The ISSA Cleaning and Hygiene Expo in Sydney unfolded as a study in momentum. Industry delegates filled the Sydney International Convention Centre with the steady hum of product demos, conversations about procurement and a sense that cleaning has moved from background routine to strategic investment.
The awards ceremony was the logical pinnacle of the event, focusing on the practical inventions and quietly ambitious product designs that will change the face of cleaning over the next year. Beyond novelty, award winners offered usable steps forward for cleaners, facility managers and procurement teams wrestling with hygiene standards, sustainability and the economy of everyday cleaning. Judges rewarded machines that think for themselves and solutions that slim the labour needed to keep environments safe.
The Equipment category produced two winners who illustrate different ends of that spectrum. The PUDU MT1 took the headline Equipment prize and also captured the People’s Choice award after visitors voted in the Innovation Zone.
“Receiving this award is a tremendous affirmation of our team’s dedication to redefining cleaning through AI and robotics,” said Pudu Robotics CEO Felix Zhang. “The ISSA Expo provides an invaluable platform for industry innovators like us to connect and drive progress, ultimately elevating standards for everyone.”
The MT1 is a compact autonomous unit built to clean with repeatable efficiency across hard floors and busy public spaces. Alongside the MT1, the DRYFT entry by Cleanstar, claimed an Equipment award for its clever approach to rapid drying and floor care.
Cleanstar co-founder Lisa Michalson said winning the ISSA Innovation Award for DRYFT is a strong validation of the industry’s appetite for practical, technology-driven solutions that genuinely improve cleaning outcomes. “The Expo serves the industry in an exceptionally positive way by creating a space where suppliers, distributors, and end-users can connect, share insights, and accelerate the adoption of new technologies that lift standards across the sector.”
Innovation shaped by real-world use
In Janitorial, the SYR SmartGuard Double Bucket earned recognition for a pragmatic yet well engineered rethink of the humble bucket and mop workflow. JTY director Craig Jones said it was a great reward for all the hard work of the team at Scot Young Research (SYR). “They have been creating original innovations in the commercial cleaning game since 1954,” he said. “The ISSA Hygiene Expo is an essential part of the commercial cleaning industry in Australia and JTY / SYR will continue to support it long term.”
Whiteley’s Speedy Clean Biodegradable Wipes stole the Cleaning Agents category by pairing performance with compostable credentials.
“This award highlights Whiteley’s achievement in delivering a sustainable, hospital-grade neutral-detergent wipe, giving healthcare providers and professional cleaners an environmentally responsible option that still meets the rigorous performance standards,” Whiteley managing director Darran Leyden said. “Whiteley’s commitment to innovative research and best practice in infection prevention continues to drive product excellence.”
In Service and Technology, the ATP Test Kikkoman A3 was singled out for giving cleaning teams the means to validate surface hygiene quickly and simply. Egal Pads on A Roll took the Paper and Dispensing gong for a product that targets waste and dispensability in high use zones.
“Winning the ISSA Innovation award for EGAL Pads On A Roll was a welcome recognition of our mission towards providing ultra-accessible menstrual hygiene solutions in an emergency,” JShays COO Kush Naidu said. “The ISSA Expo continues to lead the cleaning industry towards true innovation for real impact and meaningful collaboration between our industry peers, customers and partners.”
The Environmental Awareness and Sustainability award went to CleanLIFE Vinegar Wipes, a product that reframes an old ingredient with fresh environmental thinking. These winners were confirmed on the expo awards page and reflect a show that favours practical innovation that people can implement now.
Judges said what struck them most about the winners was how plainly their entries answered a single client question. Facilities want outcomes that are measurable, repeatable and defensible. The ATP testers and autonomous scrubbers answer the measurability problem. The biodegradable wipes and vinegar based products answer the sustainability problem. The double bucket and the pads on a roll answer the operational problem. Each winner reduces a point of friction in an existing workflow. That pragmatic clarity is what made the judges’ choices feel less like fashion and more like direction setting.
Products that redefine expectations
“It was very hard to separate the entrants,” said judge John Taylor of Nivernais Pty Ltd. “For example, in the equipment section we had the first ever draw for first place. Considering the three judges score the awards from a number of criteria independently, it is an amazing result.”
The tone across the winners was also notable. There was a clear preference for solutions that respect the people who use them. The SYR SmartGuard Double Bucket treats the cleaner as the primary user. It changes what the job feels like. The PUDU MT1 takes repetitive strain and monotony out of large area cleaning. The ATP device gives teams a simple way to show clients that a surface meets an agreed standard. When innovators design with users in mind the result is a faster adoption curve and more durable return on investment.
Sustainability sat at the heart of another strand. Speedy Clean Biodegradable Wipes and CleanLIFE Vinegar Wipes signalled that chemistry companies are reconciling efficacy with environmental expectations, but there was something deeper in the way Australian made products were received. When The Hygiene Co. stepped forward for recognition, its national sales manager Chris McInerney called it a “tangible win for Australian manufacturing, the business and the environment”, crediting the Adelaide based team for developing a plastic free, biodegradable product built from day one to remove imported wet wipes from circulation. His words grounded the conversation in purpose, proof that sustainability is not a marketing claim, it is a manufacturing choice. The fact that it was presented at an industry leading conference only underscored its weight.
There is also a data and service story that should not be overlooked. ATP testing and smarter dispensing systems both push cleaning conversations into a language that executives understand. Numbers, graphs and audit trails translate cleaning into operational narrative. Those products change cleaning from a defensible cost into a measurable service that protects brand and reputation. The ISSA awards recognised that shift and sent a signal that technology which enables transparency will gain traction.
The People’s Choice result was telling. The PUDU MT1 won the popular vote after delegates cast ballots at the show which suggests the market is ready for robotics at scale, at least for certain applications. Popular enthusiasm matters. It accelerates buying cycles. It invites more suppliers to enter the category. That momentum will sharpen competition and, if history is any guide, drive down total cost of ownership.
Practical takeaways for operators can be read straight from the winners. Invest in tooling that reduces back of house labour without compromising on outcomes. Demand product proofs in the form of third party tests or simple in situ ATP checks. Recalibrate specifications to reward biodegradability or proven low environmental impact. Treat cleaning innovations as part of a facilities strategy, not an afterthought in procurement cycles.
The expo and the awards together made a tidy argument. Cleaning carries technical, environmental and reputational weight. The products honoured on the night are not theatrical. They are tools for teams that operate in the real world. They will matter in the months ahead because they answer real problems. The ISSA Excellence Awards showed us where the market is moving. The challenge for suppliers is to keep pushing that trajectory, and the challenge for buyers is to recognise and deploy those tools with confidence. The winners in Sydney have set a clear example. The rest of the industry should take note and follow.
