Where exactly is the commercial cleaning industry headed? After COVID-19 vaulted it into the global spotlight, how will cleaning evolve? Plenty of smart people are making predictions, including those at Cleanlink.com, creators of industry publications Facility Cleaning Decisions, and Sanitary Maintenance Magazine (and others).
We thought it would be interesting to re-cap and highlight three key themes/predictions for 2021 based on recent articles in these publications.
1. 2020 Was a Dark Time, But One Big Positive Was Cleaning Appreciation
- This industry has been fighting for a seat at the table for years, but now we are in the national spotlight.
- A wave of support for cleaning professionals has emerged. This includes major reinvestment, innovation, new technology adaptation, more staff, and more resources. 2020 showed us that where there’s a will, there’s a way.
- "[...] Cleaning is in a great position to thrive in 2021."
- In 2020, the "hardworking people in this great industry were finally receiving the recognition that they deserved."
Source: Focusing On The Positives: Cleaning Appreciation A Pandemic Silver Lining
By Corinne Zudonyi, Editor-In-Chief | Facility Cleaning Decisions Magazine | 2.10.2021
2. Distributors & Suppliers Are Creatively Stepping Up to Help Their Clients Clean Better
Cleaning professionals are relying increasingly on distributors "to streamline processes and save on labor," freeing up staff for other tasks. Distributors and other suppliers should be visiting their clients regularly and conducting detailed assessments, looking at:
- Floor plans
- Square footage
- Cleaning procedures
- Other specifications
- Cleaning frequencies
- Supplies & tools
- FTE hours (full time equivalents)
Where are high traffic areas for customers? How has the client’s cleaning budget changed in the last year? All eyes are on cleaning right now, and so we all need to be more proactive in our approaches.
Source: Distributor Consulting Key to Facility Floor Care
By Brendan O’Brien | Sanitary Maintenance Magazine | 3.8.2021
Learn more about custom cleaning kits for retail stores --- designed using our cleaning product pilot tests.
3. 2021 Will Be the Year of Keeping Our Indoor Environments Healthy
What can Claude Monet’s impressionist style teach us about facility cleaning 
decisions? According to cleaning industry consultant Ben Walker, a lot, actually.
With Monet, the detail of the brush strokes and the mixes of color help us understand how much work went into each piece.
Cleaning conversations tend to “drill down on the nuanced minutiae,” that is, they focus on the technique, protocols, and specific questions.
But when we zoom out to look at the big picture (in cleaning) we find that cleaning is about much more than killing pathogens. It's about removing trash, dust, allergens, and threats (both visible and invisible) --- to keep people safe and healthy.
"If 2020 was the year that put the importance of cleaning into the spotlight, then perhaps 2021 should be the year that we focus on keeping those indoor environments healthy."
Source: Big Picture Cleaning: Indoor Environments Must Be Kept Healthy
By Ben Walker | Facility Cleaning Decisions Magazine | 2.22.2021
Aqua ChemPacs is proud to support this important and evolving industry. Our 100% dissolving cleaning products are changing the way the world cleans. Our custom kit programs make sure our customers get exactly what they need, no more, no less.
