Cleaning Robots in Schools: How Technology Is Closing the Custodial Gap

May 19, 2026   |   BISSELL Commercial Products

School custodial teams are stretched thin. Hallways need cleaning between class periods. Cafeterias need attention before and after every meal. Gymnasiums, common areas, and restrooms cycle through hundreds of students daily. And with staffing shortages affecting nearly every school district in the country, the gap between what needs to get done and what actually gets done keeps widening.

That something, increasingly, is automation. K-12 schools and universities across the country are turning to commercial cleaning robots to help fill the gap, not to replace custodial staff, but to handle the repetitive, high-frequency floor care tasks that drain time and energy so human staff can focus on the work that actually needs a person. The PUDU CC1 Commercial Cleaning Robot, available through Sanitaire®, is built for exactly that purpose.

The Challenge: Keeping Schools Clean with Fewer People

The numbers tell a consistent story. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, custodial positions ranked among the most difficult non-teaching roles to fill year after year, alongside transportation staff.² By the 2024-25 school year, a quarter of custodial vacancies still went unfilled at the start of the school year,¹ and public schools had filled only 74% of custodial positions on average before the first day of class.¹

The consequences show up in the building. When a custodian calls out sick and there is no substitute, hallway floors go uncleaned for a full day. Gym floors that should be scrubbed multiple times a week get done once, if at all. Research cited by the California State Auditor has found that when schools defer cleaning or fall behind on maintenance, students show increased rates of absenteeism and more frequent illness. ⁵ Clean floors are not just an aesthetic concern.

The Solution: Autonomous Floor Care That Works Around Your Schedule

Robotics in commercial cleaning have moved well past the proof-of-concept phase. Over 3,400 K-12 schools and university campuses now operate some form of robotic cleaning equipment.³ In February 2026, Spokane Public Schools, one of the largest districts in Washington State, made headlines when it deployed 14 autonomous floor cleaning robots across its middle and high schools after a successful trial at Rogers High School.⁴ Superintendent Adam Swinyard put it plainly: "Historically, that would mean spaces don't get cleaned. Whereas when we have this level of automation, it allows us to maintain that level of cleanliness, even though we are facing staffing shortages."

The PUDU CC1 Commercial Cleaning Robot brings that same thinking to facilities of every size. It is a 4-in-1 autonomous machine that sweeps, vacuums, mops, and dust-mops, handling the full range of daily floor care without requiring a custodian to be behind it. Program your cleaning schedule once, and the CC1 goes to work on its own: covering up to 10,764 square feet per hour, navigating around people and furniture with real-time obstacle detection, reaching edges and corners that traditional equipment misses, and returning to charge itself when the job is done.

More Info

What makes the CC1 particularly well-suited for school environments is how quietly it operates. At under 70 dB, it can run during occupied hours without disrupting class. That means floors in the cafeteria can be cleaned between lunch periods, hallways can be refreshed after dismissal while teachers are still in the building, and large common areas can be maintained daily rather than whenever a staff member is available. Every session produces an automatic report, giving facility managers documented proof that cleaning happened, which matters a great deal when custodial programs face scrutiny or budget reviews.

Why Sanitaire®

Sanitaire® has been a trusted name in commercial floor care for decades. From early education centers to major university campuses, facility managers rely on Sanitaire® equipment because it is built for real-world environments, not showrooms. The same brand that powers custodial programs in hospitality, healthcare, and food service now brings autonomous robotics into the mix through the PUDU CC1.

The CC1 is backed by Sanitaire's white glove Client Care program, which means the Sanitaire® team handles installation, facility mapping, and staff onboarding from day one. Most schools are up and running within hours. For facility managers who have been cautious about adopting automation, that supported launch makes a real difference. You get the technology without the headache of figuring it out on your own.

Clean Schools Start with the Right Tools

Schools cannot control how many custodial candidates apply for open positions. They cannot single-handedly fix a nationwide staffing shortage. But they can put smarter tools in place that stretch the capacity of the team they have. An autonomous cleaning robot like the PUDU CC1 handles the floor. Your custodians handle everything that requires experience, judgment, and a human touch. That is not replacing anyone. That is using your resources well.

Whether you manage a single K-12 campus or a multi-building university, the PUDU CC1 is a commercial floor care solution built for the real world: high-traffic environments, tight schedules, and staff teams that are already doing more than they should have to. It is the kind of facility cleaning robot that earns its place quickly and keeps earning it every day.

FAQ

Can cleaning robots be used in schools while students are present?

Yes. The PUDU CC1 Commercial Cleaning Robot uses dynamic obstacle detection and real-time route planning to safely navigate around people, furniture, and carts. It operates under 70 dB, meaning it can run in occupied facilities without disrupting classes, lunches, or after-school activities.

Will a robotic floor cleaner replace our custodial staff?

No. Cleaning robots for schools are designed to support custodial teams, not replace them. The CC1 handles high-frequency, routine floor care so staff can focus on detail cleaning, restrooms, classrooms, and tasks that require human judgment. As Spokane Public Schools Superintendent Adam Swinyard noted in 2026, it is about compensating for existing staffing shortages, not eliminating positions.

How much square footage can the PUDU CC1 clean per hour?

The PUDU CC1 covers between 7,535 and 10,764 square feet per hour, depending on the cleaning mode selected. That makes it practical for large school hallways, gymnasiums, cafeterias, and campus common areas.

How difficult is it to set up a commercial cleaning robot in a school?

Setup is straightforward. The PUDU CC1 comes with Sanitaire's white glove Client Care program, which includes on-site installation, facility mapping, and staff onboarding. Most schools are fully operational within hours of delivery.

Get Started Today

For public agencies navigating custodial staffing shortages, procurement should not be another obstacle. Through OMNIA Partners, Sanitaire products including the PUDU CC1 are accessible via competitively solicited cooperative purchasing contracts, eliminating the need for a lengthy bid process. Facility managers can move quickly, leverage existing contracts, and put the right tools in place without the paperwork that typically slows things down. With a broad network of authorized distributors, getting started is straightforward.

Get Started

1. FBG Facility Services, "Navigating Custodial Staffing Challenges in Education" (April 2025), citing NCES October 2024 data — fbgservices.com
2. National Center for Education Statistics, School Pulse Panel (October 2023) — nces.ed.gov
3. Oxmaint, "Cleaning Robots for School Campuses" (2026) — oxmaint.com
4. The Spokesman-Review / GovTech, "Spokane Public Schools Automates Floor Cleaning With Robots" (February 5, 2026) — govtech.com 5. California State Auditor, "Custodial Staffing and Cleanliness Standards" Report 2023-122 — auditor.ca.gov

Return to Industry Insights Blog