You can do all the preliminary research you want, but it won’t prevent the inevitable: One day you will likely check into a hotel room or vacation rental that is below your standards. Whether it’s a rogue hair on a “clean” sheet, a pillow case that reeks of cigarettes, or a duvet cover that has seen fresher days, the bed of your nightmare is out there — but there is a way to prevent your trip from starting off on a germ-filled foot.
CleanseBot, a patent-pending robot, has been developed for just this type of occasion. The pocket-sized technology can sanitize and disinfect surfaces — including the hotel bed — and is equipped with a UV-C light that is said to prevent the spread of airborne viruses. Launched on IndieGogo, a crowdfunding platform, on Jan. 6, the robot has already raised more than $1.3 million. According to its page on the site, in a study conducted by an independent third party, the CleanseBot was found to kill 99.99 percent of E.coli.