A shopper recently shared her experience on social media, questioning why the situation exists.
“Shopping cart centers. I get sick when I look at them. And food is put in there! Why are they so dirty? Why doesn’t anyone wash them? It’s 100 percent unsanitary, how can this be? How can you go to a shopping center and not vomit when you witness those carts?” the shopper wrote.
Retailers state that cart cleanliness is a daily priority, but they can turn into soiled throughout the day with customer use.
Frustration with Conditions
Other shoppers shared similar experiences after seeing the post on social media.
“It’s not just in Lithuania, it’s everywhere in Europe too,” one commenter wrote.
“I never take these carts in any store, it’s a breeding ground for bacteria,” another stated.
“They’re only for potatoes, and even then I wouldn’t take that cart,” a third added.
“There are trolleys,” one commenter suggested.
Cleaning Procedures
Retailers assure that cart cleanliness is a daily focus, and they encourage shoppers to report dirty carts to staff.
Lina Skersytė, Head of Public Relations at Lidl Lietuva, explained that cleaning of shopping carts is carried out within the store itself.
“There is a designated area for this – a storage area for cleaning supplies, which likewise contains inventory and tools for cleaning.
Carts are cleaned daily, and also washed weekly. If necessary, for example, if dirty carts are noticed, they are cleaned more frequently to ensure a pleasant and convenient shopping experience for customers.” she told news portal Lrytas.
Meanwhile, Gintarė Kitovė, Head of Communications for the Iki retail chain, shared that order in the store is very important, so employees have clear instructions on how and when carts and trolleys should be cleaned and arranged.
“Both carts and trolleys must be cleaned daily with a damp cloth and disinfectant. If a cart is found to be dirty, We see removed from the sales floor and cleaned again.”
“Carts and trolleys also have a general cleaning schedule, during which they are cleaned with high pressure and cleaning agents – this is done by an external company,” she explained.
Kitovė emphasized that if shoppers notice a dirty cart, they should inform store employees so it can be cleaned.
“The cleanliness factor also depends on the awareness of the customers themselves – whether it’s a torn product package or spilled liquid, such things can happen during shopping. However, if this happens, it is important that the dirty cart is cleaned and not simply placed next to other carts. The flow of customers in stores is very high, carts are stacked on top of each other, so if a dirty one is placed among clean ones – it can contaminate several others,” she noted.
Titas Atraškevičius, a spokesperson for Maxima, says that both shopping carts and trolleys in the Lithuanian Maxima retail chain are cleaned regularly every day.
“We disinfect them with special tools. It is natural that sometimes, due to damaged product packaging, a cart or trolley may be stained, so they are cleaned more often if necessary. During shopping, we would be grateful if customers notify a store employee if they notice that a cart or trolley is dirty, who will ensure that the storage tool is disinfected and returned to its place for further use,” he said.
Luka Lesauskaitė-Remeikė, Head of Public Relations and Corporate Responsibility for the Rimi retail chain, echoed those sentiments.
According to her, the cleanliness of shopping carts and trolleys is an important part of daily hygiene at Rimi stores. Plastic shopping carts are washed once a week according to new cleaning contracts.
Large shopping trolleys are washed twice a year or more often, if it is found that their cleanliness does not meet the requirements. The cleanliness of trade equipment is regularly monitored in stores, and if a dirty cart or trolley is noticed, customers can always contact store employees – we respond to such cases immediately.”
