COVID-19 has forever changed the face and function of the janitorial industry--certainly for the better--with greater emphasis being placed on effective cleaning for health measures and occupant wellness and safety.
COVID-19 has Forever Changed the Janitorial Industry
The pandemic has completely changed the janitorial industry in many ways, including:
- How often cleaning is performed.
- How surfaces are sanitized and disinfected.
- The adoption of state-of-the-art technologies.
- Improved occupant hygiene, and;
- Better protections for custodial workers.
While many of the changes were due to the desire from facilities managers and business owners to ensure their buildings were safe from the outbreak, outside forces, including guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, consumers, and the U.S. workforce, have driven the janitorial industry to adopt enhanced cleaning methods focused on infection prevention, control, and occupant health.
How COVID-19 Forced the Janitorial Industry to Improve
Dealing with the pandemic meant completely dropping the conversation regarding cleaning for looks vs. cleaning for occupant health.
What mattered was that people were safe.
Not just from the virus but from the effects of the chemicals used to try to kill it.
That translated into a significant reduction in the use of commercial-grade disinfectants being blanketed across every conceivable surface and an increase in the use and application frequency of routine cleaning procedures with soap-based detergents.
Additionally, as the broad use of disinfectant applications decreased, the use of the vital resource became more strategic with the widespread adoption of targeting high-contact surfaces, referred to as fomites, multiple times per day.
Further, products commonly used to clean and disinfect facilities--typically consumer-grade products purchased from a local retailer--were replaced by professional, commercial-grade products registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as effective against SARS-CoV-2.
The use of the EPA recommended products in a building where SARS-CoV-2 could be lurking around every corner increased the amount of danger and stress custodial workers are commonly subjected to.
To address their justifiable concerns, facilities managers and building owners had to adopt better safety measures--if for no other reason than to avoid liability--including:
- The availability of proper personal protective equipment.
- Increased ventilation and improvements to outdated HVAC systems and;
- Significantly increased levels of training for housekeeping and custodial service providers that not only included how and when to wear PPE, but how to safely and effectively apply cleaning and disinfection products without cross-contaminating other areas of the facility.
A major challenge confronted by many in the industry was the lack of available and willing laborers to clean the facilities.
The lack of bodies amidst an increased need and demand for cleaner buildings brought about a paradigm shift in the form of electrostatic sprayers and foggers that were capable of disinfecting large areas with minimal personnel, eventually resulting in the EPA registering and certifying electrostatic disinfection products as effective against SARS-CoV-2--a major milestone for the advanced delivery technology.
Finally, and perhaps most crucially, the pandemic forced individuals to pay attention to what they were touching in public and how well and often they washed their hands.
While recent information shows that hand hygiene compliance will likely dip back to pre-pandemic numbers over the course of the next few years, the massive adoption of routine handwashing demonstrated the power each of us has to protect ourselves and others from viral pathogens with minimal effort and expense.
How the CDC Guidelines and Americans' Expectations Pushed Janitorial Industry Changes
A major shift in how buildings are cleaned and disinfected came via regularly updated guidelines provided by the CDC.
Within those guidelines were several recommendations that went against the population's kneejerk reaction to coat everything in bleach and hope for the best, including:
- The reality that SARS-CoV-2 was highly susceptible to soap and that wide-scale disinfection was not necessary except in the event of facility contamination, and;
- That cleaning frequencies should be calculated based on community spread and occupant adherence to local safety recommendations.
Those guidelines are predicated on longstanding best practices, which have now been adopted as standard practice by many facilities maintenance and custodial teams.
One of the primary driving forces behind why these long-published recommendations have finally taken root as the foundation for a clean and healthy workplace or retail establishment is because of American consumers.
Recent surveys have shown that consumers are increasingly aware of signs a facility has not been well maintained, knowledgeable as to the potential consequences of staying at such a building long enough to make a purchase, let alone work, and have little issue filing a grievance and leaving, likely never to return.
The majority of those polled (89 percent) say even as the country opens and more people get vaccinated, they will be more conscious of germs than ever before.
Nine out of 10 say even after vaccination they’re concerned with the cleanliness of businesses they frequent, and they expect these businesses to prioritize cleaning and sanitation.
Just under two-thirds (65 percent) say even after vaccination they won’t eat at a restaurant unless they’re confident about the cleaning and sanitation protocol.
More than three in four (76 percent) say they will speak up and ask businesses about their cleaning and sanitation practices before they enter.
Eight out of 10 would love to see “COVID safety inspections” that would require health officials to inspect businesses, workplaces, and schools for proper germ disinfection.
References & Resources
Takeaway
Driven by pandemic concerns, numerous external forces have converged to forever change the nature of the janitorial industry for the better.
Underscored by this massive paradigm shift is the understanding that custodial labor, far from being "unskilled," requires experience, ongoing training, and product expertise to ensure the health and safety of facility occupants and the ongoing patronage of retail shoppers.
Outsourcing is a proven method for onboarding these clearly in-demand services for a fraction of the cost of maintaining a similar service in-house.
If you would like more information regarding the effectiveness of high-performance infection prevention and control measures, or if you would like to schedule a free, no-obligation onsite assessment of your facility's custodial needs, contact us today for a free quote!
In Bakersfield, CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Fresno, CA, call (559) 206-1059
In Valencia CA, or Santa Clarita CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Palmdale, CA or Lancaster, CA, call (661) 371-4756
