November 2025

NOVEMBER 2025

The pan-European magazine for the professional cleaning sector EFCI in Brussels looks ahead to EU policy priorities in 2026, which will shape the future of the industrysee page 12

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Hartley Milner on how only 13 per cent of employees in Europe feel motivated at work.

34 Europe least engaged workers 03 News

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18 Cutting social inequality

The issue of paying a Living Wage is rising up the agenda around the world.

20 Trolley for all trades

A look at the different requirements for trolleys in a range of environments.

Too many people are still not washing their hands when they need to - why? 26 Barriers to hygiene

30 Sweeping statements

What are the most important qualities in a sweeper?

37 Elevating standards

The high-pressure cleaning sector is continuing to evolve and stay relevant.

39 Changing the face of cleaning

Service providers are now becoming strategic partners, says CleanEvent.

Editor Michelle Marshall

Features Writer Ann Laffeaty

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14 – 17 April 2026

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Industry leaders and health practitioners unite against ethanol ban

Over 800 companies, organisations, associations and individuals - representing over 20 sectors from healthcare and food and beverage, to pharmaceuticals, transport, agriculture, cosmetics and energy - have joined forces to call on EU and national decision-makers to take urgent action to prevent a de facto ban on ethanol-based biocidal products.

Coordinated by A.I.S.E, the European trade association for detergents and maintenance products, the signatories represent all 27 EU Member States and beyond.

“A reclassification of ethanol in biocidal products would be disastrous for public health in Europe,” said Florian Vernay, president of A.I.S.E. “Ethanolbased disinfectants, hand sanitisers and other products are proven safe and effective and used by millions of Europeans every day. Decisions about their future must be based on real use data, not data on abusing alcoholic drinks.”

“European authorities must fight to protect the availability of ethanol; a de facto ban would have disastrous consequences for public health”, added Alexandra Peters, president of Clean Hospitals.

“Ethanol-based hand sanitisers and disinfectants have been used safely for decades. Furthermore, if we have another pandemic, all local emergency production of alcohol for healthcare is ethanol because it can easily be made from commonly available ingredients. If we have a public health emergency without available ethanol, there will be many additional lives lost.”

“Alcohol based hand sanitisers are a fundamental, safe, and irreplaceable aspect of hand hygiene in hospital settings, which in turn is the single most important factor for infection prevention”, said Professor Didier Pittet, former director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre on Patient Safety and director of the

infection control programme at Geneva University Hospitals.

“If health practitioners in Europe lose access to ethanolbased solutions, the results will be catastrophic: more illnesses and more deaths.”

“Ethanol-based disinfectants are vital to keeping Europe’s food safe. Every day, producers across the EU depend on ethanol to disinfect equipment, containers, utensils, and surfaces, protecting consumers and preventing contamination”, said Dirk Jacobs, director general of FoodDrinkEurope. “Viable alternatives offering the same level of safety, efficacy, and residue-free performance simply do not exist.”

Ethanol is the essential ingredient in hand sanitisers, surface disinfectants, antiseptics and many other biocidal products, says A.I.S.E. “It is indispensable to public health, economic prosperity and industrial resilience across the EU. No alternative substance matches its proven efficacy, safety and availability.”

Reclassification

The European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) Biocidal Products Committee is considering whether to recommend an EU-wide reclassification of ethanol in biocidal products as a Carcinogenic and Reproductive Toxicant (CMR) Category 1A based on data that looks only at oral abuse and overconsumption of alcoholic beverages rather than the use of ethanol-based biocidal products.

Such a move, says A.I.S.E., would contradict the established guidance and recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as advice from the European Commission, European Centre for Disease Prevention and from international partners, including in the United States.

If implemented, this reclassification would in practice remove ethanol-based products from public use and severely restrict their availability in professional settings under the EU’s Biocidal Products

Regulation (BPR). Derogations under the BPR are not the solution as there is no possibility for authorisation for public use, and derogations for professional use would be time limited, granted only on a case-by-case basis by individual EU Member States after a complex risk assessment process. This authorisation process for professional purposes

EVENTS

February 18-19 2026

The Manchester Cleaning Show Manchester, UK cleaningshow.co.uk/manchester

March 31-April 3

China Clean Expo Shanghai, China www.chinacleanexpo.com

April 14-17 2026

Interclean Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands www.intercleanshow.com

October 8 2026

European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards Palma de Mallorca, Spain www.echawards.com

October 13-15 2026

Cleantex Africa Johannesburg, South Africa cleantex.co.za

October 28-30 2026

Interclean Shanghai Shanghai, China www.intercleanshow.com/china

would, along with reducing the availability of life-saving products, impose a significant bureaucratic burden precisely on those who can least bear it.

A.I.S.E and the signatories say they remain open to dialogue with EU and national authorities to safeguard the continued use of ethanol.

To find out more: www.aise.eu/ handsupforethanol

November 16-19 2026

ISSA North America Las Vegas, USA www.issa.com

March 16-18 2027

The Cleaning Show London, UK cleaningshow.co.uk/london

May 11-13 2027

ISSA Pulire Milan, Italy www.issapulire.com

November 8-11 2027

ISSA North America Las Vegas, USA www.issa.com

To have your event included in the Events section, contact ECJ via email at: michelle@europeancleaningjournal.com

BICSc conference to focus on innovation

This year’s British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) conference will take place on December 3, alongside the Cleaning Excellence Conference and Awards being held at the CBS Arena in Coventry, UK. The event - which is free to attend - boasts a full day of seminars, networking opportunities and an exhibition. Presentations start with a focus on The Influence of Social

Media on the Cleaning Industry, led by Vikki Morris, environment & sustainability manager at Evans Vanodine. Taking a targeted look at how digital platforms are reshaping the landscape of the industry, the session will explore how social media has transformed cleaning from a behind-the-scenes service into a high-visibility, consumer-driven conversation.

The Future of Cleaning is the

topic of the presentation by Tibor Killi, managing director of Killis, who will highlight how organisations must prioritise staff engagement, effective change management, longterm value in procurement and reliable service support. His talk will also look at how cobotics are impacting on the industry.

BICSc technical manager and youth ambassador for Youth Employment UK, Kelsey Hargreaves, will present United by Standards: Elevating Safety and Efficacy in Cleaning Across the Industry. She will share insights from her career in the cleaning industry, including a range of challenging frontline positions within the NHS and experience in site inspections, project management, plus overcoming the issues faced in operational cleaning service and particularly training models. cleaningconference.com

Vectair buys WizKid Prods

Aircare and hygiene solutions specialist Vectair has announced the acquisition of WizKid Products, based in Georgia, US. Vectair says the deal enhances its US-based manufacturing footprint, adding inhouse screen and antimicrobial mat production also accelerates the company’s ability to develop and launch products.

Next growth phase

“WizKid Products has built a reputation for designing practical, patented solutions that set new standards for restroom care,” explained Vectair CEO Peter Lipke. “By joining forces, we’re not just expanding our portfoliowe’re creating a powerhouse of creativity, technology and product excellence that will lead the market into its next phase of growth.”

European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards 2026 - location revealed

Following the record-breaking 2025 event in Edinburgh last month, the location for the 2026 European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards gala dinner has been revealed.

The ninth annual awards will take place on Thursday, October 8 on the sun-soaked island of Mallorca. The venue is an architectural treasure located in the heart of Palma - Pueblo Español, which is inspired by Spain’s most iconic towns and monuments.

Only pan-European

The European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards are the only pan-European awards dedicated to celebrating excellence across the professional cleaning and hygiene industry.

Founded and organised by European Cleaning Journal (ECJ), they shine a spotlight on outstanding achievements

across the sector, from sustainability and innovation to leadership, diversity and service excellence. Each year, the awards bring together leading voices, companies and individuals from across Europe to honour the people and initiatives driving the industry forward.

ECJ editor Michelle Marshall commented on the big reveal:

“After an incredible evening in Edinburgh, we knew we had set the bar high, but Palma is the perfect city to follow. Pueblo Español offers a truly unique and atmospheric setting that captures the essence of Europe’s cultural diversity, something that aligns

perfectly with our awards’ panEuropean spirit.

“We can’t wait to welcome our guests to experience this special venue and celebrate the very best of our industry once again.”

Entries will open in January 2026. Stay up-to-date with news at the ECJ website, the Awards website at www. echawards.com and via ECJ’s LinkedIn page.

Rethinking the spray bottle: a hidden risk in everyday cleaning

Spray bottles have become a symbol of cleaning - ubiquitous in advertisements, training materials and even emojis. But behind their convenience lies a set of risks that deserve closer attention.

If we want cleaning to be truly safe, effective and sustainable, it’s time to rethink the spray bottle. That’s according to Helge Alt from Puhastusekspert in Estonia and Tarja Valkosalo of Propuhtaus in Finland. They take a closer look at the research.

Health risks: what we breathe matters

A landmark study from the University of Bergen revealed long-term exposure to cleaning sprays can impair lung function as severely as smoking 20 cigarettes a day. The fine mist released during spraying contains volatile chemicals that linger in the air and are easily inhaled. The American Lung Association warns many cleaning products - especially sprays - emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that

contribute to asthma, allergies and chronic respiratory illness.

A review by Clausen et al. (2020) highlights that spraygenerated aerosols often contain corrosive substances such as strong acids, bases, ammonia, and hypochlorite, which can adversely affect respiratory health. Quaternary ammonium compounds may also pose risks when sprayed, although current evidence regarding their respiratory effects remains inconclusive. The authors emphasize that cleaning and disinfectant products are complex chemical mixtures, and comprehensive studies on all their health effects would require resources that are currently unavailable.

In addition to respiratory risks, cleaning agents may cause skin irritation.

Ergonomics: small action, big strain

Repeated spraying may seem harmless, but it places strain on the hand and wrist, and fingers - especially over long

shifts. This repetitive motion can lead to discomfort, fatigue, and even long-term musculoskeletal issues. In a profession where physical well-being is essential, ergonomics should be a core part of employee training and everyday awareness.

Hygiene: when the bottle becomes the problem

A Dutch study found that 60 per cent of spray bottles used in real-life cleaning situations were microbiologically contaminated. Instead of removing dirt, these bottles can spread it-especially when reused without proper disinfection. Contamination was found both in the liquid and in biofilms inside the bottles, making them a hidden source of microbial spread.

In theory, spray bottles should be cleaned dailyscrubbed with a brush or washed in a disinfecting equipment washer. But in practice? That rarely happens. And when bottles aren’t cleaned, it’s only logical that microbes growturning the bottle itself into a breeding ground.

Efficiency and sustainability: cleaning with purpose

Spraying often spreads cleaning agents beyond the intended area, increasing the surface to be wiped and wasting time and resources. Sustainable cleaning means removing dirt with minimal effort and materials. Overuse of chemicals and unnecessary wiping contradicts this principle.

A better way forward

Instead of spray bottles, consider:

• Pre-moistened cloths and mops: consistent moisture, no airborne mist.

• Use moistening bottles: controlled application, reduced waste.

• Targeted techniques: cleaning with intention, not habit.

If spray bottles are preferred, healthier and more suitable alternatives include:

• Foaming bottles, which reduce airborne particles by transforming liquid into foam.

• Bottles that produce larger droplets, avoiding the formation of fine mist or ‘spray fog’ that can linger in the air and be inhaled.

Cleaning with care and knowledge

Cleaning should protect, not harm. That starts with awareness. Spray bottles may be familiar, but familiarity doesn’t equal safety. They often create airborne mist and are neither economical nor sustainable. By choosing smarter tools-like pre-moistened cloths and mops that offer consistent moisture without mist-and training cleaning professionals with evidence-based knowledge, we can improve health, hygiene, and sustainability.

These choices help minimise respiratory exposure and environmental contamination, aligning cleaning practices with safety and sustainability goals.

Sodexo in Social Mobility Employer Index for second year running

Sodexo UK & Ireland has been named among the UK’s top 75 employers driving social mobility for the second year running - in recognition of its commitment to creating opportunities for people from all walks of life.

The Social Mobility Employer Index, compiled annually since 2017 by the Social Mobility Foundation, recognises organisations that are taking meaningful action to remove

barriers to opportunity and enable everyone to thrive.

Jean Renton, CEO, Sodexo UK & Ireland said: “Social mobility isn’t new to us; it’s embedded in our purpose and runs through everything we do - from creating inclusive workplaces and opening doors for those facing barriers, to championing fair access to skills, learning and meaningful work.”

As an employer of more than 30,000 people across the UK

and Ireland, Sodexo uses its scale to drive positive change through its Social Impact Pledge 2030, which includes a dedicated ‘People’ pathway focused on creating workplaces where everyone can belong, thrive and progress.

Mentoring and placements

Highlights include:

• Expanding access to apprenticeships and lifelong learning for those who need

it most.

• Supporting veterans, reservists and military families to transition into civilian careers.

• Championing sustainable employment for prison-leavers through the award-winning Starting Fresh programme.

• Providing mentoring, internships and placements for refugees, care leavers, people with learning disabilities and individuals moving out of homelessness.

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Alicante smartens up streets with more cleaners

Alicante in Spain is employing 100 extra street cleaners in a bid to smarten up the city, which has become notorious for its dirty streets.

In 2023 Alicante was named one of Spain’s dirtiest cities along with Palma and Seville in a consumer group survey that polled 6,863 residents in 69 locations.

In July this year, protestors dumped black bin bags filled with

rubbish in Alicante’s City Hall Square to show their frustration at the city’s poor street-cleaning service. The demonstration was organised by the Alicante Clean Coordinator whose members claimed to be frustrated about cleanliness levels.

“The protest is because of the state of filth we’ve been seeing for seven years,” said CAL secretary Paloma Valverde.

