Cleaning Robots vs Cleaning Staff: A 2025 Cost Comparison in Switzerland
In 2025, floor cleaning is no longer just a hygiene routine, it’s a business decision. With ongoing labor shortages and rising wage expectations, many Swiss companies are rethinking how they clean. Automation, once a novelty, is now a serious alternative.
But how does a cleaning robot like the Pudu CC1, offered by Robonnement, really compare to traditional cleaning staff? Let’s look at the numbers, the performance, and the broader value.
Let’s Start with the Numbers
In Switzerland, the average gross hourly wage for cleaning personnel is CHF 28. Depending on region and role, this can rise up to CHF 34. Night shifts, which are common in hospitals, factories, and gyms, usually require a pay increase of 25 to 50 percent. A standard 8-hour night shift can cost employers between CHF 280 and 400. Over a 22-day work month, that totals CHF 6,160 to 8,800, without counting onboarding, HR overhead, social charges, or sick leave.
By comparison, the Pudu CC1 robot from Robonnement is available via a simple monthly subscription of CHF 859 (excl. VAT). This includes delivery, installation, staff training, maintenance, spare parts, and even a replacement robot if needed.
The CC1 can clean up to 12,000 m² per day, vacuuming, scrubbing, mopping, and drying floors completely autonomously. A full charge lasts under three hours and covers an average cleaning cycle. It uses just 15 liters of water to clean 2,000 m², compared to over 100 liters used by traditional methods. That means lower costs and drastically reduced water consumption.
Many clients report a clear financial break-even from the very first month.
Consistency That Pays Off
Cleaning quality doesn’t just depend on effort, it depends on consistency. Even the best cleaning staff can vary in performance depending on fatigue, stress, or distractions. On tough surfaces, like resin-coated floors in gyms or busy corridors in factories, that variability becomes costly.
Robots don’t vary. The CC1 follows the same route, cleans with the same pressure, and delivers the same results whether it’s midnight on a Sunday or 6 a.m. on a weekday. For any business concerned with hygiene, presentation, or compliance, that kind of reliability is hard to beat.
Sustainable, Smart, and Hands-Off
- With Robonnement, robot maintenance is fully covered. The CC1:
- Automatically refills clean water and discharges dirty water
- Sends alerts in case of issues
- Can be monitored and controlled remotely via a mobile app
- Features IoT connectivity for automated scheduling and real-time reporting
Managers can finally access real-time data about the hygiene of their facility instead of relying on signed paper checklists. And with its Smart Drop Certification, the CC1 proves that top performance and eco-efficiency can go hand in hand.
Real Swiss Examples
- Life and Fit Gym in Rüthi reduced cleaning costs by nearly 70 percent after switching to the CC1. The robot cleans overnight, every night, and ensures the gym is spotless before trainers arrive. Staff no longer complain about skipped tasks or late cleaners.
- Züger Frischkäse AG in Oberbüren, one of Switzerland’s leading dairy producers, deployed two robots to reduce pressure on their internal team. The robots take care of repetitive corridor cleaning, giving employees more time for food safety and packaging processes. Daily hygiene data is now available with one click.
- Flawil and Uzwil Communes now rely on the Pudu CC1 to clean the sports fields after handball matches. In handball, players apply a special resin to the ball for better grip. After each game, this resin is left all over the court, forming a sticky layer that was previously removed manually using special machines, often late at night and every two days. The CC1, with its customized cleaning settings and specialized brushes, is currently the only known autonomous robot capable of effectively removing this resin. Personnel now supervise cleaning remotely via the app and simply ensure the robot has enough detergent. Each morning, the court is ready for the school’s sports classes—without manual scrubbing or late-night shifts.
Not About Replacement, But About Redirection
Many clients don’t eliminate jobs. They shift staff to more valuable tasks, such as equipment setup, customer support, or logistics. This raises productivity, reduces injuries, and improves morale. People still matter. They just don’t need to mop floors anymore.
Is It Worth It for Your Facility?
If you clean more than 1,000 m² per day, have trouble covering night shifts, or deal with uneven results, it’s time to do the math.
Let’s talk.
👉 Request a free demo from Robonnement
