5 Trends in the Cleaning Industry in 2021

By: Briana Smith & Caitlin Dimalanta  |   January 19, 2021

Part one-of-two series examining what topics will drive the cleaning industry in 2021 and the impact of the pandemic.

• Part One: 5 Trends in the Cleaning Industry in 2021
• Part Two: More Trends in the Cleaning Industry in 2021: Cleaning for Health

Who would’ve thought this time last year that 2020 was going to change the world the way it has?

Managing outbreaks was on the radar after the 2009 H1N1 Swine Flu pandemic and 2018 the Hepatitis A multi-state outbreak, but no one was quite prepared for the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic when it started spreading across the globe.

Supply chains were immediately strained, toilet paper became scarce, and stay-at-home orders were announced in various states causing businesses and consumers to scramble for essential supplies. The cleaning industry was thrown into the spotlight overnight as custodial and environmental services (EVS) teams were at the forefront in combatting the spread as essential workers.

With facility managers quickly having to adapt to waves of building closures and re-openings the ‘Value of Clean’ and the importance of a well-thought out and executed cleaning and maintenance program was highlighted in a way that the industry has never seen before.

The adoption of newer cleaning technology also skyrocketed, as facility managers and commercial cleaning companies scrambled to get their hands on a limited supply of electrostatic disinfectant sprayers, looked at robotic cleaning equipment, and added hand sanitizer systems and touch-free restroom accessories in key areas.

So, what’s in store for the cleaning industry 2021? Check out these 5 cleaning trends for 2021!

1. Continued Supply Chain Disruptions

There is still a huge worldwide demand for PPE, disinfectants, hand sanitizers, and other cleaning related products, which will likely extend well into 2021 until countries are able to reduce and contain the spread of COVID-19 substantially.

The shortage of these essential supplies will continue to cause a strain worldwide and will be problematic as more and more businesses begin the re-entry process.

Most distributors are portioning out supplies to customers to ensure that everyone is able to get something, and facility managers should keep an eye on what they’re using, plan ahead as much as possible and be open to alternative options if their regular choice is unavailable.

2. Reopening & Managing Outbreak Risks

As businesses do begin to reopen in stages throughout the year, facility managers should have a systematic plan in place that is communicated to the custodial staff, tenants and building occupants long before people return.

This plan should include conditional steps and strategic adaptations based on the variables encountered and experienced as the re-entry process goes on.

Some enhancements to look into include:

• Improving Ventilation & Indoor Air Quality
  Analysis of the current status of your HVAC system. Is it working sufficiently? Do you need an upgrade? What needs to be done to improve the ventilation?
  
  Consider other ways to improve indoor air quality—from installing commercial air purifiers to embracing green cleaning to reduce VOCs and increase the health and safety of both the custodial staff and overall building wellness.
  
  
• Installing Touch-Free Restroom Systems
  Automatic flusher & faucet accessories, soap dispensers, paper towel dispensers and hand sanitizers—these will improve good hand hygiene practices and reduce the amount of high touch surfaces that people may come into contact with. There are a variety of options available these days from basic models to high-tech smart restroom devices.
  
  

Re-entry is more than just the systems you have in place. It’s just as important for your staff and guests to feel safe as they re-enter. Consider implementing a day cleaning program so that your custodial team is visible to returning staff.

Check out part two of this blog series where we go over the final three cleaning trends for 2021:   

We stand ready to partner with you to welcome building occupants back to facilities which will be cleaner, healthier, greener, and safer. Contact your WAXIE Account Consultant today to schedule a Re-Entry 6 consultation or training session.

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.