Six Cleaning Trends Turbocharged by the Pandemic

Seemingly overnight,?the pandemic forced?the?professional?cleaning industry?to?jump from?“normal”?clean to?COVID?clean, where hygiene and safety?were of?critical?importance.?As a result, several?cutting-edge?cleaning trends?such as?“smart” sensors and?robots?(think R2D2 with a mop)?began?to rise?in popularity.?

“The COVID-19 pandemic forced cleaning-chemical manufacturers to see the value in innovation?and?becoming?trusted advisors to their customers. They provided?their clients with?training, signage, cleaning protocol advice, and other tools to?help them?ensure that?their?facilities?were?clean,”?says Laura Mahecha, manager of our Institutional and Industrial Cleaning segment. “Industrywide trends —?including?almost-futuristic?ones?— have picked up steam, with some?already having?moved closer to becoming?the new everyday normal.”?

These are?the top trends?on our radar:?

Touch-Free Dispensers

1. Look, ma – no hands! The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic significantly boosted the demand for touch-free dispensers, which eliminate a common contact point to prevent germs and bacteria from being transferred. As a result, many facilities quickly switched from manual to touch-free dispensers for hand soaps, hand sanitizers, and paper towels, among other supplies.

UV-C Light Cleaning Devices

1. UV-C?light?cleaning devices?—?literally a bright idea?—?utilize?a high frequency that is lethal to?bacteria and viruses?and?claims?to kill 99.9% of both. The lights are appearing in devices that range from state-of-the-art?robots?used to clean operating rooms?to?giant UV-C?light wands?to disinfect airplanes?to various portable UV sanitizing boxes.?Diversey, with its?Moonbeam3, is a heavy-hitter in the industry.?

Electrostatic Cleaning Sprayers

1. The cleaning industry is abuzz — electrostatic cleaning sprayers are now being used with increasing frequency in the I&I space. Sprayers combine a disinfectant solution with air, then use an electrode inside the sprayer nozzle to electrically charge them; once charged, the disinfectant is sprayed on surfaces. The positively charged disinfectant bonds with any negatively charged surface, creating a more even and complete coat of disinfectant and helping to kill any pathogens present on the surface. With an electrostatic sprayer, it’s possible to disinfect areas that no other method can reach — one reason why they’re being utilized on mass transit, such as in trains, subways, buses, and airplanes. Electrostatic sprayers can also cover a lot of ground very quickly, which is why they’re now finding use in large venues, like stadiums and concert halls.

IoT Sensors

1. A growing number of I&I facilities are outfitting their various dispensers — soap, hand sanitizer, paper towels, and more — with IoT sensors, which alert a janitor, via a smart device, that a particular dispenser needs to be refilled. IoT, or the “Internet of things,” can broadly be described as a network of physical objects, or “things,” that are embedded with sensors, software, or other technologies for the purpose of connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems over the internet. Simply put, IoT connects the designated objects with the designated people via the internet. The increased use of sensors and analytics is expected to play an increasingly important role in facilities management, including custodial services, in the future.

Autonomous Cleaning Robots

1. The autonomous cleaning robot population?was estimated?at more than?4,200 units?in 2019, or just 0.2% of the number of janitors and cleaners employed.?In contrast,?the robotic?population is expected to cross 680,000 units?by 2030, representing 28% of the janitors and cleaners employed.?
2. “While?the use of?robotics?in the janitorial segment is relatively new, there are innovations currently being tested that may?have a tremendous?impact?on the?industry in the future,”?says?Mahecha.?Going forward, the three core janitorial tasks — sweep, mop, and vacuum floors; clean restrooms; and empty trash?— are expected to witness an increased presence of automation,?“with more complex tasks?likely?to become automated as?the?technology improves,” adds Mahecha.?

The Dilemma: Chemical or Green?

1. As?the frequency of?cleaning?I&I buildings?and disinfecting surfaces?soared?during the pandemic,?facilities?were torn between?going?chemical-based?or?going green.?At one end of the spectrum, the?more potent?the?chemical-based product, the better; these?facilities?took a scorched-earth approach and?focused?primarily on?annihilating germs. At the other end of the spectrum were facilities that opted?for?environmentally friendly?disinfectants.?So which?approach?came out on top??The vote is?in:?based on our?July 2021?study,?Foodservice Cleaning Products, 60.6% of survey respondents looked for sustainable ingredients, while 32.2% switched from green products to those that were chemical-based.??

For more?analysis of I&I cleaning products in?various?settings and recent changes that have been made to cleaning protocols?as a result of?the pandemic, subscribe to?the?Kline I&I PULSE annual subscription service.

About this blog:??

I&I Upswing:?These?Cleaning?Trends?Have Been?Turbocharged by the?Pandemic?contains insights from?Laura Mahecha,?manager of?Kline’s?Institutional and Industrial Cleaning segment. Mahecha?has followed?the Industrial & Institutional (I&I),?Healthcare,?and?Consumer Products?markets?for Kline since 1995; during this time, she has authored and managed multiple studies including market research, analysis, and writing for the?I&I industries,?OTC pharmaceuticals, consumer products,?and?nutritional supplements.?

Mahecha’s?expertise is utilized?in various studies on the?I&I and?nonprescription drug markets, Rx-to-OTC switch, managed care, competitive analysis, competitor cost structures, innovation analyses, forecasting, janitorial cleaning products, foodservice cleaning products, and laundry cleaning products.?She has also?contributed to numerous articles and speeches for international and U.S. trade conferences and publications.

Press inquiries:

Lance DeblerContent Marketing ManagerKline & Co.+1-973-435-3425[email protected]?