Hy-Vee will soon get new system that will automatically sanitize your shopping cart

Shopping at Hy-Vee supermarkets is about to look a little different.

The retailer announced Tuesday that it’s installing a new system that will automatically clean and sanitize grocery carts after every use.

Hy-Vee said the system can clean and sanitize several carts at a time, removing the need for employees to clean each individual cart throughout the day.

It also cleans the entire cart, not just the handle.

The system, called Sterile Cart, is expected to land at more than 200 Hy-Vee stores across the Midwest by mid-November, the company said. The retailer has stores in eight states, including Illinois, Missouri and Kansas.

The Sterile Cart system was specifically designed to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, it has been our desire to put Hy-Vee customers’ minds at ease with thorough sanitization measures,” Chairman and CEO Randy Edeker said in a news release.

“We are always looking at innovative ways to improve store operations, improve the shopping experience for customers and, most importantly, ensure the health and safety of our customers and our employees.”

Sterile Cart was developed by IZZA Manufacturing and distributed by Ultra Green Packaging. It uses hospital-grade disinfectant that Ultra Green said kills “99.9% of germs and viruses that cause illnesses, including coronavirus.”

It can sanitize up to two carts a second using a low-pressure spray system and disinfectant that dries in place.

Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Hy-Vee has provided sanitization wipes to customers to wipe down their carts before use, and employees cleaned each cart after.

You can find your nearest Hy-Vee here.