The cleaning industry has experienced a cosmic shift in occupant and organizational focus due, in large part, to challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the hits appear to be continuing well into the new year.
Cleaning Services Trends for 2022
For obvious reasons, 2020 and 2021 were significant for everyone.
Lessons learned during those long and trying years have left an indelible mark on our culture, leaving many to wonder--perhaps, especially the cleaning industry--what comes next?
2022 promises to pick up where those years left off with a renewed focus on occupant health while addressing the challenges created by the fallout from the pandemic, including staffing issues and supply chain challenges.
Refocusing on Occupant Health
Studies and surveys have repeatedly demonstrated the value of a clean facility to occupant wellness while functioning as a mechanism to alleviate anxiety regarding infection transmission.
The two most commonly anticipated trends going into the new year encompass:
- Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), and;
- Occupant Hand Hygiene.
The quality of cleaning processes, chemicals, and tools directly impacts indoor air quality through:
- The removal of allergens and dust, and;
- Preventing toxic cleaning compounds from entering the local environment through better product selection.
Additionally, a hard lesson learned from the pandemic has underscored the importance of high-quality mechanical airflow and filtration through a facility to disperse and capture dust, pollen, pathogens, and other health-affecting microbes, resulting in cleaner indoor air and healthier, more productive occupants.
Facility occupants should also anticipate an increased focus on health handwashing practices that include:
- Ongoing spot checks on restrooms and handwashing stations.
- Widespread provisioning of hand sanitizers.
- Traning and signage providing handwashing tips and encouragement, and;
- Sanitizing wipes to sanitize high contact surfaces in individual workspaces.
Addressing Supply Chain Challenges
Supply chain challenges have forced facility managers to think well outside the box regarding how to increase and maintain facility health and occupant safety while addressing cleaning and disinfectant product shortages.
The solution?
Cleaning robots, automation, and alternative sanitization methods.
Robotic floor scrubbers and automated dilution systems reduce product waste and consumption while lowering facility utility costs.
Alternative sanitization methods, including UV-C sanitization lights--either handheld, positioned in the HVAC system, or room-wide automated systems--and electrostatic sanitization appliances offer improved coverage without using conventional disinfectant products or any chemicals at all.
Additionally, the use of less-toxic, easier-to-produce disinfectants with Citric Acid or Hydrogen Peroxide is being considered more commonly to replace conventional bleach-based products.
Custodial Staffing Challenges
Custodial turnover rates were problematic before the pandemic.
Now, given the dangers many custodians were forced to face, often with little to no training, proper safety equipment, or practical tools, the issues have become epidemic.
Two tools routinely cited to acquire and retain high-quality custodial labor talent include:
- Training, including emerging technologies, cross-contamination prevention, product handling, cleaning methods, and safety, and;
- Education, including soft management skills, workloading, monitoring and reporting technologies, and industry certifications.
Providing these tools demonstrates a corporate commitment to the professional growth and development of custodial workers while encouraging engagement, improving outcomes, and reducing waste, accidents, and injuries.
Takeaway
Cleaning industry trends in 2022 will focus on addressing challenges that arose during, or as a consequence of, the COVID-19 pandemic, including:
- Improved environmental health practices.
- Unconventional solutions to present and potential future supply chain issues through technological adoption, and;
- Deep investments in custodial service provider training and education to address retention challenges and issues arising from low-quality cleaning methods.
Investmentment into these trends will likely prove cost-prohibitive for many organizations still recovering from lockdowns, consumer shopping hesitations, inflation, and staffing shortages.
Outsourcing is a proven method for onboarding highly in-demand cleaning and sanitization services and experience for a fraction of the price 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 on-site 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