City mayor Luis Barcala has

now announced plans to tackle the issue by means of a major recruitment programme. The 100 extra members of staff being employed will facilitate enhanced cleaning services across each of the city’s districts, he says.

Inspectors

“We have made important improvements in cleaning but we want to do more,” said Barcala. “The plan will create a better cleaning service for weekends, the intensification of washing in areas that require it and the introduction of a phone app where residents can report incidents.”

The mayor also revealed that five new inspectors are being hired to ensure that cleaning is up to scratch. And a job bank will be created to allow temporary staff members to be brought in swiftly to cover any absences.

Riello makes acquisition

In Italy, cleaning machine producer Riello Cleaning Machines has acquired a majority stake in Pulitecno, a manufacturer of high-pressure cleaners also based in Italy.

The acquisition, Riello says, will enable it to expand its product portfolio and diversify its range. In addition to the vacuum cleaners, single-disc machines and scrubber dryers already established under the Ghibli and Wirbel brands, high-pressure cleaners will be part of the line.

“The acquisition of Pulitecno is an important strategic move,” commented Giuseppe Riello, CEO of Riello Cleaning Machines. “It will enable us to exceed €40 million in consolidated turnover, increase our expertise in the professional cleaning segment and offer an increasingly wide range of machines.”

Upskilling the cleaning industry: a Norwegian case study

Wioleta Tomaszewska is a BU support planner in cleaning at Coor FM (one of the leading service providers in the Nordics) and lecturer in cleaning management. She previously worked as an area manager in the cleaning department of Bergen Municipality, Norway. In this piece she tells us about a vocational programme in cleaning management that’s seeking to elevate the status of the industry as a whole.

For many years, access to higher education for cleaning managers in Norway has been limited and unclear. This has now begun to change, with the introduction of an educational offering that enhances the competence of current professionals and contributes to elevating the status of the cleaning profession as a whole.

Norway’s vocational education programme in cleaning management (60 credits, EQF level 5) offers a long-awaited opportunity for both current leaders and future aspirants. Participants gain in-depth knowledge of leadership, finance, HR and organisational development, HSE (health, safety and environment), and societal trends.

After completing the programme, students are

expected to apply tools and methods relevant to modern cleaning operations - forming a solid foundation to meet the challenges of today’s market. The programme is a direct response to trade unions’ call for better-qualified leadership. It has been developed through collaboration between public and private stakeholders to ensure a broad and relevant foundation that helps professionalise the sector and better prepare managers for future demands.

What do leaders learn?

Participants receive training in all relevant aspects of the cleaning industry - from leadership and finance to HSE and sustainable development. Topics include:

• Lean thinking to reduce waste and increase efficiency

• Relational leadership to foster well-being and engagement among staff

• Project management for effective planning and execution

• Financial literacy to support budgeting and resource management

These are vital competencies in an industry constantly facing new demands for quality, documentation, and sustainability.

Social sustainability and sector professionalisation

According to Inger Johanne Bligaard, head of strategy

and innovation at Tirna, the programme helps raise both the status of individual managers and of the sector as a whole:”It’s about giving leaders the opportunity to grow and strengthen their position in the labour market,” she notes. “Competence gives you the ability to stand firmly in your profession and lead with confidence.”

Irene Mæland, advisor at Tirna and member of the programme development group, adds that the education equips leaders to improve workplace culture, ensure quality, and professionalise operations: “This programme is a key step in giving cleaning leaders the knowledge they need to grow in their role while raising the bar for the entire industry.”

For those seeking further development, Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet) offers two part-time courses in Facility Management (FM). Most of the teaching is delivered online, with two in-person seminars per course at the Oslo campus. These gatherings enable vital networking between students and industry actors.

• BALV3600: Facility Management in Organisations (10 ECTS). Offers insight into FM as a discipline, including risk management, resource planning, and performance measurement in complex systems.

• BALV3700: Pedagogical Leadership and Resource Development in FM (15 ECTS). Equips leaders to guide employees, support learning processes and improve communication in the workplace. It also covers conflict management and effective staff training.

It’s worth noting that completing the vocational school programme is not a prerequisite for enrolling in these courses. All

three offerings are independent, and each contributes to strengthening leadership competence in the sector.

Facing the challenges ahead

The cleaning industry faces a number of future challengesincluding growing demands for sustainability, the use of new technology and the digitalisation of operations. Managers’ ability to adapt will be key to future success. Education in cleaning management plays a vital role in preparing leaders for this transformation. With knowledge in digital resource management, automation and green methods, they are better equipped to lead sustainable and efficient operations.

The future will demand more from cleaning managers - and a strong foundation in leadership gives them the tools and confidence to meet these expectations.

Education is the key to professionalising the cleaning industry. The cleaning management programme bridges the gap between public and private actors, providing leaders with the tools to run operations efficiently, build strong teams, and implement projects that create long-term value. With its focus on lean, relational leadership and financial understanding, the programme strengthens both the individual and the industry. This upskilling initiative empowers cleaning managers to meet future demands in a professional and sustainable way.

• This article is based on developments in the Norwegian cleaning sector. It was originally published in Norwegian in the industry magazine Renholdsnytt (issue 5/2024), and has been translated and adapted for international dissemination.

2026 policy priorities - turning point for Europe’s cleaning sector

As we head towards 2026, EFCI in Brussels says the EU has six key priorities for the coming year which will shape the future of cleaning and facilities services across member states.

As the European Union prepares to roll out its 2026 work programme, the cleaning and facility services sector finds itself at a critical juncture. With over 4.2 million workers employed across nearly 300,000 companies, this labour-intensive industry is deeply intertwined with Europe’s social, economic, and environmental ambitions.

The EU’s upcoming policy initiatives - ranging from gender equality and anti-poverty strategies to procurement reform and job quality legislation - offer both challenges and opportunities for the sector to redefine its role in a rapidly evolving landscape.

This article explores how six key EU priorities for 2026 are poised to shape the future of cleaning and facility services across member states.

Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2030: a sector in the spotlight

Scheduled for Q1 2026, the EU’s Gender Equality Strategy will be particularly relevant to the cleaning sector, which is predominantly female. The strategy aims to reduce structural inequalities and promote gender mainstreaming across all sectors. For cleaning professionals, this could mean enhanced access to training, career progression and workplace protections.

The sector has long grappled with gendered labour dynamics, including low pay and limited advancement opportunities. The new strategy offers a chance to address these issues head-on, especially if it includes sectorspecific indicators and funding mechanisms. Employers and associations will need to engage proactively to ensure that the strategy reflects the realities of cleaning work and supports meaningful change.

Public Procurement Act: A

Redefinition of Value

The revision of the EU Public Procurement Directives, expected late spring 2026, is set to be a game-changer. Cleaning services are heavily reliant on public contracts and current procurement practices often prioritise cost over quality. The proposed changes aim to embed labour standards, sustainability and resilience into procurement frameworks.

For the sector, this could mean a shift towards ‘best value’ principles, price-review mechanisms, and harmonised award criteria across member states. Such reforms would not only improve working conditions but also elevate the professional standing of cleaning services.

The sector must prepare to contribute to consultations and advocate for procurement models that reward quality and long-term impact.

Anti-Poverty Strategy: recognising cleaning as a pathway to inclusion

The EU’s Anti-Poverty Strategy, due in the second quarter of 2026, seeks to address the structural causes of exclusion and strengthen support services. Cleaning professionals often face economic vulnerability, precarious employment,

and limited social mobility. The strategy’s emphasis on housing, public health and social protection aligns closely with the sector’s realities.

By recognising cleaning services as essential contributors to social inclusion, the strategy could unlock new funding streams and policy support. It also presents an opportunity to integrate cleaning into broader public health and housing initiatives, reinforcing its role in community resilience.

Skills Portability Initiative: enabling mobility and recognition

Part of the Fair Labour Mobility Package, the Skills Portability Initiative (Q3 2026) aims to make qualifications more transferable across borders. This is particularly relevant for cleaning professionals, who often work in transnational contexts and face inconsistent recognition of their skills. The initiative could pave the way for EU-wide certification frameworks, enabling workers to access new opportunities and employers to tap into a broader talent pool. Sectoral bodies and training providers will need to collaborate to ensure that cleaning-specific competencies are included in the EU’s

recognition systems.

Quality Jobs Act: elevating standards across the sector

The Quality Jobs Act, expected towards the end of 2026, seeks to align modern employment with the demands of a modern economy. For the cleaning sector, this means a renewed focus on fair pay, safe working conditions, and access to training.

The initiative builds on the Quality Jobs Roadmap and the Clean Industrial Deal, both of which highlight the importance of decent work in labourintensive sectors. If implemented effectively, the Act could help professionalise cleaning work, reduce turnover and improve job satisfaction. It also reinforces the sector’s role in supporting Europe’s green and digital transitions.

A sector ready to engage

The cleaning and facility services industry is now central to EU policy and valued for its contribution to public health and sustainability. The 2026 plans offer big opportunities, but the sector must engage and adapt to new standards, working with unions and policymakers. By embracing change, the industry can shape a fairer and greener future for Europe. efci.eu

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Impact of language on wellbeing

John Griep from VSR in the Netherlands on why language skills in the workplace matter.

In the professional cleaning sector, language proficiency is often underestimated, yet it plays a decisive role in teamwork, safety and employee engagement. In the Dutch cleaning industry, leading professionals have noted limited fluency in the dominant workplace language often goes unnoticed, yet it can lead to misunderstandings, increased absenteeism or staff turnover and missed opportunities for development. Here I explore why language skills matter, what research says about their impact and how companies can respond.

Impact of language on work

Language in cleaning work is more than a tool for reading labels or following instructions; it shapes how employees feel valued, included and safe. A study by Vereniging Schoonmaak Research (VSR) found that non-native speakers often struggle to follow safety protocols, engage in team dialogue or access training - directly affecting wellbeing and retention.

When workers cannot fully understand product information or verbal instructions, accident risks increase and the safety culture weakens. International studies similarly link language barriers to lower compliance and higher incident rates in labourintensive sectors.

Language proficiency has three key impacts:

• Safety: clear understanding of instructions and emergency procedures.

• Connection: stronger teams, lower absenteeism, greater trust.

• Development: easier access to training, leadership, career growth.

So investing in language skills is not optional; it is a strategic choice enhancing quality, morale and performance.

Research by Aspire2 Workplace Communication (2024) highlights the vital role of language proficiency for cleaning employees. Its 2024 white paper describes that core literacyincluding reading, writing and

workplace communicationtogether with numeracy, directly affects efficiency, safety and customer satisfaction. In one case, targeted training led to a 25 per cent reduction in chemical-related accidents, showing that integrating language and communication support into training and safety programmes delivers measurable improvements in both performance and risk management.

Language skills are not just ‘nice to have’; they are integral to both the technical and interpersonal competencies that define professional cleaning. Practical approaches

Drawing on Dutch and international experience, several effective measures stand out:

• Tailored language courses and buddy systems: customised learning paths, mentoring and local partnerships.

• Language in the workflow: on-the-job support and task-based learning improve relevance.

• Multilingual tools: apps and visual guides make essential information accessible.

• Safety-first communication: simple, clear and multilingual documentation reduces risk.

• Shared terminology: SIS-T: a common language for professional cleaning shows how clear, standardised language supports consistency, safety and professional trust.

Language as a strategic asset

Language proficiency in the industry is not just about communication; it underpins safety, inclusion and quality. Companies that invest gain both a competitive and ethical advantage. The Dutch experience shows investment strengthens operations as well as confidence and dignity of workers.

As one Dutch industry leader observed: “You see people grow - in their work, but above all in who they are.” In a sector facing labour shortages and compliance demands, language competence is a differentiator.

Survey offers sector overview

Reporting from France, Christian Bouzols brings news of a survey on the contract cleaning sector.

Every year, the Research and Development division of Le Monde de la Propreté produces a document presenting and analysing socio-economic data, providing an overview of the sector and the evolution of the cleaning industry in France.

From a global perspective, this study, published in September 2025, identifies more than 15,000 companies in the sector, employing nearly 600,000 people. Last year, they recorded a 4.3 per cent increase in activity compared to 2023. Although this growth is continuing, it remains significantly lower than in previous years (7.5 per cent in 2022 and 8.9 per cent in 2021).

A notable fact is the profitability of companies is declining again: according to the survey, 44 per cent of them suffered a drop in profitability in 2024. This is due to the global economic climate, marked by gloom and uncertainty, and increased budgetary constraints among customers. Employment growth is also slowing compared to the post-Covid rebound: one per cent in 2024 compared to five per cent in 2021.

If we stick to the figures, this 2024 outlook shows a total turnover of €21 billion for the sector. Eighty-two per cent of cleaning company employees are on permanent contracts, but only one-third of jobs are full-time. This means nearly half of employees (48 per cent) work for several companies.

While the status of employees within the sector is precarious, the image of these companies among the French public is very good. According to a BVAPropreté survey conducted in 2025, 88 per cent of the population say that professionals in the sector play an essential role in ensuring health and safety.

Looking at the sector as a whole, this study shows companies with fewer than 50 employees account for 85 per cent of businesses and 25 per cent of employment.

Companies with more than 250 employees represent only

three per cent of businesses but account for 54 per cent of employees and 43 per cent of total turnover.

Most cleaning companies are family-owned and family-run so decision-making power is mainly held by the founding family.

The working population in the sector is relatively older than that of all sectors combined. Twenty-four per cent of cleaning employees are aged 55 or over, and the average age is increasing every year (43 in 2023 compared to 40 in 2010). Sixtyfour per cent are women.

Cleaning is one of the most dynamic sectors in terms of employment. In 2025, more than eight out of 10 companies plan to increase their workforce, despite a rather gloomy economic climate.

