Beko, Europe’s leading home appliance brand, has developed HygieneShieldTM , a ground-breaking portfolio of household products, created in response to emerging consumer needs in the post-lockdown era.
The new portfolio includes seven appliances with in-built disinfection programmes and functions to disinfect packaged food and belongings to help people adjust to the ‘new normal’ at home. Developed as a result of in-depth global consumer research and with innovative new technology, the HygieneShieldTM product line has the power to kill more than 99% of bacteria and viruses (including coronavirus), providing a level of reassurance unrivalled in the market place.
Beko’s consumer research, across 31 countries revealed that one of the primary concerns is hygiene. Many of us are disinfecting supermarket purchases when we get home, worrying about handling mobile phones and keys, or not bringing coats into the house. People have increased the amount of cleaning and laundry in their homes, with some disinfecting bedding for the first time. 75% of people are cleaning the house more often, 64% are doing more laundry and 68% are paying more attention to the cleanliness of the packaging on purchased products.
The line takes inspiration from nature and uses methods such as steam and heat to enable consumers to achieve excellent hygiene results at home. At today’s virtual launch, Arçelik’s CEO Hakan Bulgurlu was joined for a virtual discussion by Arçelik’s CMO, Zeynep Yalım Uzun and guest speakers, medical broadcaster and GP Dr Sarah Jarvis and Christopher Sanderson, Future Laboratory’s Co-founder & CEO to announce the launch.
Hakan Bulgurlu said: “It has been a very difficult year and we believe that now more than ever, everyone should have access to good quality products that care for them and the environment. We are excited to introduce Beko’s latest innovations and our first ever full product line to market. The products have been tailored to help consumers achieve professional levels of hygiene at home and protect them from infections and diseases. Our technologies are being independently tested by Airmid Health Group, a respected biomedical research organization. As of today, HygieneShield washing machines, washer dryers, ovens and refrigerators have been shown to provide more than 99% virus reduction. Airmid tests for UV disinfection cabinet and tumble dryers are in progress and we expect to finalize the testing and certification processes by November. Our dishwashers are being independently tested by Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences and the testing and certification process is expected to be completed in October. We hope that our products will give consumers peace of mind that their homes are safe and clean, as we all continue to adjust to the ‘new normal’.”
Dr Sarah Jarvis added: “I’ve spoken positively on TV about UV light for disinfection purposes: it has been widely used for sterilisation in hospitals, aeroplanes and factories for some years. It has also been used in China since April this year. COVID-19 has made us all think about how we live outside the home, with masks and social distancing, but I’m seeing my patients start to think about hygiene in the home, where we are spending so much more of our time. I do not think we should all be going back to the workplace yet – working from home wherever we can, will keep us safe and reduce the spread of COVID-19. Keeping things clean is the challenge; I advise my patients to wash towels (especially those from the downstairs loo) and dishcloths more frequently and to wash face masks and coverings after every use.”
Christopher Sanderson, CEO of Future Laboratory, a trend forecasting consultancy in London, writes in a new report: “The home has played a pivotal role in the recent global crisis, forced to double as office, school, gym, restaurant or even a healthcare setting, our homes have become the front line of our external lives.”
Heighten your hygiene experience at home
- UV cleaning cabinet
Coronavirus can survive for five days on smooth surfaces, so the cabinet uses UV light technology to clean items that you have used outside the home or are concerned about. Keys, phones, wallets, packaged goods from supermarkets, plastic bags, baby bottles and toys can all be safely cleaned in a 20-40-minute cycle with no damage to objects. This clever portable device can live anywhere in the home and its touch display makes it easy to use.
- Combi refrigerator with disinfection drawer
The refrigerator disinfects food items in their original and sealed packaging, eliminating more than 99% of bacteria and viruses in approximately 40 minutes. Instead of wiping down each item you bring home from the supermarket or storing them in a safe place for several days, this refrigerator does it for you. Its separate disinfection drawer above the crisper eliminates viruses, bacteria and germs using UV light technology distributed over the compartment.
- Tumble dryer with UV light technology
It isn’t practical to wash your clothes every day, or to wash certain items of clothing at high temperatures but we still want to feel certain that our clothes are hygienic.
The tumble dryer eliminates bacteria and viruses and provides disinfection for your laundry in a safe and convenient way. The UV Hygienic Refresh programme refreshes up to six dry pieces of clothing. Moreover, the UV Hygienic Drying programme dries and sanitises up to 5 kg of washed laundry, even clothes that need washing at low temperatures.
4.& 5. HygieneShieldTM washing machine and washer dryer
We do not know how long the Coronavirus can survive on fabric and many of us are worried about our clothing when we get home. What we do know is that people are washing their clothes for longer at higher temperatures because of the pandemic. This can get expensive, is not sustainable and risks damaging our favourite clothes.
With a smart algorithm, an additional heater channel and fan system, the hygiene therapy programme fills the drum with hot air to keep the laundry at 60°C to thoroughly sanitise your clothes without water. More than 99% of viruses and bacteria are eliminated from 2 kg of clothes in 58 minutes, saving money and the planet from the use of chemicals and extra water.
- Built-in oven with saturated steam and heat
This oven doesn’t just cook your food but cleans it too. Using the exceptional disinfecting power of saturated steam and heat there are two separate disinfection programmes available with this appliance, both involving heat and steam, working at 70°C and 120°C, respectively. Use of the oven at 70°C for 15 minutes will disinfect the surfaces of packaged food and make the outside of baked goods more hygienic, without affecting their taste and structure. Use of the oven at 120°C for 20 minutes will disinfect items like metal bowls and glass products.
- HygieneShieldTM dishwasher
People trust their dishwasher much more than handwashing, and with 79% of us cooking more frequently at home, the dishes can pile up. For extra hygienic results, this machine has a hygiene function with steam and additional hot rinsing functions.
Steam mist generated from using higher temperatures and additional hot rinsing ensures that the entire surface of every dish is perfectly hygienic. Dishwashers with the HygieneIntense function can be used with every program, which provides disinfection using higher temperatures of 60°C (during main wash) and 70°C (hot rinsing). The technology also means the temperatures can be held above 60 degrees for 50 minutes to disinfect kitchen items. The Hygiene Intense function provides an additional rinsing step to further increase the levels of hygiene. This technology has been independently tested by Rhine Waal University.
The new HygieneShieldTM product line will be launched on 8th October 2020. The virtual launch video can be watched here.
