In clothing stores, items are usually tried up to five times before purchase. Five different people touching the garment... five opportunities to transmit viruses.
In most stores at the moment, tried-on clothing is placed in quarantine for 24 hours - a necessary measure, but it makes restocking the floor somewhat difficult, particularly for the most in-demand sizes. However, the new Clover machine could change this for sales assistants, as it disinfects clothing in just one minute.
Philippe Delhaes, a Belgian entrepreneur based in Luxembourg, came up with the idea of using UVC technology, well known in the medical field. UVC light is able to target the surface of the garment and eliminate the virus. The inside of the machine is made from aluminium in order to reflect and bounce the light so the item is disinfected on all sides.
The technology comes at a cost, currently priced at €2,100 to account for the quality of the materials used and the security required. The machine, which will only run if the door is closed, also has a presence detector which will prevent operation if a foreign body is inside.
To meet the needs of different types of businesses, the Clover (an abbreviation of clothing and solver) has been developed in three sizes: a portable version for small objects such as glasses, hairbrushes, or phones, an average size for bags and shoes and a large version for clothes.
Much interest has been shown in the machines for the practical and sanitary aspect, which would allow them to reassure customers and stand out from competition.
Video in French