In fact, in the first quarter of 2025, only 54 per cent of managers say they are confident about the situation of their company (44 per cent of cleaning companies suffered a decline in profitability in 2024) and eight out of 10 companies say they are unable to fully pass on the increase in costs in their prices.

Cleaning companies, present in all sectors of activity, are directly affected by the national economic situation (low growth forecast of +0.7 per cent in 2025 according to Banque de France). Nor have they escaped the wave of inflation in recent years.

Wages, with the minimum wage under collective agreements more than 4.2 per cent above the minimum wage (as of June 1 2025), have increased by 17 per cent in four years, in addition to changes in the prices of products, and other external costs. However, according to the study, these changes have not been sufficiently recognised by public and private clients, who have been reluctant to raise prices in the same proportion. As a result, the profitability of companies has continued to decline since 2022, despite already relatively low profit margins, which are less than three per cent on average.

Nipping cyber-attacks in the bud

ECJ’s Lotte Printz speaks to the owner of the first cleaning company in Denmark to obtain a D-label for digital responsibility and data security.

The drone incursions over several Danish airports that disrupted the country’s airspace in October ahead of a European summit did not cause any harm or damage except for, perhaps, some embarrassment as they exposed the country’s infrastructure as vulnerable to attack.

In the wake of the incidents, the general public seemed to be on high alert, sighting drones everywhere. And for some companies it may have come as yet another wake-up call, prompting them to take a serious look at how they can operate, were a cyber-attack really to get through.

At Rengøringspartner.dk, a fairly small Sealand-based cleaning company, they were certainly astonished, but there was no real panic. In early summer, Rengøringspartner.dk became the first company in Denmark to obtain the D-label, a Danish labelling scheme for digital responsibility and data security.

“Of course, it caught our attention when we heard about the incident over Kastrup (Copenhagen Airport). When Covid-19 broke out, I thought it would pass in two weeks, but I’ve since realised that we live in a world and at a time when unforeseen occurrences happen, something you have never tried before. So you must stay ahead of things to nip them in the bud,” Peter Mortensen, owner and head of Rengøringspartner.dk, says speaking to ECJ.

At Rengøringspartner.dk they now have contingency plans. If Covid returns in two weeks, they know what to do and anticipate – and the same applies if, for instance, hackers take their mail system down, causing the firm to lose vital information.

With companies in charge of wastewater plants in its customer portfolio, it is crucial to Rengøringspartner.dk to be able to prove the company is on top of things. That nothing would

harm the customer in the event of an attack on Rengøringspartner.dk’s computer system, for instance. Obtaining the D-label, a scheme jointly administered by the Danish Consumer Council and Danish Chamber of Commerce, among others, was an investment to that effect.

Preparations took about a year, and an external data security consultant was brought in for the job. At the same time, the D-label administrator pinpointed any shortcomings and provided explicit guidelines relating to spam filters, cookies and the like. In addition, key partners such as CleanManager and e-conomic needed to be “cleared” and data processing agreements signed.

International standards

The D-label is based on international standards and even though data security is a common obligation, as D-label puts it, it requires individual efforts and must be tailormade for individual businesses. In the FM and cleaning sector in Denmark, not many had heard about the D-label beforehand, though.

“It’s a little bit funny that we were the first in Denmark to obtain the D-label. Not ISS or another big player on the market”, Peter Mortensen willingly admits. Safeguarding data has top priority, but investing time and money in the protection process is also about gaining a competitive advantage.

“Roughly speaking, there are 95 per cent black sheep in this industry that we compete with every day. The rest of us try to ’behave’ and do business properly. And I would like to think we stand out having entered into collective agreements, published ESG reporting as early as 2021 and now being able to produce documentation that we are digitally responsible and have our data security under control.”

It is no longer a case of “if” cyber incidents happen, but when!

Survey highlights tense atmosphere

From Germany, Katja Scholz on the findings of the latest BIV survey into the mood of the sector.

The Federal Association of Contract Cleaners (BIV) presented the results of its latest survey recently, showing the overall mood in the sector along with market forecasts. The main theme of this year’s autumn survey: bureaucracy.

Twenty-three per cent of the companies questioned forecast increasing turnover for the current financial year, while the majority (nearly 53 per cent) expect their volume of business to remain unchanged. The remaining ones (just under a quarter) have negative expectations of 2025.

This year’s autumn survey was supplemented by a special one on bureaucracy. The results are clear: on a scale of one to 10 those questioned gave the impact on entrepreneurial activity of red tape in Germany eight out of a possible 10 negative points - clearly critical. According to their own figures, more than 62 per cent have recently recruited additional staff to cope with all the paperwork.

“It is alarming that a third of the working day of the head office staff in our companies revolves solely around coping with bureaucracy,” says federal guild master Thomas Dietrich. “The role of politicians should be to simplify things, when in doubt to do away with unnecessary regulations and to go digital wherever it is possible and sensible to do so. Our job is creation not administration.”

The companies’ mood reflects this; on the other hand, confidence in the ability of politicians to reduce red tape is at a very low ebb - 3.6 (out of 10) points.

Some areas of activity were highlighted as being particularly burdensome, such as instructions and risk assessments. Companies objected to the increasing amount of time and money spent on meeting documentation and assessment requirements which have become more numerous and ever more complex, and would like to see more options for the use of digital media and

E-learning programmes.

The additional expenditure involved in electronic sick notes is also leading to resentment and, in the companies’ view, added bureaucracy. This is because according to the new rule, while the doctor informs the insurance company that a sick note has been issued, the employee himself still has to continue to notify the company of his sickness as he is not included in the information loop. This means that the Human Resources department has to digitally retrieve details of every single case of sickness from the insurance company – often several times if the data are not instantly available.

Other issues which were considered to be very costly from an administrative point of view were the inspection of residence and work permits for non-EU citizens, data protection and the provision of statistical information required by government agencies.

Forecast for 2026

Compared with predictions for the current year, the general mood for 2026 looks considerably more negative: barely 20 per cent of companies have positive expectations for the coming year, just under 42 per cent expect their turnover to be unchanged and hence almost 39 per cent predict negative development.

Award-winning website

Some good news to end the year: the relaunch of the BIV website www.die-gebaeudedienstleister.de has earned the Federal Association of Contract Cleaners ‘MediaV Award. This prize is awarded every two years by the ‘Verbändereport’ for outstanding achievements in communication by organisations, agencies, associations and media professionals. The website has been live since Spring 2024, is state-of-the-art and acts as a well-structured information platform for both members and their customers.

BCC launches strategic framework

John Griep from VSR in the Netherlands on why language skills in the workplace matter.

Following the recent release of the World Health Organization global handwashing standard the British Cleaning Council has taken a leading role by publishing a special report covering a Strategic Framework for Achieving Cleanliness and Hygiene in Public Environments. The WHO standards serve as a foundation for the provision of healthy facilities and the promotion of consistent best practice hygiene protocols across all sectors of the cleaning industry and range of public spaces.

The BCC suggests that improved standards in both workplace and public spaces, along with the WHO recommended hand hygiene measures, are the best way forward. This will then reduce the risks of spreading infections and provide greater protection against any future pandemic.

The BCC framework offers a structured route for consistency in cleaning where organisations can develop their own policies from the guidance whilst aligning themselves with national standards. Businesses, both as clients and as service providers, are then able to reinforce their commitment to cleanliness, along with enhancing public confidence in healthy environments and wellbeing.

Potential benefits could also include reduction in the impact to the UK’s economy of the increasing cost of sickness absence in the workplace. The “hidden cost” of sickness reached £103 billion (€116.74 billion) in 2023, an increase of £30 billion (€34 billion) since 2018 - analysis from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has shown. Sicknessrelated economic inactivity could lead to a reduction of £8.9 billion (€10 billion) in annual tax revenue, another fiscal challenge in the current climate. Sickness reduces the available workforce, harming overall economic productivity with further

absence contributing to skills shortages within the workforce.

And in education this could reduce pupil absence from school through illness. As indicated in the report GOV UK statistics identified that during the autumn term of 2024/25, a period often renowned for increases in student sickness absence, 6.88 per cent were persistently away from education due to illness. A pilot is planned by the BCC to identify if the framework, when implement in a number of schools, will impact on reducing such absenteeism rates and the consequences on the spread of infection in the wider community.

Framework guidance

The framework will give guidance to develop policies for delivering targeted hygiene across a wide range of environments including commercial accommodations, retail, education and the wider public scope of leisure, hospitality and the transport networks. So it is aimed at a wider adoption across a multitude of workplace situations and environments.

The framework includes:

• Definition of hygiene and cleanliness.

• Risk assessment and risk management.

• Hygiene and cleanliness standards and procedures.

• Systems to encourage effective behaviours.

• Implementation of work schedules and industry recognised training.

• Monitoring and evaluation of cleanliness and hygiene.

This is followed by a comprehensive set of appendices which provides the detailed information and guidance tools necessary to implement the strategy.

For a free copy of the Strategic Framework for Achieving Cleanliness and Hygiene in Public Environments, email the BCC via compsec@britishcleaningcouncil.org

AI and cleaning - the future is now

Anna Garbagna, ECJ reporter in Italy, on the impact of new laws around use of AI for the cleaning sector.

With the entry into force of Law no. 132/2025, Italy is among the first European countries to give artificial intelligence a national status, transposing the European Union’s AI Act and introducing rules on transparency, security and responsibility.

This revolution also involves the professional cleaning sector, where technology is now a structural component: from autonomous robots to machines equipped with intelligent sensors, from remote monitoring systems to predictive maintenance software. Manufacturers are facing a decisive moment, having to understand how to adapt to the new regulations in order to remain competitive, but also to ensure trust and safety for customers and operators. The first step is to map their products. Any machine or software that uses learning algorithms, artificial vision or predictive analysis can be considered an AI system, with compliance and risk classification obligations. Autonomous scrubber dryer robots, vacuum cleaners with obstacle recognition and automatic planning platforms all fall under the regulation. It is therefore necessary to identify which products actually integrate artificial intelligence, collect up-to-date technical documentation, and assess their impact based on the risk categories defined by the AI Act.

Human supervision

The law focuses on a key principle: AI must remain under human supervision. Each product must therefore allow for manual intervention in the event of an error, offer clear explanations regarding the decisions made by the system and ensure safety even during machine learning processes. In other words, the technology must be transparent, traceable and understandable. For manufacturers, this means rethinking the design, incorporating clear interfaces, safety controls and

constant monitoring systems. But transparency also and above all concerns communication with customers and users.

Law no. 132 requires explicit information to be provided when interacting with an artificial intelligence system. Manuals, labels and commercial documents must specify automated functions, autonomy limits and human control methods. Companies will therefore have to update their documentation and coordinate marketing and engineering, referring to ‘artificial intelligence’ not as a slogan, but as a certified technical feature.

Supply chain

Another key point is responsibility along the supply chain: if a manufacturer integrates software, sensors or AI models developed by third parties, they must verify that these comply with European requirements. It will no longer be enough to trust suppliers: technical audits, dedicated contractual clauses and checks on the origin of the data used to train the systems will be required. Many companies are already introducing an internal AI officer to oversee compliance and maintain relations with the competent authorities.

In the coming months, implementing decrees will be issued, defining penalties and operational details, but the message is clear: cleaning industry companies must act now. Implementing data registers, process traceability and controlled software updates is no longer an option, but a requirement for staying in the market. Law no. 132/2025 thus marks a cultural shift: no longer just technological innovation, but responsible innovation.

Those who can integrate transparency and safety into their products will be able to turn an obligation into a competitive advantage, strengthening the credibility of a sector that looks to the future with increasingly clean, safe and conscious intelligence.

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Cutting social inequality

It’s an area rapidly rising on the global agenda, with Living Wages featuring as one of five key targets for businesses to support achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In 2024, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) took a position on the definition and principles of the Living Wage, and regulatory developments such as the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive are pushing the issue further into the spotlight. Additionally, a growing number of companies are prioritising Living Wages as a core part of their sustainability and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategies. Lauren Wetherilt from Living Wage Foundation writes this exclusive piece for ECJ.

THE LIVING WAGE is a voluntary rate paid by employers based on the cost of living in a specific location. It enables workers to earn a wage that meets their everyday needs and to thrive within society, rather than just survive. Unlike the minimum wage, which is set by law and often influenced more by economic factors than workers’ needs, Living Wages are independently calculated and regularly updated to reflect the costs of living. Minimum wages are not always enforced consistently and are frequently too low to support a decent standard of living.

Paying and promoting Living Wages helps to eradicate poverty wages and ensure that everyone who works can earn enough to live with dignity. Globally, over one billion workers earn less than they need to afford a decent standard of living- that’s around one-third of all workers

covered by ILO statistics.

The private sector employs two-thirds of the world’s wage-earning population, making its role in tackling in-work poverty critical. In the UK for example, 40.5 per cent of jobs paid below the Living Wage are in services to buildings, including cleaning and facilities management (Employee jobs paid below the real Living Wage: 2024). This places the cleaning industry in a powerful position to drive change. In fact, it was the actions of a cleaner who worked night shifts at a bank in Canary Wharf, Abdul Durant, who called for the chairman of the bank to pay a living wage at its Annual General Meeting in 2003 that was the turning point of the Living Wage campaign in the UK.

Consequences of not paying

• Persistent wage gaps fuel economic inequality and cycles of poverty.

• Poor pay impacts health, life expectancy, and educational opportunities for workers and their families.

• Low wages contribute to low morale and reduced productivity.

• Inadequate pay is often linked to labour and human rights risks, including child labour, forced labour and unsafe working conditions.

• Low pay disproportionately affects women and minority ethnic workers, who are overrepresented in historically lowpaying sectors like cleaning.

Benefits of paying Living Wage

Paying Living Wages should be seen as an investment, not a cost. It benefits society, but also delivers measurable advantages to businesses and the economy.

