Beko, Europe’s leading home appliance brand, has developed HygieneShield™, 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 HygieneShield™ 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.”
