and CEO at innovation agency Future Candy argues that companies will be focusing much more on hygiene in the future, including hiring hygiene engineers, “because we need things like self-cleaning surfaces and aerosol systems in trains and taxis.” Well, French company Daan Tech is already there, with a tiny eco-friendly dishwasher that can also use ultraviolet light to sterilise items.

The dishwasher, dubbed Bob, fits on the side of the sink, and not only cleans dishes but also dries them. It uses a low-energy, low-water technology and, thanks to its built-in 3L water tank does not need to be connected to a water line. The dishwasher was designed with small living spaces in mind and is perfect for students or people who live in alternative types of housing, such as vans or mobile homes.

Not only does Bob use less water, but it also takes just 20 minutes to wash the dishes. Although, the maximum number of items that Bob can handle at one time is six plates, four glasses, four cups two bowls, and six utensils, or 16 glasses. The machine also features a Bob features an LCD display and the ability to set custom modes over WiFi. 

As innovative as Bob is, once the COVID-19 pandemic began, Daan Tech CEO Damian Oy realised the dishwasher could also double as a steriliser. “To use UVC light safely you need a sealed box, and I realized that’s what we have, so we slightly redesigned it to include a new mode to sterilize your mask, phone and keys,” explains Oy.

Unsurprisingly, we have seen a flurry of innovations in the past few months that focus on COVID-proofing various items. These have included the use of UV light to sterilise cinema seats and an easy-to-install system to retrofit elevators for contact-free use.

Written By: Lisa Magloff