Economic impact: The Business Commission to Tackle Inequality estimates that closing the Living Wage gap could boost GDP by $4.5 trillion annually through increased productivity and spending. In the UK, research by the Living Wage Foundation (2024) found that uplifting just 25 per cent of low-paid jobs to the Living Wage could generate £1.2 billion in additional economic growth.

Business impact: According to the British Cleaning Council’s report from March 2024, recruitment is a major challenge: “The industry continues to struggle to replace staff who have left the sector in the wake of the pandemic and Brexit, with other staff having moved to new roles.”

Businesses paying a Living Wage report improved recruitment as well as retention of employees (62 per cent and 60 per cent of UK Living Wage employers respectively).

• A more stable business; improved retention, productivity, employee satisfaction and reduced turnover costs.

• A differentiated business; improved recruitment, attracting higher skilled staff, improved reputation and staff morale.

• Increased supply chain resilience; longer standing suppliers with shared values, transparency and improved supplier performance.

High staff turnover is a persistent challenge across the cleaning industry, where low wages mean people often leave an employer for marginally better pay elsewhere. Paying Living Wages can help to reduce attrition, and in turn reduce costs related to hiring and training. For service providers, paying Living Wages can also enhance service delivery to customers, as lower turnover in operational teams supports relationship-building, skills development, and employee engagement.

Find out more about business benefits from cleaning providers in the Living Wage in Service Provision Toolkit.

How to implement Living Wages?

• Secure senior leadership commitment - setting the tone from the top.

• Assess wage gaps - use locally calculated benchmarks or transparent global datasets.

• Develop an implementation planconsider what areas are higher risk to help prioritise work.

• Engage stakeholders - consult internal teams (buyers, legal) and external partners (civil society, workers’ organisations).

• Support suppliers – provide guidance

and adjust purchasing practices to enable Living Wage payment.

• Monitor and report progress – track implementation and share outcomes.

There is now a wealth of resources available to support implementation including: support from local accreditation organisations; guidance from UN Global Compact and its Forward Faster targets; and tools and resources from the IDH Roadmap on Living Wages.

Navigating data challenges

One of the biggest barriers to implementation is the lack of transparent and aligned Living Wage data. In some regions, no Living Wage estimates exist; in others, multiple figures create confusion for employers.

To address this, the WageMap consortium is developing a Living Wage Reference Standard. This will be used to assess existing data to determine the estimate most aligned to the standard in each location. The output will be a publicly available aggregated data map of globally comparable, locally specific, living wage estimates.

Perspectives on Living Wage: ISS

ISS is a leading workplace experience and facility management company, operating across more than 30 countries. For ISS, social sustainability is key to the company’s purpose of “connecting people and places to make the world work better” and its leadership clearly sets the tone about Living Wages from the top:

“We have committed to becoming the world’s leading frontline employer, creating safe, inclusive workplaces where everyone is valued, fairly compensated, and supported in improving social mobility.” - Kasper Fangel, ISS Group CEO

In 2022, ISS committed to increasing the implementation of Living Wages across its industry through joint efforts with policymakers, customers, suppliers and other key stakeholders. This commitment has been reaffirmed in 2025, as part of its social progress programme. ISS has taken a broad approach to help drive change in the facilities management industry and work towards paying Living Wages, such as:

Identifying Living Wage gaps in its own operations: Due to the challenge of accessing transparent data on Living Wages at a global level, ISS worked with WageIndicator Foundation to identify Living Wage estimates across its countries of operations. In 2025, ISS has used these estimates to conduct a Living Wage gap assessment across 28 of its operational countries, with 14 of those countries meeting or exceeding the Living Wage benchmark for all employees. Over time,

ISS aims to collaborate with its customers to close wage gaps in countries below the benchmark and is developing internal guidelines and phased action plans.

Investing in systemic change by working together, not in silos: ISS recognised the need for transparent and comparable Living Wage estimates across countries, not just for its own organisation, but also as an essential step towards advancing Living Wage practices for all businesses. In 2024, it partnered with the Living Wage Foundation and WageMap, sponsoring WageMap’s work to establish a Living Wage Reference Standard and a public dataset of globally comparable, locally specific Living Wage estimates.

“Defining what constitutes a Living Wage in every country is an essential step towards advancing Living Wage practices, increasing pay transparency, and ensuring accountability.” - Liz Benison, ISS Group chief people & transformation officer

Recognising the need for greater transparency and collaboration, ISS also supports WageMap’s Living Wage Knowledge Hub. The Hub offers learning sessions, practical tools and opportunities for businesses to connect and share experiences.

Advocating in your industry and value chain: As interest in social sustainability grows, ISS believes Living Wages can be a key area for collaboration between customers and service providers. One of ISS’ key customers is currently piloting a living wage assessment with a group of suppliers, presenting an opportunity to jointly analyse the challenges around paying a living wage and set the foundations for future collaboration on this topic.

During 2025, ISS has actively promoted the business case for Living Wages, speaking at Knowledge Hub events, contributing to an article with WageIndicator, and hosting the Living Wage Foundation on a panel about the role of business in creating social impact at its annual social sustainability event ‘Unlocking the Power of Social Value’. Through its advocacy work, ISS aims to inspire and encourage action from other organisations.

Measuring and reporting on impact: Setting targets and objectively measuring social impact has long been challenging for organisations. To develop a more datadriven approach to social impact, in 2025 ISS launched a global partnership with Social Value Portal to measure the social value - expressed in monetary terms - created by its social sustainability activities. By measuring and reporting in this way, ISS aims to demonstrate the business case for social sustainability and drive continuous improvement across its operations.

For the cleaning industry, adopting Living Wages is not just a moral imperative—it’s a strategic opportunity. It strengthens businesses, supports workers and contributes to a fairer economy. With growing global momentum and practical tools now available, there has never been a better time to act.

Six ways to take action

1. Implement Living Wages, starting with your own operations and extending to your supply chain.

2. Accredit where nationally recognised Living Wage estimates exist and accreditation support is available.

3. Sign up to the UN Global Compact Forward Faster targets on Living Wages.

4. Invest in and partner with Living Wage initiatives creating resources to advance the movement, such as WageMap.

5. Advocate and share lessons learnt from implementing Living Wages, take part in the Living Wage Knowledge Hub or promote the business case for Living Wages with industry/ employer groups.

6. Support government action, advocating for higher minimum wage and alignment with Living Wage, and supporting industry wide collective bargaining

About ISS - ISS is a leading workplace experience and facility management company. In partnership with customers, ISS drives the engagement and well-being of people, minimises the impact on the environment, and protects and maintains property. ISS brings all of this to life through a unique combination of data, insight and service excellence at offices, factories, airports, hospitals and other locations across the globe. ISS has more than 350,000 employees around the globe, who we call “placemakers”. www.issworld.com

About Living Wage Foundation - The Living Wage Foundation is the institution at the heart of the independent movement of businesses, organisations and people who believe that a hard day’s work should mean a fair day’s pay. We recognise and celebrate the leadership shown by the over 16,000 Living Wage Employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to ensure their staff earn a real Living Wage that meets the cost of living. We are an initiative of Citizens UK.

About WageMap - WageMap is a consortium of Living Wage data and service providers that have come together to drive alignment across Living Wage methodologies and frameworks. Over 2024 - 2025, we will establish a credible and representative Living Wage reference standard which assesses existing Living Wage estimates and benchmarking methodologies. This will lead WageMap to publish a public dataset with the single Living Wage estimate value that is most applicable and representative in a specific geography. In this way, we aim to accelerate the transition towards closing the gap between prevailing wages and Living Wages – globally. WageMap is founded by six organisations: BSR, the Loughborough University Centre for Research in Social Policy, Living Wage For US, Inc., the Living Wage Foundation, NewForesight, and WageIndicator Foundation.

Trolley for all trades

How does a trolley need to be configured for use in a school, an office, a hospital or a hotel? Ann Laffeaty looks at the different requirements for trolleys in a range of environments and asks companies how they should be adapted for each.

A CLEANING TROLLEY is simply a vehicle for transporting cloths, mops and detergents to the site where they need to be used. So one could be forgiven for assuming that all trolleys are basically the same.

But this is not the case. A cleaning trolley for use in the healthcare sectorwhere hygiene and safety are paramount - needs to have a very different profile to that, say, of a hotel trolley.

Healthcare trolleys need to be easy to clean and should incorporate lockable sections plus compartments where contaminated cleaning cloths may be stored, for example. A hotel trolley, on the other hand, must be discreet and unobtrusive while also being able to accommodate items such as linen and toiletries alongside cleaning products.

And different requirements will apply in an office, where the bins need to be emptied and carpets may need to be vacuumed, and a school which will no doubt feature large expanses of hard flooring.

So how should a trolley be adapted for use in each different environment? And what are the basic elements required in every case?

Hygiene priorities

Hygiene and infection prevention are the top priorities in healthcare, says Kärcher’s manual tools product manager Jennifer Majcher. “Healthcare trolleys need to have an easy-to-clean chassis along with smooth, non-porous surfaces that are resistant to disinfectants,” she said. “They should also be designed with minimal curvature to avoid a build-up of dirt.

“A quiet operation and low-noise wheels are other important features here to avoid disturbing patients, while an ergonomic design will reduce the strain on staff who may have to work long, demanding shifts. And lockable compartments will be required to prevent any unauthorised access to cleaning chemicals and equipment.”

Cleaning trolleys in hotels need to combine efficiency and discretion with aesthetics, she said. “Essential features

here will include quiet wheels and smooth handling to avoid disturbing guests plus a compact and narrow body that will easily fit into lifts and move through narrow corridors,” said Majcher.

“Ample amounts of organised storage space will be required for supplies of fresh linen, towels, toiletries and cleaning products, with all compartments designed to provide quick access. And these should have doors to create a tidy, closed look while the trolley itself should have a clean, professional design to blend in with the hotel environment and maintain a pleasant guest experience.”

Specially adapted

Versatility and space-efficiency are crucial in an office environment, she says. “Offices usually combine hard floors with carpets so the trolley should have the capacity to carry vacuums and mopping systems to cater for both,” she said. “Manual tools will be needed for desks and shared areas while separate bins for waste and recycling are often also necessary, since offices generate various types of rubbish and recyclables.

“And a smaller, more manoeuvrable trolley is essential here because many offices have limited storage space and tight working areas. This also means that all drawers and compartments should Ideally be accessible from both sides.”

Other environments that require specially-adapted trolleys include schools, airports, shopping centres and transport vehicles, she said. “Schools need to have a high waste management capacity plus sufficient mop storage for extensive floor cleaning, which will often need to be supplemented by machines,” she said.

“Shopping centres and airports are both high-traffic areas which means trolleys here should be discreet and manoeuvrable with lockable compartments and high waste management capabilities. And compact models equipped with both wet and dry floor cleaning tools are required

When reality beats imagination

INCREASED EFFICIENCY

The modularity that characterizes the whole range and the wide selection of accessories allow you to configure the trolley based on actual needs, ensuring maximum efficiency.

ThefieldstudyconductedbyITEL(Spanish Technical Cleaning Institute) found that custom-made Magic trolleys maximise productivity by saving between 19 and 36% time compared to conventional trolleys, thus reducing labour hours and costs.

HYGIENE GUARANTEE CERTIFIED SUSTAINABILITY

Magic trolleys are made using highdensity premium polypropylene to obtain smooth surfaces that are easy to clean and disinfect and resistant to all types of disinfectant, ensuring maximum hygiene.

The closing of all holes further simplifies cleaning by preventing dirt from settling. Furthermore, the plastic panels clearly separate the trolley modules avoiding cross contamination between the washing, storage and waste collection areas.

Magicrangestandsoutforalargenumber of components made of recycled plastic certified Plastic Second Life andincludes five EU Ecolabel-certified trolleys

ThankstotheCarbonFootprintSystematic Approach, TTS can quantify the CO2e emissions for each phase of the trolleys’ life cycle. The extracted data made it possible to implement a long-term compensation programme, making Magic the first carbon neutral trolley line

for transport vehicles such as trains since these will enable an efficient operation in restricted environments.”

Kärcher’s modular FlexoMate series is designed to be able to adapt to different environments. FlexoMate trolleys can be upgraded or downsized while components such as buckets, bins, tool holders and drawers may be added or swapped. The FlexoMate ExpertPro is said to be a good fit for healthcare since it features lockable compartments, while the FlexoMate Expert offers additional storage for manual cleaning equipment. And the FlexoMate Swift is described as being compact, easy to store and particularly suitable for use in tight spaces.

Maximising safety is a key priority in the healthcare sector, says Filmop’s business development manager Paolo Scapinello. Safety is key

“There needs to be strict control over the use of detergents, work tools and sensitive materials,” he said. “Trolleys, mop holders and other items used in healthcare should also be treated with anti-bacterial additives to protect them against bacteria, fungi and moulds.

“For office cleaning, small trolleys that are easy to move around easily will be required. These should be sufficiently compact to allow them to pass easily between desks and cabinets and through even the narrowest of corridors. Another feature to consider here is an efficient waste collec-

tion section.”

Educational facilities have particularly complex requirements, according to Scapinello. “These are made up of several different environments, each with its own specific features and needs,” he said. “The classrooms, offices, corridors, canteens and washrooms each require a targeted approach along with equipment capable of adequately responding to their needs.”

Filmop’s Alpha trolley can be configured in multiple ways for use in various environments, he said. It can offer dividers for separate waste collection for use in offices as well as a washing area with top-down buckets where cloths and mops can be pre-soaked for educational establishments. And for healthcare facilities, the company’s trolleys feature anti-bacterial additives and also have a new automatic locking system to provide control over detergents, work tools and sensitive materials. The locked compartments may be opened by authorised personnel only by means of a universal key which can be stored inside a special compartment integrated into the trolley.

