INDEPENDENCE, Mo.(WDAF) — A midwestern grocery retail chain says it is the first in the country to introduce an automated cleaning system for carts. 

Hy-Vee estimates each of its 200 carts go through the new cart sterilizer system 10 times a day at one of its locations in Independence, Missouri. The system was produced by a Minnesota company specifically because of coronavirus. The system uses a hospital-grade disinfectant it says is proven to kill 99.9% of germs and viruses. 

“It’s something that thousands of people touch so we want to make sure the public feels good about grabbing a cart and doing their shopping and being able to feel safe while they are here,” said Chad Thacker, the store manager.

It saves employees from using spray bottles and towels as they had in the past, and is designed to saturate every inch of the cart either your hands or your food might touch.

Some people who realized the cart had already been sanitized, still feel better wiping it down themselves because nothing seems to be foolproof. 

“But anything to keep us a little safer is not going to hurt anything. I’m glad to see they are actually trying,” Greg Beatty said.

Hy-Vee has more than 200 stores in eight states, including Illinois, Kansas and Wisconsin. The company is headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa.