By: Briana Smith & Caitlin Dimalanta  |  February 15, 2022 

To wrap up our 2022 Trends for the Cleaning Industry blog series, we will be exploring how building occupant wellness, the supply chain, training knowledge and expertise will continue to shape facility maintenance this year.

Before diving into our concluding third part, be sure to check out the previous two blogs for more cleaning trends in store for 2022:

• 2022 Trends for the Cleaning Industry: Help Wanted

• 2022 Trends for the Cleaning Industry: Green, Lean & Clean

Building Occupant Wellness

As we continue to exercise safe preventative measures to combat the pandemic, these practices are predicted to remain relevant in 2022. Maintaining a clean facility gives building occupants the peace of mind that they are entering a healthy building. A couple of great strategies to consider include keeping good indoor air quality & fostering healthy hand hygiene. 

Indoor Air Quality

The EPA defines indoor air quality as “the air quality within and around buildings and structures, especially as it relates to the health and comfort of building occupants”. The short term effects of low IAQ include; irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. The long term effects pose the potential risk of respiratory diseases, heart disease and cancer. Here are a couple suggestions that can boost your indoor air ratings:

• Be sure to check high-trafficked areas and high touch surfaces such as carpets. Carpets trap air pollutants that can go airborne, vacuuming excess trapped dirt and soil helps prevent unhealthy air.
  
• Choose low-emitting products that have been third-party certified and labeled by reputable organizations such as GREEENGUARD, ECOLOGO, Green Seal and the South Coast Air Quality Management District Clean Air Choices – Cleaner Certification. Be wary of manufacturer claims of “no VOC,” “natural” or “alternative.” 
  
  

Hand Hygiene

Another simple way to ensure a healthy environment for your building occupants is good hand hygiene. This easy and cost effective method for preventing the spread of illnesses and viruses takes only 20 seconds! Avoid getting sick with these 3 simple steps:

1. Wash hands with soap and clean water
2. Dry hands with clean paper hand towels
3. Apply hand sanitizer

It’s now easier than ever before to implement a touch-free restroom system with options that cover all price points ranging from a basic battery or motion sensor operated soap dispensers to more sophisticated interconnected smart technology enabled systems.

Supply Chain

The supply chain issues we faced in 2021 have challenged us on a global scale to adapt new strategies to acquire the products we need. Although the 2022 supply chain forecast is not set in stone, there are newly established measures our suppliers have adopted to mitigate issues in these unpredictable times.

As we mentioned in our Key Factors Responsible for Supply Shortages in 2021 blog article, due to the strained supply chain, distributors and suppliers have worked even closer together in order to deliver the best results they can given the circumstances. During these difficult times, your best bet is to work with your distributors who can help you get what you need, even if sometimes it's a little different from what you want.

Another aspect of the 2022 supply chain forecast is the increased role of robotics. Due to technological advancements and the declining costs of robots suppliers will further integrate AI to automate and streamline processes.

All in all suppliers have adapted as best as they can in these uncertain times. Although there isn't an end in the near future to the supply chain challenges, the strengthened relationships between suppliers and distributors partnered with technological assistance make these hardships easier to navigate through. 

Training & Education

With the adoption of new cleaning technologies and innovations, reduced labor, new equipment and only so much time, training and education has never been more important. The pandemic has brought a heightened awareness towards cleaning for health and infection prevention, combating the problem of hygiene theater, as well as increased transparency as to how it’s accomplished.

Training programs help onboard new staff members, make certain that veteran staff members are brought up to speed and ensure that all of your staff is on the same page, particularly if new products and procedures are being used. 

If you’ve purchased a new autonomous floor scrubber, smart waste receptacles, a new cleaning system, implemented new protocols, etc. training will:

• Review all aspects of the new piece of equipment, including battery maintenance
• Highlight the features that are most applicable for your facility
• Discuss best practices, ongoing preventative maintenance and what to do if there are any issues
• If Internet-of-Things connected, security info + accompanying software

Continued education should also be prioritized, and these days can even be completed online. 

Several industry organizations, including WAXIE, provide education opportunities that allow cleaning professionals to get technical training and certification in various areas. Topics range from an overview of carpet care to in-depth and intensive IICRC Floor Care Technician (FCT) certification courses.

Not sure what’s available? Reach out to your WAXIE Account Consultant, who can recommend options for you and your team, or can organize a personalized training session with our chemical and equipment specialists.

WAXIE provides free training whenever new equipment is purchased so your team can be up and running in no time! 

WAXIE is committed to helping our customers keep their facilities cleaner, healthier, greener and safer. That means creating customized cleaning solutions to meet your specific needs, and then providing the ongoing training and support to help you achieve a cleaner and healthier building environment with building occupant wellness.  

Please contact your WAXIE Account Consultant today to schedule a consultation.  

Briana Smith is WAXIE’s Social Media & Product Branding Specialist and spends quite a bit of time skimming the news for what’s new in cleaning, sustainability and technology while managing all of WAXIE’s social channels. She especially loves posting about #teamwaxie activities & conversing with customers on Instagram. Briana has a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Design from California State University, Chico. 

Caitlin Dimalanta is WAXIE’s eCommerce Specialist. She enjoys researching and implementing various SEO (search engine optimization) strategies to enhance WAXIE’s eCommerce platform Web@Work. Caitlin has a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing from San Diego State University.