Healthcare trolleys need to be configured in such a way as to avert the risk of cross-contamination and minimise the spread of viruses and bacteria, says TTS Cleaning’s export sales manager Alessandro Costantini.

“There needs to be a clear division between the area for soaking clean mops and the area for collecting used mops,” he

said. “This will ensure that the dirt will be confined to the collection area, reducing the risk of cross-contamination and protecting both the patients and healthcare personnel.”

Trolleys used in the hospitality sector need to offer maximum functionality, efficiency and discretion, he said. “All equipment here must not only ensure high performance but also promote a professional image and blend into the environment,” said Costantini.

TTS offers modular trolleys that may be customised with the aid of various components and accessories. For the healthcare sector, the company’s Magic trolleys can be equipped with the Dosely soaking station and the Dosely and Pockety touchfree disposing system to optimise hygiene while avoiding any hand contact with dirty mops. The company also offers MagicArt trolleys for the hospitality sector which can be used for transporting mini-bar supplies along with crockery, cutlery and towels. And Dust Titan trolleys are said to offer a high capacity to facilitate linen collection. But what are the essentials of any trolley, whatever their environment? Ergonomics, durability and modularity are fundamental requirements everywhere, says Kärcher’s Jennifer Majcher.

Essential features

“Every trolley should be built from robust, high-quality materials and minimise operator strain while also offering plenty of storage space,” she said. “The ability to add, remove and reconfigure components is another major advantage because this will allow the trolley to be customised for specific jobs and increase its versatility. And since a trolley is a long-term investment it must be built to withstand daily use in demanding environments.”

A modular design, robust construction and smooth-running wheels for optimum manoeuvrability are all essential features, according to Filmop’s Paolo Scapinello. “Ease of cleaning is another aspect to consider, while a clear separation of the washing, storage and collection areas will prevent any potential cross-contamination between zones,” he said. “And all trolleys should be sustainable.”

TTS’s Alessandro Costantini says modularity is essential in any trolley. “All components should be customisable according to the specific washing, storage and waste collection needs of the environment,” he said. “There should also be a wide range of accessories available designed to facilitate different operations. A trolley that is custom-made will allow you to perform the various operations more quickly, thus reducing the overall cost.”

Products: trolley systems

Modularity Purpose-built

TTS says the modular design of its Magic trolley line makes it possible to create countless configurations. The company says a study conducted by ITEL found that TTS trolleys configured according to requirements maximise productivity, resulting in time savings of 19 to 36 per cent compared to standard trolleys.

Combining Magic with Lampo allows the operator to have just one handle per trolley which further increases time savings - this is because the immediate hooking and unhooking system eliminates unnecessary tool handles from the trolley that can slow down operations. It also allows even the most compact trolley to be fully equipped to create a complete cleaning station. So the operator can place the floor frames on the trolley and quickly switch to surfaces and glass cleaning equipment, avoiding direct hand contact with contaminated surfaces.

Equipping Magic with Pockety offers a further guarantee of hygiene says TTS - the system with touch-free release of mops allows them to be disposed of without coming into contact with dirt, viruses and bacteria. Operators no longer have to touch the dirty fibres to release them, nor do they have to constantly bend over to pick mops up off the floor.

Pockety is also designed to improve efficiency, in that the lid releases the mops instantly into the bucket while the frame hooks them up in a second, ensuring quick set-up. And it can be used with the entire range of TTS mops with pockets, both washable and disposable.

www.ttsystem.com

Designed for the food and beverage industry is the HyGo mobile cleaning station from Vikan, which can be flexible according to the needs of its environment. As standard, the tool brackets can mount up to five tools and with an additional bracket added to it, up to 12 mounted tools can be held. Its narrow frame and 360-degree wheels make for easy and fast transport to different areas of the building.

HyGo can navigate tight doorways and rough surfaces like drains and door thresholds. And instead of having separate products like shadow boards for organising tools and cleaning carts for moving them, HyGo is a single solution.

A Waste Bag Holder is also available for even greater efficiency. The operator simply clicks the attachment into place on the HyGo in order to take the waste bag with them to fill as they clean. The dustpan can be emptied into it as they sweep, rubbish bins can be emptied as they clean, or debris can be brushed directly into the bag.

www.vikan.com

Safety first

The automatic locking system developed for its Alpha trolleys to manage equipment and chemical products raises the safety level of cleaning services, says Filmop. The new solution allows instant locking of doors and central rings simply by closing them - preventing unauthorised access to equipment, chemicals and other sensitive

materials stored inside the respective compartments.

Fully integrated into the trolley’s structure, the locking system is designed to be quick and easy to use with one move. The operator just closes the door and lowers the cover to activate the instant lock and secure the trolley in a second with zero effort. They can work securely without pausing their workflow to manually lock or unlock compartments.

And if locking is forgotten, the contents of the trolley remain protected because the system activates automatically. Reopening is then only possible by inserting the special universal key in the lock, so that only authorised personnel can access the compartments.

After use, the operator can conveniently store the key in its dedicated slot in the trolley door which keeps it safe and within reach.

www.filmop.com

Practical design

Rekola Oy Trolley Systems says it designs and makes its trolleys in close cooperation with cleaning companies. From service and waste collection to the transport of battery-powered cleaning machines, the company’s portfolio includes trolleys for offices, hospitals and the hotel industry. Design and practicality are

key priorities when it comes to serving different applications. Hotels, for example, present unique challenges for logistics and transport. Corridors may be narrow, elevators small and interiors highly individual. This means not only functional solutions but also designs that complement different interiors. Rekola trolleys offer custom layouts and appearance.

Currently a new generation of hotel and service trolleys are being designed and these are said to combine lightweight materials, ergonomic design and refined appearance to fit into modern hospitality environments.

www.rekola.com

The Toolflex One Utility Cart from Delex Teknik enables operatives to keep all the tools they need where they belong - accessible, visible and at the correct working height. There is a choice of either one or two sturdy aluminium rails in either black or white, and the setup can be tailored to specific cleaning applications. Thanks to the modular design the trolley can grow according to needs and can be adapted for different environments.

A range of interchangeable holders, hooks and accessories is available for tools with handles, buckets, spray bottles, hoses, cords, gloves, masks etc. With the patented click-ngo system, accessories can be repositioned instantly without any tools.

Said to be lightweight, durable and easy to assemble, the Toolflex One Utility Cart has been designed to save time, reduce strain and enable the operator to stay organised.

www.toolflex.com

Barriers to hygiene

Study after study reveals that too few people are washing their hands when they need to – even in hygiene-critical environments such as healthcare. So, what are the barriers to optimum hand hygiene, asks Ann Laffeaty?

an average hand washing compliance rate of 37 per cent worldwide, with significant variations from country to country.

Meta-analysis of the study, which pooled the results from 17 surveys, revealed that hospital visitors in Japan had the highest compliance rate at 94 per cent whereas the lowest rate – a mere four per cent – was recorded in the UK.

unavailable or are inconveniently placed. And organisational barriers refer to outside factors such as a high workload where overburdened staff –who might have been given no hand hygiene training – are working in a fastpaced environment.

THE WORLD HEALTH Organization and UNICEF have launched what they describe as being the first global guidelines for hand hygiene in community settings. Issued on Global Handwashing Day, the guidelines call for governments to promote good hand hygiene practices by ensuring that everyone has access to soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.

Authorities should also provide clear information on when and how to wash their hands, according to WHO. The five key moments for handwashing are: before preparing food, before eating, after using the toilet, after coughing, sneezing, or nose-blowing and when the hands are visibly dirty.

The US-based National Foundation for Infectious Diseases claims that handwashing can help to prevent around 80 per cent of infectious diseases, which means it plays a critical role in public health.

Healthcare workers are at the front line of infection control which means hand washing is particularly crucial in hospitals. However according to various studies, hand hygiene compliance rates among healthcare workers vary significantly from country to country but average out at between around 40 and 70 per cent.

Hospital visitors are even less likely to wash their hands than staff members. An observational study published in the Journal of Infection Prevention in March this year revealed that healthcare visitors have

This is despite the fact that hospital visitors will potentially be spending long periods at the bedside of their vulnerable loved ones. The act of washing the hands is key for infection control because it physically removes any harmful viruses or bacteria from the skin, effectively breaking the chain of infection. It also prevents germs from being transferred to the eyes, nose, mouth or on to food where they could lead to illnesses such as food poisoning, flu and healthcare-associated infections.

Poor

comprehension

Why, then, are so few people washing their hands – particularly in hygiene-critical environments such as healthcare?

A systematic review published in April this year, which pooled the results of 28 studies worldwide, identified four main barriers to good hand hygiene. These were: behavioural, societal, physical and organisational barriers.

Behavioural barriers stem from a poor comprehension of the importance and techniques of hand hygiene alongside a lack of understanding as to how infections are transmitted. Societal barriers are more complex, sometimes stemming from poor hand washing habits developed in childhood. Some healthcare workers may feel that washing their hands before or after an examination might offend the patient, giving the impression that the patient is a source of contamination. Others claim to have been deterred from washing their hands by senior colleagues who may have had been dismissive about the need for hand hygiene.

Physical barriers to hand washing occur when soap and hand-drying products are

Kimberly-Clark’s category and product manager of skincare and dispensers Hannah Lloyd agrees that a range of behavioural, environmental and organisational factors make hand hygiene compliance a challenge in hygienecritical environments.

“Time constraints, skin irritation and poor accessibility to hygiene stations often lead to missed opportunities, even among trained professionals,” she said. “Studies have shown that forgetfulness, a lack of perceived risk and inconsistent reinforcement all contribute to low adherence rates. However, these barriers can be addressed through thoughtful design and a supportive infrastructure.”

Compliance can be significantly impacted in cases where hand hygiene products are lacking or are not placed where they are most needed, she said. “Research shows that when dispensers are missing, empty or inconveniently located, even well-trained individuals may skip handwashing opportunities,” said Lloyd. “Accessibility is critical - products should be positioned at key hygiene moments such as near patient bedsides, in food preparation areas and in high-traffic zones to make hand hygiene effortless and intuitive.”

Multifaceted approach

Educational programmes and visual reminders can help to encourage hand hygiene, she said. However, improving compliance requires a multifaceted approach. “Research highlights the importance of ergonomic dispenser design, strategic placement and skin-friendly formulations to reduce irritation and encourage frequent use,” said Lloyd. “Visual cues such as posters can increase compliance by more than 16 per cent.”

Kimberly-Clark offers Icon touchless dispensers, gentle soaps, soft paper towels and moisturisers to help repair the skin’s barrier when washing the hands frequently. Icon dispensers also incorporate customisable faceplates which may be used for displaying hand hygiene reminders to improve compliance.

Time pressures on staff and the adverse effects of disinfectants on the skin are among the main barriers to hand hygiene in healthcare, says Hagleitner’s senior product manager for disinfection Kerstin Heine.

“Hand hygiene needs to be quick and easy which means the soap, paper towel dispensers and warm water all need to be available where the hands are going to be washed,” she said. “People will also be keener to use mild soaps than more aggressive products.”

Clearly visible

Poorly-positioned dispensers can also have an impact on hand hygiene compliance, she says. “People are more likely to practise hand hygiene if they feel as though they’re being watched,” she said. “So dispensers should be situated in clearly visible locations rather than hiding them behind closed doors. Where hand hygiene is both accessible and observable, it is more likely to be performed.”

She added that dispensers should also be easy to spot. “For example, brightly coloured dispensers are often used in healthcare,” said Heine. New from Hagleitner is septDES MED 365, a virucidal hand disinfectant designed for use in the healthcare sector. It is designed to be kind to the skin and will disinfect the hands in 90 seconds, which the company claims is 25 per cent faster than most alternative products.

People who have never directly experienced the consequences of poor hand hygiene may underestimate the importance of thorough hand washing, according to Principle Cleaning Services’ head of safety and compliance Ian Sinclair. “Complacency or a lack of reminders can lead to lapses in habits,” he said.

He believes some people may feel that being “too clean” can prevent the immune system from developing properly. “This makes them avoid frequent handwashing or exposure to cleaning products in order to build immunity,” he said.

According to Sinclair, this mindset stems from the “hygiene hypothesis” which suggests that people might become more susceptible to allergies and autoimmune conditions if they have had limited exposure to microbes during childhood.

“However, experts agree that avoiding

basic hygiene practices such as handwashing doesn’t actually build immunity,” he said. “Handwashing, particularly after using the washroom or before eating, is crucial for preventing the spread of infectious diseases. “

He adds that a misunderstanding about the effectiveness of hand sanitisers is another barrier to handwashing for some. “Many people believe hand sanitisers are a suitable alternative to hand washing, but they are not as thorough a method of cleansing as soap and water and washing for at least 40 seconds,” he said.

Essity’s communications director Jenny Turner agrees that time pressures are a major factor in suboptimal hand hygiene compliance among healthcare staff.

“In high-pressure environments such as healthcare and hospitality, professionals may feel too busy to wash their hands as frequently as required or for as long as it is recommended,” she said. “A lack of awareness is another issue. Some people outside of specialist settings may not fully understand the importance of hand hygiene or the correct techniques.”

Poor placement of dispensers or a lack of access to hygiene products can also hinder compliance, she says. “For example, if dispensers are not within easy reach or are placed in inconvenient locations, people are less likely to use them,” said Turner.

Skin conditions and other physical issues such as arthritis could lead to poor hand hygiene compliance if the wrong products are supplied, she said. “Harsh, fragranced soaps can aggravate skin sensitivities or chronic conditions such as eczema,

particularly when hand washing is carried out frequently,” said Turner. “And people with arthritis or limited mobility may find it difficult to use dispensers that require strength or fine motor control.”

