Time for the UK to clean up its act

As a relative newcomer to the cleaning world my experience so far has been bittersweet. In a short time I have been lucky enough to meet lots of enthusiastic members of the industry who are passionate about what they do, but sadly this seems to be at odds with the value being placed on cleaning by those outside of the industry.

Earlier this month I went to the British Institute of Cleaning Science's (BICSc) summer event for my local region (details of events in your region at:www.bics.org.uk) which featured a lively debate on the subject of the choice between using microfibre cloths and chemicals. One of the conclusions was that finding the most effective way of cleaning is possibly irrelevant until the UK places a higher value on the process itself. There is a consensus that while budgets for cleaning are being continually squeezed and cleaning operatives are paid the minimum wage with little chance of career progression, cleaning standards are also unlikely to move forward.

Consequently some believe the UK is lagging as much as ten years behind much of Europe in its standards and its approach. A lack of consensus on how to tackle this suggests the gap is set only to widen (ideas raised at the event included creating foolproof cleaning systems, elevating the profession through increased wages and prospects and more and better training).

This lack of investment in cleaning in the UK is not only frustrating and disheartening for those in the industry but, given the news of the arrival of a new deadly superbug to our shores and the acknowledged vital role cleaning can play in limiting its spread, frankly quite frightening. The body of evidence to support the value of cleaning is vast; aside from the untold value of saving lives by promoting cleaning standards in hospitals, proper cleaning and hygiene in workplaces prevents the spread of infections saving companies significantly in lost work days due to illness.

Yet the UK's current attitude to cleaning suggests it has developed a dangerous obsession with knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing.

Georgina Bisby
editor - Cleaning Matters
Tel: 01342 333721
email: gbisby@progressive-media.co.uk