Tork offers a range of ECARF-certified, fragrance-free sensitive soaps while its dispensers are said to be the first in the world to be certified according to the Design for All standard (EN 17161).

Reinforce behaviour

Education, training and behavioural prompts are all key to ensuring better practices, says Turner. “Posters and digital reminders will help to reinforce good behaviour,” she said. Tork provides training materials, poster and digital tools through its Clean Care programme to reinforce the importance of hand hygiene. The company also offers Tork VR hand hygiene training for healthcare workers where trainees follow the WHO moments of hand hygiene in an interactive world.

Hand hygiene practices will inevitably be improved where people are given the right products in dispensers that are easy to use and conveniently placed, she adds.

“Soaps with gentle formulations and soft towels will be less of an aggravant to the skin, and all dispensers should be intuitive and require minimal effort to use,” she said. “These should be strategically placed, visible and accessible - particularly in healthcare and hospitality settings. And dispensers should also have an inclusive design, one that considers the needs of a full spectrum of people including those with physical, sensory or cognitive conditions.”

Products:

High traffic

Designed to cater for the busiest of washrooms is the new Tork PeakServe Continuous Automatic Hand Towel Dispenser. Each towel is dispensed from the sleek unit in less than a second, speeding up washroom use and ensuring a good flow of visitors through any facility. Particularly suitable for high-traffic environments such as airports and stadiums, the Tork PeakServe Automatic unit may be topped up at any time to avoid run-outs.

With one battery set lasting up to five years and dispensing at least 500,000 towels, Tork PeakServe Automatic alleviates even more pressure from businesses. Cleaning staff can work more efficiently and a refill indicator and viewing window allows them to tell at a glance when the unit needs refilling.

All solutions within the slim Tork PeakServe range reduce maintenance time for cleaning staff, freeing up their time for other cleaning tasks, streamlining operations and helping to reduce user complaints. Available in both white and black, the system uses 50 per cent compressed bundles to refill double the towels at one time and serve more visitors.

All Tork PeakServe dispensers use the same refill, helping facilities to streamline their operations by simplifying ordering, handling and storage.

www.torkglobal.com

Efficient hygiene

Kennedy Hygiene Products says its Savona Ellipse dispenser family was designed for hygiene and efficiency. The one-litre units come in cartridge and direct-fill versions, dispensing soap directly from the nozzle to minimise contact and reduce cross-contamination. Each

sealed cartridge has its own nozzle and a patented one-way valve preventing bacteria from re-entering the system.

Service-friendly features include hinged covers and inspection windows, along with a single security key.

The Obsidian range of dispensers, meanwhile, is made from an average of 85 per cent recycled ABS plastic, producing up to four times less CO₂ during manufacture compared to virgin ABS says the company. The sleek black finish offers a contemporary feel.

Also in the line-up are liquid, foam and gel soaps: Cosmetic Soap Hand Lotion for gentle daily cleansing of hands, hair, and body; Anti-Bacterial Soap Hand Lotion, compliant with EN1499 hygiene standards; and Apricot Industrial Hand Cleanser, compatible with the Wopa 2.5-litre dispenser and formulated with natural apricot kernel scrub particles for effective removal of oils and grease. Kennedy Hand Sanitising Gel completes the range, a fragrance-free formula meeting the EN1500 anti-microbial standard.

kennedy-hygiene.com

Water-free

Dreumex Expert Wipes are designed for professional hand, tool and surface cleaning in sectors such as construction, automotive and technical service departments. The wipes remove substances including oil, tar, paint and adhesives without the use of alcohol, offering a water-free cleaning option. The company has also launched an Expert Wipes Refill Pack, which uses 83 per cent less plastic than the standard packaging.

The refill system aims to reduce waste and support more sustainable cleaning practices while maintaining hygiene standards.

www.dreumex.com

XL dispenser

New from The Hygiene Company is the Wipepod XL,the latest addition to its wipes dispenser line. Designed for demanding commercial environments, it accommodates rolls of up to 1,000 sheets, ensuring consistent availability.

The integrated V-tear assist design and hinged top lid make for simple, one-at-a-time dispensing, thereby reducing waste.

The interlocking top and bottom create a 99 per cent airtight seal that keeps wipes fresh and moist for longer.

Other features include versatile installation - it can be easily retrofitted to existing wall brackets or sit on any desktop or surface. Custom branding options are also available.

www.thehygienecompany online.co.uk

Gentle and easy

The HYiGO dispenser and desderman hand care sanitiser from the NoSoap Company are designed for high-traffic areas requiring effective but gentle hand sanitisation.

Free from fragrance and colourants and containing ProPanthenol and Vitamin E, desderman is said to be gentle on the skin. And the attractive design of the HYiGO dispenser, the company says, encourages good hand hygiene compliance. www.nosoapcompany.com

Dries gloves

Hygitec, part of the JVD Group, has developed a range of glove dryers aimed at maintaining hygiene standards in environments where contamination

control is essential.

The HYGIgrip model is designed for various glove types, including lightweight, heavyduty and long-cuff styles. It dries gloves evenly using warm air up to 45°C within 45 minutes to two-and-a-half hours, helping preserve their technical integrity. For larger capacities, the HYGIbox One offers a cabinetstyle design that accommodates multiple pairs at once. Both models are made from corrosion-resistant stainless steel and incorporate a UV-C germicidal lamp to eliminate bacteria, fungi and odours without chemical treatment. Features include programmable timers and remote management through the HYGIconnect system. Independently certified, the units are suited to sectors such as food production, pharmaceuticals and laboratory work, where consistent glove hygiene is required. www.jvd.fr

More countries

Kimberly-Clark Professional has launched its ICON dispenser collection - which was introduced to the UK and German markets in 2022 - in Italy and Spain.

Featuring dual sensor technology, ICON detects partially torn sheets and automatically presents a fresh towel, making for reliable operation and continuous availability. The control panel is designed to streamline maintenance while indicator lights alert teams when it’s time to replace consumables.

Boasting 99.9 per cent jamfree reliability and minimal maintenance, the units feature a battery set capable of dispensing up to 150,000 sheets. Plugin power is also an option. Units are available for hand towels, toilet tissue and soaps.

Faceplate options include Warm Marble, Cherry Blossom and Ebony Woodgrain along with Black, Silver and White Mosaic.

www.kcprofessional.com

ELIMINATE DETAILING WITH SÖRBO’S S-ARM

As an inventor I concentrated mostly on the squeegee side of the window cleaning industry. Then I met a window cleaner, Armando Sandoval, who showed me his prototype for eliminating detailing around the windows. I realized that this was something unique. We’d like to recognize Armando Sandoval’s achievement, and have incorporated his initials on the devise. If you haven’t tried the S-ARM yet, give it a try! It’s made with the well-known yellow jacket washer sleeve that holds a lot of water, which will reduce detailing.

The S-ARM eliminates the time-consuming detailing in window cleaning. Bumpers leave the window dry ¼” from the surrounding frame so there is virtually NO NEED to detail with a towel or chamois. Simply wash the window leading with the bumper toward the window frame at all times. Then, when there’s a lot of debris, lead with the opposite end (without the bumper). Just another labor and time saver from Sörbo!

Sweeping statements

What are the most important qualities required in a sweeper? Is it particularly crucial that the machine should be efficient, ergonomic, safe and versatile, for instance? And what do today’s customers demand from their machines? Ann Laffeaty poses these questions.

fill level, meaning fewer stops are required to empty the hopper.”

Versatility is key to a machine’s value, he adds. “A sweeper must be able to handle a variety of cleaning tasks, from fine dust on smooth warehouse floors to coarse debris such as leaves and gravel on outdoor asphalt,” he said. Kärcher’s sweepers are said to offer adjustable brushes, suction power and different roller brush types to ensure that they can be used across multiple applications, both indoors and outdoors.

Safe and comfortable

SWEEPERS HAVE ONE simple job to do: remove the debris from the floor. But the types of debris that need picking up will vary considerably depending on the environment. And the fact that the floors themselves could be made of anything from wood or smooth concrete to carpet or rough tarmac only further complicates the issue.

So what qualities does a sweeper need to offer to enable it to work effectively in the environment for which it is intended?

Sweepers need to be able to provide a combination of efficiency, versatility and reliability according to Kärcher’s sweepers product manager Hannes Geyer.

“An ideal machine must deliver exceptional cleaning performance with minimal passes,” he said. “It should also be adaptable for use on a wide range of surfaces and dirt types and operate with a high degree of uptime. And this combination of qualities will directly translate to lower operating costs and a higher return on investment for customers.”

Efficiency is about more than just speed, he says. “It encompasses high area performance, low maintenance requirements and a simple operation that allows the user to complete the job both quickly and effectively,” he said. “For example, most of our ride-on sweepers use the ‘overthrow principle’ which allows for a high container

Operator safety and ergonomics are also paramount, adds Geyer. “A safe and comfortable operator will be a more productive and efficient one,” he explains. “At Kärcher we design our machines with the user at the forefront which means features such as ergonomic control panels, adjustable seats, adjustable steering columns and low-vibration chassis systems are standard on our ride-on models.”

He adds that by reducing physical strain, preventing fatigue and ensuring that the operator has a clear view of the working area the user’s well-being will be improved and the risk of accidents and damage will be minimised.

Sustainability is a non-negotiable principle for Kärcher, he says. “A sustainable operation matters deeply to us and our goal is to create products that reduce resource consumption and minimise environmental impact throughout their entire lifecycle, from production to operation,” said Geyer. Kärcher’s sweepers are said to incorporate long-lasting, durable components and energy-efficient drive types such as Li-ion batteries. Additionally, a series of the company’s sweeper models are manufactured using recycled materials.

Today’s customers want a complete solution and not just a machine, says Geyer. “They are looking for high productivity, reliability and a low total cost of ownership,” he said. “This has evolved significantly from the time when customers’ primary concern was simply getting

a surface clean. They now want to ensure that their investment will stand the test of time, is easy to maintain and is supported by a strong service network.” Customers also demand flexibility and expect a single machine to be capable of tackling different environments and cleaning challenges, he adds. “The focus has shifted from a preoccupation with the initial purchase price to concerns about the long-term value that the machine can provide.”

Kärcher offers a range of machines including push sweepers for use in smaller areas, and walk-behind vacuum sweepers that feature a traction drive to reduce operator effort. Also on offer are ride-on vacuum sweepers and industrial sweepers built for large-area performance. The ride-on models incorporate ergonomic operator cabins with adjustable seats and controls for maximum comfort and safety for long shifts.

The most important feature of a sweeper is reliability, says Hako’s application technology trainer and consultant Klaus Serfezi. “This should be combined with consistently excellent cleaning results, even under demanding conditions,” he said. “This is the only way that customers can ensure their floor surfaces are kept clean and ready for use at all times.”

Efficiency and versatility are also essential today, he said. “Customers expect to be able to sweep different areas quickly, thoroughly and above all, economically with one machine,” said Serfezi. “It is also crucial that the machine is ergonomic and safe to use for the operator.”

Reliability key

Ergonomic controls and a well-thoughtout design will promote occupational safety, he said. “These features will also increase comfort, reduce fatigue and enable longer, more productive use, which is important because the vacuum sweeper may be the operator’s workplace for an entire shift,” he added.

Sustainability is another key consideration. “This may be achieved through low emission drives, efficient dust-binding

capabilities plus the economical use of energy and resources,” added Serfezi.

The key priorities of today’s customer are cost-effectiveness, user-friendliness and sustainability combined with a high cleaning performance, he said. “In the past, the focus tended to be more on pure area output, but today it is the overall package across the entire life cycle of the machine that counts.”

Single pass

Hako offers a range of sweepers including compact walk-behind machines and powerful ride-on models. These are said to offer a robust design, a high area output and a safe and ergonomic operation along with efficient filter-cleaning systems.

All sweepers need to offer three important qualities, says Starmix product manager for sweepers Andreas Schneider. “They should produce good sweeping results with small and large debris and serve as a replacement for brooms,” he said. “They must also offer good handling capabilities and have a low device weight. And they should be durable and maintenance-free.”

The operator should be able to sweep up all debris in a single pass, he adds. “A good sweeper should run smoothly and be easily manoeuvrable in corners,” he said. “And it is important that the machine is ergonomic and safe to use for the operator so that users will remain healthy in the long term, even when working frequently.”

Starmix sweepers are described as being lightweight and easy to push while offering a large 40-litre waste capacity which means fewer work interruptions for emptying are required.

Manual sweepers are undergoing an evolution and customer needs are changing, according to Schneider. “We have identified an increasing requirement for battery-powered models for easier operation and better sweeping results,” he said. “Users are increasingly busy people so they want to make less use of brooms and focus more closely on cost-effectiveness. And they are increasingly seeking features such as a durable construction, ease of repair and a high level of availability of spare parts.”

Sustainable

Sustainability is important to some customers, he adds. “Sweepers contribute to a sustainable world because they enable debris such as dirt, waste and plastic products to be picked up during outdoor sweeping operations,” he said. “This dirt would otherwise have been carried further into the environment both by people and by the wind where it would have poten-

tially polluted green spaces, waterways and wildlife.”

He also points out that manual sweepers create no emissions nor noise pollution from combustion engines.

“Even our battery-powered sweepers can be switched off and still operated manually for sweeping,” said Schneider. The company’s products include the lithium-ion battery-powered Starmix DuroSweep 77 Pro 18V which features adjustable speed and an LED light as well as dust-protected motors and drive units for greater durability. Future trends

So, how do commentators think the market will evolve in future?

Schneider foresees no radical changes ahead. “The sweeping result should continue to be convincing which means that smart features such as LED lights for path illumination are helpful additions,” he said. “Robotics are on everyone’s radar and technical advances are significant, particularly in the vacuuming sector. However, people will continue to choose manual sweepers because they are cheaper and more sustainable since they require less maintenance.”

Hako’s Klaus Serfezi says there is growing demand for sustainable, resource-saving concepts that reduce operating costs and meet environmental requirements. “However, the future belongs to ‘smart’ machines that combine cleaning with digitally-networked solutions,” he said.

Kärcher’s Hannes Geyer agrees the next big thing will be the integration of smart technologies along with a continued push for sustainability. “We will see sweepers become more connected and offering features such as remote monitoring, predictive maintenance alerts and fleet management systems,” he said.

“Connected cleaning will provide customers with real-time data to optimise their operations, improve efficiency and schedule maintenance proactively. At the same time, demand for more sustainable solutions will only increase which will lead to further advancements in battery technology for longer runtimes and faster charging, as well as the use of alternative fuels and more eco-friendly materials in machine construction.

“Autonomous sweepers for outdoor applications will also play a role. So the future of sweeping is intelligent, efficient, and environmentally responsible.”

User focus

Kärcher’s KM 130/300 R I industrial sweeper is designed for working on large areas in logistics and industry and comes in three drive variants: electric, diesel and LPG.

Robust design and durability are key features. The side brush, for example, is protected against impacts as standard - a protection guard is available as an attachment kit for the side brush for even greater safety.

The sweeping mechanism is fully hydraulic for long service life, and the hydraulic hoses are covered so that they are well protected even with high loadsthis extends the service intervals says Kärcher. As there has been a significant increase in the demand for the electric variant, this version was improved to enable a longer battery runtime and thus longer applications.

Comfort and user-friendliness have also been priorities.

Protective roofs as well as semiand fully glazed cabs are available, while comfort seats reduce physical strain during long work intervals. Operation has been simplified: for example there is an LED indicator when the cover of the waste container is closed in sweeping mode hence sweeping is not possible.

The main roller sweeper of the KM 130/300 R I can be changed without tools and optional attachment kits are available for use in buildings that ensure less dust is raised. These include a water spraying system that binds fine particles.

www.karcher.com

Range upgrade

The FSR8 is the latest rideon model in Fimap’s ride-on sweeper range. The company says this new model features a distinctive look that marks the transition to a new design style, closer to the Performance Line of scrubbing machines.

Designed to clean medium to large areas it can work at a speed of 10 km per hour for five continuous hours, and cover a path ranging from 85 cm with the central brush alone - useful in narrow spaces - to 150 cm with the two side brushes for when the area is larger.

There are three FSR8 model options: basic, Pro and Plus. In the basic version the emptying of the debris hopper is manual, in the Pro and Plus versions it is automatic at height. Automatic dumping is operated from the driver’s seat and can lift up to 210 kg at 163 cm height.

All models are equipped as

standard with Force technology, which enables the central brush to adapt to the characteristics of any type of flooring and stay in contact constantly. Paper or polyester panel filters and fabric pocket filters are available for standard cleaning applications but filtering performance can be further increased with the Tetratex filter and Safe Air technology with HEPA filter. Both filtering systems ensure the return of cleaner air to the environment by trapping even particulate matter.

In designing the FSR8 Fimap has assessed the entire life cycle of the machine, prioritising responsible sourcing of raw materials, product longevity, resource conservation and end-of-life recyclability.

FFM - Fimap Fleet Management technology enables monitoring of the CO2 generated.

www.fimap.com

High dump

Specialist in ride-on sweepers Eureka recently introduced the Bull 200, which incorporates the company’s BullSystem technology that enables it to collect debris of any weight, compact it inside the waste container to make full use of its loading capacity and overcome obstacles.

This model features a fully steel structure and body for maximum durability. Despite its size it is easy to operate - says Eureka - thanks to its automotive-style front driving position that provides the operator with 360° visibility.

Also recently introduced is the Rider Lift, a compact model incor-

porating high dump capability. The Bull 200 and all Magnum sweepers can now be equipped with dust control spray nozzles on the side brushes.

www.eurekasweepers.com

Fully electric

SUPRA is a fully electric ride-on sweeper from RCM. With its robust design it’s suitable for heavy applications and can be used on medium and large areas - both outdoor and indoor.

Available in two versionsmanual dump and hydraulic high dump - for collecting dirt into dust bins up to 1500 mm. The working width of up to 1450 mm and high filtering surface allow cleaning of large surfaces in a short time. The comfortable driving position and adjustable steering wheel mean the operator can drive for long periods of time. RCM says the controls are also easy to reach and intuitive for the operator.

www.rcm.it

Bringing you limitless cleaning power, wherever you need it.

DRYFT is built for commercial cleaning - powerful, precise, and ready for any environment. Its ultra low-profile head reaches under fixtures and into tight spaces, while the lightweight design makes it easy to move between zones. With high-speed S-Motion cleaning and powerful 4200rpm Scrubbing Technology, DRYFT delivers consistent, efficient results across cafés, shops, stations, and more.

Engineered for unlimited versatility, ideal for any environment.

Scan to book your demo and learn more about our unique DRYFT technology.

Retail Environments. Train Stations. Washrooms.

Cafés + Restaurants. Commercial Kitchens. Transport Hubs.

Europe has least engaged workers

For the fifth year in a row, Europe has the least engaged employees of any global region, with just 13 per cent saying they feel motivated at work. So how is Brussels responding to this threat to the bloc’s prosperity, asks Hartley Milner.

THE WORLD OF WORK is wobbling precariously on its axis following a seismic shift in how people view their employment experience. This at a time of mounting concerns about the impact of rapidly advancing AI technologies on job markets.

Gallup’s 2025 State of the Global Workplace report shows the proportion of engaged employees fell last year from 23 to 21 per cent. Over the previous 12 years, the measure dropped only once, in 2020 when Covid-19 plunged national economies into a cycle of full or partial lockdowns.

The recent two-point decline was equal in scale to 2020 and cost the world economy $438 billion (€376 billion) in lost productivity, prompting the US pollster to ask – “Is the global workplace at breaking point?”

The United States-Canada region has comfortably scored the highest workplace

engagement levels in the Gallup survey every year since 2011. However, for the first time last year it tied for top spot with the Latin America-Caribbean region, which had climbed in the rankings. Alongside Europe in the laggers’ league, were the Middle East and north Africa, east Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

A key driver of the global decline was a fall in manager engagement. While engagement among individual contributors remained flat at 18 per cent, among managers it fell from 30 to 27 per cent. No other employee category experienced such a significant disconnection with their workplace. Two manager types were especially impacted; young managers (down by five per cent) and female managers (seven per cent).

Pandemic transformation

“Manager engagement affects team engagement, which affects productivity,” said Jim Harter, Gallup’s chief workplace scientist. “Business performance – and ultimately GDP growth – is at risk if executive leaders do not address manager breakdown.”

Gallup recommends three actions to boost manager motivation:

• Training to cut ‘active disengagement’. Most managers said they had not received any training, despite active disengagement – displays of dissatisfaction through negative behaviours – being shown to reduce by 50 per cent for those who do;

• Instruction in effective coaching techniques. Participants on training courses focused on management best practice experience up to 22 per cent higher engagement levels than those who do not take part. Teams led by participants see engagement rise by up to 18 per cent;

• Increasing ‘manager thriving’ through ongoing development. Employers who provide manager training see improvements in ‘manager thriving’ of 28

So what were the prime ‘demotivators’ for team leaders? Over the past five years, managers have operated in workplaces radically transformed by the pandemic and its aftermath. The experience left them overstressed, demoralised, burnt out and more likely to quit their jobs than the people they manage. Continued page 36

to 34 per cent. If participants have training, and someone at work who actively encourages their development, manager thriving increases to 50 per cent.

Along with Europe having the world’s lowest percentage of engaged employees, the report found wide variations in engagement levels within the region, with several nations disclosing rates below 10 per cent. Among the lowest scorers were Croatia (seven per cent), France and Switzerland (eight per cent), Spain (nine per cent) and the United Kingdom (10 per cent). Germany - the region’s biggest economy - recorded a new low (12 per cent). By contrast, Romania had a significantly higher rate of 35 per cent.

Life satisfaction

Paradoxically, European workers reported having relatively high life satisfaction levels, with 47 per cent saying they were thriving compared to the global average of 33 per cent. The majority (57 per cent) thought it a good time to find work and 30 per cent said they were “watching for, or actively seeking, a new job”. Against that, 48 per cent of employees admitted struggling in life and five per cent to ‘suffering’. Asked about emotions they experience “a lot of the previous day”, 38 per cent cited stress, 14 per cent anger, 17 per cent sadness and 12 per cent loneliness.

Research by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) has focused this year on providing data and analysis in engagement areas such as job quality, working conditions and innovation. Projects included looking into how digital skills training can boost engagement among SME employees and ways to improve human/robot interaction by maximising the positives of the technology while minimising the downsides.

First findings from Eurofound’s latest European Working Conditions Survey and other recent reports identify several specific causes of disengagement:

• Hybrid and remote work. While flexible working is welcomed by many employees, its implementation can cause friction. Teleworkers are more prone to working excessively long hours, which impacts their mental and physical wellbeing. The push by employers for a return to the office post-covid runs counter to employee expectations;

• Digitalisation and Al. Information and communication technologies in the workplace can improve flexibility but also intensify the demands of work. New technologies have implications for the organisation of work and

employee wellbeing;

• Ageing workforce challenges. Disengagement affects older workers differently. While the number of older employees is growing, they face higher risks of long-term unemployment and often struggle to find new jobs when made unemployed. Adapting workplaces to retain experienced employees remains a challenge;

• Persistent mental health concerns. More Europeans are reporting ongoing mental health issues, with young women and older men causing particular concern. Anxiety and depression remain widespread and many survey respondents complain about having limited access to mental healthcare;

• Stagnant pay and rising housing costs. Although minimum wages have increased, rising housing costs are disproportionately affecting minimum wage earners. They spend a higher share of their income on housing and face greater difficulty achieving independent living, leading to financial stress;

• Lack of employee involvement. Research reveals that organisations with high employee involvement in decisionmaking report much higher engagement levels than those with low participation. A lack of opportunity for input reduces motivation and a sense of being valued.

The European Commission is taking a two-pronged approach to tackling workplace motivation, each action addressing a key contributor to the problem. The measures, outlined below, comprise part of a wider programme for “supporting people and strengthening the EU’s social model”.

Union of Skills

Launched in March this year, Union of Skills aims to boost EU competitiveness and employee engagement by focusing on workforce development and tackling skills shortages. Its main pillars are:

• Skills building to enhance basic abilities like reading, mathematics and digital literacy, as well as specific competencies such as science, technology and engineering required to equip workers for careers in emerging green industries;

• Up-skilling and re-skilling through lifelong learning programmes like Pact for Skills, set up to train and retrain workers in sectors undergoing the digital and green transition;

• Increasing skills mobility to promote the recognition of skills and qualifications across member states via the Skills Portability initiative and new EU diploma schemes;

• Attracting and retaining talent within

the European Union through programmes like the new EU Talent Pool and ‘Choose Europe’ initiative.

Human resources

The commission’s 2022 HR strategy established a long-term framework for creating “more attractive, flexible and inclusive workplaces”. The programme supports engagement through:

• Improved recruitment. The faster introduction of cutting-edge and more flexible recruitment procedures to attract top talent and better reflect Europe’s diversity;

• Flexible and hybrid work. A strategy acknowledging modern workplace trends by adapting to flexible and hybrid working models for managers and staff;

• Enhanced career paths. Here, the commission helps employees get a clearer view of their career path with strengthened guidance, mentoring and coaching;

• Wellbeing promotion. A ‘fit-at-work’ programme supporting staff wellbeing and better work-life balance. The strategy also beefs up anti-harassment rules and actions on diversity;

• Streamlined HR processes. By reviewing and simplifying human resource processes, the commission says it is seeking to promote “greater transparency and more user-friendly, efficient services”.

Additional social and societal actions

The EU also promotes broader social policies to improve worker engagement across the region:

• European Pillar of Social Rights. This programme works to provide fairer and better functioning labour markets and welfare systems;

• Mental health focus. Through its research, Eurofound contributes to the understanding of work-related mental health challenges and publishes reports on risk groups, trends and policies. Its findings this year have highlighted alarming trends such as rising suicide rates among certain groups and increasing poor mental health due to socio-economic factors.

And on concerns about artificial intelligence, Roxana Mînzatu, social rights and skills commissioner, said: “AI is becoming an integral part of modern workplaces. We must use it in a way that both helps workers and protects them. We have a strong basis of rules with our general data protection regulation, the AI act and the directive on platform work (matching labour demand with supply). We will look at how these rules are applied to address the impact of AI throughout the wider labour market.”

Heading up this special report on high-pressure cleaning is R+M de Wit’s Dirk Niesen. He explains how today’s industry is driven by a blend of engineering, chemistry and digital technology.

AS AN ESSENTIAL pillar of modern maintenance and hygiene across Europe, the professional high-pressure cleaning sector continues its rapid evolution. The days of rudimentary water blasting are long past. Today, the industry is driven by a sophisticated blend of engineering, chemistry, and digital technology, focusing intensely on four core imperatives: efficiency, ergonomics, mobility, and sustainability.

The primary objective has remained constant: to maximise cleaning power while simultaneously reducing operator effort and minimising operational costs. In recent years, this focus has yielded significant, practical advancements that directly impact the daily routines of professionals. Ergonomics and efficiency

Recent engineering efforts have focused heavily on usability and resource optimisation. Core advancements directly enhance daily workflow:

• Ergonomics: Innovations like quickconnect systems allow for accessory changes up to five times faster without compromising seal integrity. Similarly, new ergonomic high-pressure guns have reduced trigger and holding forces to near zero, enabling fatigue-free operation over extended periods. Enhanced mobility features, such as optimised centres of gravity and large wheels, simplify transport and on-site manoeuvrability.

• Performance and consumption: Cleaning power is optimised through resourcesaving technology. Hot-water units leverage thermal energy to dissolve oils and stubborn grime, resulting in shorter cleaning times, reduced chemical use and a vital sanitising effect for the food and

Elevating standards

agricultural sectors. The shift to foam cleaning significantly extends detergent contact time on vertical surfaces, loosening dirt before mechanical action, thus lowering required pressure and protecting the substrate. And optimised components - from pumps, valves, accessories to nozzles - have minimised flow and pressure losses, driving overall energy efficiency. These advancements have secured the high-pressure cleaner’s role in traditional applications, including vehicle cleaning, surface maintenance, industrial equipment sanitation and municipal services. Evolving application fields

Today’s dynamic growth areas demand a more nuanced approach, pushing cleaning providers into specialised fields like façade, roof, and solar/photovoltaic. These areas present vastly different challenges in terms of water pressure, temperature and accessory requirements, due to the varied sensitivity and contamination types of the surfaces.

• Solar cleaning: This is the most sensitive application. Really high pressure is avoided to prevent damage to glass and seals. Cleaning relies on demineralised water and gentle mechanical action, often via rotating disc brushes with nylon bristles, often mounted on telescopic poles and driven by the water flow, to ensure a spot-free, scratch-free finish.

• Roof cleaning: The goal is the removal of deeply rooted biomass, such as moss and lichens, which necessitates high pressure. The critical safety element is the working direction (always top-to-bottom) to prevent water from being forced under roof tiles and damaging the sub-structure. Hot-water units are often deployed for effective removal of stubborn growth and for thermal sanitation. Accessories include powerful rotation nozzles and, for robust roof tiles, specialised self-propelled roof cleaning devices.

• Façade cleaning: This is the most adaptive application, where pressure must be precisely matched to the material. A robust clinker brick façade can withstand

high pressure, while a rendered façade must be cleaned using extremely gentle pressure to avoid roughening the material or forcing moisture into the insulation.

In all these scenarios, pre-foaming the surface with detergent has become an indispensable best practice. The stable foam adheres longer - even to vertical surfaces - extending the crucial contact time of the chemical agents (Time + Chemistry in Sinner’s Circle). This effectively loosens tenacious contamination, reducing the need for aggressive mechanical force (Mechanics + Pressure). The result is faster, safer cleaning with a lower risk of material damage.

Drone-based cleaning

The reduction in necessary mechanics and pressure, made possible by pre-foaming, has paved the way for a revolutionary application method: cleaning drones. The deployment of cleaning drones combined with high-pressure or medium-pressure spraying systems is fundamentally transforming roof, façade and solar cleaning, primarily through a dramatic increase in safety and enhanced cost-efficiency. This technology enables professional providers to maintain high and difficult-to-access areas faster, more precisely and without costly scaffolding or lifting infrastructure.

The ultimate advantage of drone cleaning is safety and risk mitigation:

• Elimination of work at height: The single largest risk in roof and façade cleaning is the fall hazard. By operating the drones remotely, personnel can remain safely on the ground. The risk of high-altitude accidents is virtually eliminated.

• No access to sensitive surfaces: In roof and solar cleaning, there is no need to step onto the structure. This minimises the risk of damage to fragile roof tiles, seals or sensitive solar glass caused by the weight of workers or scaffolding.

Drone systems also accelerate the cleaning process and significantly boost cost and time efficiency:

• Elimination of expensive infrastructure: The need for scaffolding, cherry

pickers, or industrial rope access is either removed or substantially reduced. This cuts the overall cost of a cleaning operation dramatically (in some cases by 50–80 per cent) and saves the time-intensive logistics of setup and dismantling.

• Faster area coverage: Modern drone systems achieve high area output for both the foaming stage and subsequent rinsing, making the work substantially faster than conventional methods.

• Minimal operational disruption: With no blocked entrances and no weeks-long scaffolding construction, the disturbance is minimal.

Specialised accessories for drone operation: The drone can perform the chemical pre-soaking (low-pressure) and the subsequent high-pressure rinse sequentially without personnel having to ascend. The cleaning agent is metered into the high-pressure water stream on the ground, downstream of the pump, and then foamed using a foam nozzle mounted on the drone.

• The crucial role of the foam nozzle: The foam consistency is critical. It must be engineered to ensure a sufficient throw distance, counteracting varying wind

conditions, while also ensuring the foam adheres to the target surface long enough to achieve the necessary contact time for the chemical to penetrate the soiling.

• Rotary nozzles for high-pressure rinsing: The subsequent high-pressure rinse is carried out using rotary nozzles specifically designed for drone applications. Unlike flat-jet nozzles, rotary nozzles offer advantages in uniform surface cleaning due to their jet geometry, which is especially beneficial for non-flat surfaces.

• Weight and performance requirements: These rotary nozzles must be as light as possible to minimise the drone’s take-off weight, thereby maximising flight time. For safe and effective cleaning, a large droplet size is also essential. This ensures sufficient impact energy at a greater throw distance without providing enough force to damage the substrate.

The use of drones in professional cleaning is, therefore, a clear and decisive trend that significantly enhances efficiency, cost-effectiveness and occupational safety across the board.

Sustainability and conclusion

Environmental responsibility is no longer optional. Modern high-pressure cleaning is

inherently water-saving compared to traditional hosing. While chemicals are sometimes necessary, their use is minimised, especially through the effectiveness of hot water and foaming pre-treatment.

The most critical environmental factor is managing the resulting contaminated effluent. Best practice dictates the collection and proper disposal or recycling of the dirty water and particulates. Advanced service vehicles are now equipped with on-site water reclamation systems to filter and reuse the water, setting a new benchmark for resource-conscious operation.

So the current state of professional high-pressure cleaning technology is transforming equipment into tools that are more powerful, comfortable and resource-efficient. Through a combination of refined ergonomics, advanced thermal and chemical pre-treatment, and revolutionary deployment methods like drone technology, it has evolved from a simple power tool into an intelligent, versatile and essential asset that significantly simplifies and elevates the operational standards of the cleaning professional. Maximum performance delivered with minimum impact.

rm-suttner.com

IN THE WORLD OF venue management, where thousands of guests rely on seamless experiences delivered to exacting standards, cleaning is no longer viewed as a background service. Increasingly, it sits at the heart of operational success - and nowhere is this shift clearer than in the partnerships being forged between cleaning service providers and their clients.

At CleanEvent Services, the evolution from supplier to strategic partner has been years in the making. Across stadiums, arenas, racecourses and entertainment venues, the company’s approach is rooted in collaboration, transparency and shared responsibility - qualities that underpin long-term relationships with major clients such as Tottenham Hotspur FC, Lancashire Cricket/Emirates Old Trafford, Silverstone Circuit and Ascot Racecourse.

This partnership also extends beyond operational delivery, creating shared visibility across commercial activities.

Through mutual branding, hospitality integration and joint community initiatives, both organisations strengthen their engagement with fans, sponsors and guests. This collaborative approach ensures value flows in both directions - on the pitch and off it.

“Our success has always been built on partnership,” explains CEO Tomas Gronager. “When clients bring us in, they’re not just buying a cleaning contract. They’re investing in a team that shares their standards, their ambitions and their brand values. It’s about working together to create environments people can be proud of - whether that’s a football stadium, a hotel, or a global concert venue.”

The Lancashire Cricket partnership: a shared investment in quality

A defining example of this approach is CleanEvent’s commercial partnership with Lancashire Cricket, based at the world-renowned Emirates Old Trafford. The partnership - which encompasses the stadium, the Hilton Garden Inn hotel and the wider conference and events operation - extends beyond operational

Changing the face of cleaning

delivery, creating shared visibility across commercial activities. Through mutual branding, hospitality integration and joint community initiatives, both organisations strengthen their engagement with fans, sponsors and guests. This collaborative approach ensures value flows in both directions - on the pitch and off it - and represents a shared commitment to creating exceptional experiences for visitors and guests.

“Commercial partnership,” says business development director Julian Kelly, “means both sides have a vested interest in the outcome. We’re not just there to cleanwe’re part of the venue’s ecosystem, its culture and its sustainability agenda. Our teams are embedded on-site, working in step with the client’s facilities, hospitality and event management teams.”

Beyond the brief: the power of shared purpose

While the structure of each partnership varies, the foundation is always the same: trust, communication and a clear understanding of mutual goals. For CleanEvent, this means aligning with clients’ values from the outset and being part of the conversation, not just the task list.

“At Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, for instance, we’ve worked alongside the club for nearly two decades,” says operations director Jay Adderley. “That’s a relationship built on shared standards and continuous improvement. Our team is trusted to manage cleaning and event presentation across the stadium, the training centre and the club’s educational and office sites. We operate as one team with a single goal: to deliver excellence.”

That long-term trust paid off in October when CleanEvent and Tottenham Hotspur FC were recognised at the European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards 2025, winning the Excellence in Client-Contractor Partnerships category. The award celebrated not just operational delivery, but a deeper culture of collaboration and respect, one

Cleaning now sits at the heart of operational success at major venues - it’s no longer a background service. Cleaning service providers are evolving to become strategic partners to their clients, and these partnerships extend beyond operational delivery to create shared visibility across commercial activities. ECJ finds out more from CleanEvent Services, winner of the 2025 European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards trophy in the category Excellence in Client-Contractor Partnerships for its contract with Tottenham Hotspur FC.

Changing the face of cleaning (continued from page 39)

Partnerships where both organisations challenge, support and celebrate each other’s success. Defining a partnership model

What distinguishes a true partnership from a conventional client–contractor relationship? For CleanEvent, it comes down to four key pillars:

1. Transparency: Shared data, joint KPI reviews and open communication ensure both sides understand performance and challenges in real time.

2. Accountability: Each party takes ownership of outcomes, not just outputs, recognising that every decision affects the end-user experience.

3. Empowerment: On-site teams are given the tools, training and autonomy to make decisions that add value.

4. Shared success: Wins are celebrated jointly, and lessons learned are fed into continuous improvement cycles.

Regular governance meetings, KPI reviews and transparent communication play a crucial role in maintaining alignment. These structured sessions help both parties review progress, identify new opportunities and address challenges early, keeping performance and partnership health on track.

“Partnerships thrive when they’re balanced,” adds Kelly. “The client must see the contractor as an expert adviser, not simply a supplier. In turn, the service provider must remain adaptable, responsive and commercially aware. It’s a relationship of equals.”

Overcoming challenges through collaboration

Partnership success also relies on the ability to navigate different organisational cultures and expectations. No partnership is without its challenges - differences in culture, communication or commercial

expectation can create friction if not addressed early. For service providers, the key lies in proactive engagement and a willingness to adapt. By developing mutual understanding, maintaining open communication and showing adaptability, CleanEvent ensures that alignment and trust are preserved across diverse working environments.

“Transition periods are often the hardest,” explains Adderley. “When we mobilise a new site, we’re not just implementing cleaning schedules; we’re integrating teams, technology and expectations. That’s where transparency and communication are everything.”

CleanEvent’s mobilisation framework, which is used across all new contracts, includes shared progress, digital reporting platforms and joint induction sessions. These processes create alignment from day one, ensuring everyone understands the goals and metrics that define success.

At Co-op Live, the UK’s largest and most sustainable live entertainment arena, this approach was critical during pre-opening and launch. “Opening a new venue of that scale involved constant change,” says Adderley. “But our partnership with the client meant we could adapt together - responding to delayed opening, changing event schedules, supply challenges and lastminute design changes without compromising standards.”

The human connection

While data and systems drive efficiency, the human element is what sustains a true partnership. CleanEvent invests heavily in training, wellbeing and recognition, ensuring its teams feel valued, because happy teams deliver better outcomes.

The company’s FRESH values - Flexibility, Responsibility, Empowerment, Sustainability and Honesty - underpin

every relationship. These values translate into consistent service delivery and longterm trust.

“Our people are our greatest asset,” says Tomas Gronager. “If we take care of them, they take care of our clients. The feedback we receive from venues, often naming individuals for their professionalism and attitude, is proof that respect and recognition matter.”

At Silverstone, for instance, the client recently praised a new CleanEvent operative for their integrity and impact on the team, a moment that reinforced how small acts of professionalism can have lasting influence.

The future of partnerships

Looking ahead, the partnership model is becoming increasingly relevant in an industry that’s under pressure to deliver sustainability, innovation and social value alongside service excellence. Digitalisation and AI-driven reporting will redefine how partnerships are measured and managed. With real-time insights, predictive data and enhanced workforce engagement tools, organisations can anticipate needs and respond faster, creating a more connected, sustainable and people-focused service model.

CleanEvent’s ESG strategy - known as The GreenEvent Effect - aligns directly with client ambitions. From reducing carbon footprints and improving waste management to creating local employment and training opportunities, partnerships are becoming a shared platform for progress.

At The Kia Oval, the England v India Test this August demonstrated how partnership can amplify impact: across five days, the company’s night crews supported the venue in achieving over 94 per cent recycling despite record volumes of food and drink. That performance reflected joint preparation, clear segregation systems and real-time adjustments during live operations: the kind of practical collaboration that turns sustainability goals into results.

“The cleaning industry has evolved from being cost-driven to value-driven,” concludes Julian Kelly. “Clients are looking for partners who can contribute to their strategic goals - environmental, social and operational. That’s where we see the future of our sector heading.”

For CleanEvent, that future is already here. Across venues large and small, the company continues to demonstrate that collaboration isn’t just good business, it’s the foundation of service excellence.

As Tomas Gronager puts it: “Partnership isn’t a buzzword for us - it’s how we operate. When our clients succeed, so do we.”

• The CleanEvent team at Tottenham Hotspur FC

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