Making the most of contract cleaning
Tuesday, 29 August 2023
Getting the most of out of contract cleaning agreements means making regular assessments of what’s working, says Robert Scott’s director of sales Alastair Scott.
Contract cleaning is big business; the market size of UK’s contract cleaning services was valued at £6.8bn in 2022, a 6.8% increase on 2021.
It’s important, therefore, that contract cleaning businesses are in the best possible position to thrive in a competitive marketplace. For many, that has meant looking to the future and making changes to their business offering and services to help them stand out from the crowd.
One of the biggest recent changes in contract cleaning – the impact of Covid-19 aside – is the heightened demand for sustainable solutions. Greener cleaning is important: clients want to gain a clearer understanding of how they can reduce their environmental impact from their contract cleaners to fulfil their own ESG (environmental, social and governance) requirements.
In fact, Robert Scott’s 2023 customer insight research indicated that almost four in five businesses felt that sustainability was important, with 34% saying it was the biggest cleaning trend of the year.
Contract cleaning businesses that get sustainability right can reap the rewards. London-based commercial cleaning company, Hive Cleaning, is one such business that’s set itself apart when it comes to prioritising sustainability. Â
Taking a purpose-led approach
Led by managing director Louis Beaumont, Hive Cleaning has a clear set of sustainability and ethical values comprising an extraordinary level of service, immaculate cleaning, motivated staff and the use of innovative green technologies that offer environmental protection.
This purpose-led approach has helped steer the business towards greener solutions that protect the planet while getting the job done.
In 2022, the business became B Corp certified. “We received an exemplary score of 108.5.” said managing director Louis Beaumont. “This means Hive Cleaning is now the UK’s leading B Corp in the facilities management and cleaning sectors. It was extremely gratifying to see us rate so highly in all areas, especially in the Environment, Community and Governance categories, where we scored more than double the industry average.”
Looking for new, green solutions
Finding greener cleaning solutions that do the job well was a priority for Hive and in 2020 they started using Robert Scott’s Toucan Eco solution. This is a make-on-demand, eco-friendly and safe disinfectant cleaner made from just three ingredients – water, salt and electricity. As well as being eco-friendly, it’s powerful – proven to kill up to 99.999% of germs.
“The pandemic highlighted the importance of the cleaning industry and the need for improved surface sanitising,” Louis explained. “There was a big increase in chemicals being used to achieve this and as part of our continuous approach to environmental stewardship we wanted to find a better solution.”
The hypochlorous acid made by Toucan Eco is a game changer for the cleaning industry, says Louis, and the solution removes the need for over 80% of synthetic chemical cleaners and the single-use plastic bottles they are supplied in.
Reviewing the impact
Toucan Eco has replaced Hive’s antiviral sanitising and multi-surface products. Â
“Our staff loved it. Not only does it clean well and provides sparkling results, but it’s also safer to use and reduces our chemical miles,” Louis said.
Toucan Eco is now in use throughout Hive’s entire cleaning portfolio. “Toucan Eco has helped to further reduce our already small carbon footprint by achieving zero chemical miles and supports our aim to demonstrate our environmental leadership within the cleaning sector,” added Louis. “It will also continue to contribute towards significant savings, while reducing plastic use, and single-use plastic waste and the transportation of chemicals.
“For cleaners looking for new, sustainable ways to provide high-quality cleaning services, I believe that Toucan Eco is revolutionary way we can do more to reduce our industry’s impact on the planet,” Louis added.
It’s important, therefore, that contract cleaning businesses are in the best possible position to thrive in a competitive marketplace. For many, that has meant looking to the future and making changes to their business offering and services to help them stand out from the crowd.
One of the biggest recent changes in contract cleaning – the impact of Covid-19 aside – is the heightened demand for sustainable solutions. Greener cleaning is important: clients want to gain a clearer understanding of how they can reduce their environmental impact from their contract cleaners to fulfil their own ESG (environmental, social and governance) requirements.
In fact, Robert Scott’s 2023 customer insight research indicated that almost four in five businesses felt that sustainability was important, with 34% saying it was the biggest cleaning trend of the year.
Contract cleaning businesses that get sustainability right can reap the rewards. London-based commercial cleaning company, Hive Cleaning, is one such business that’s set itself apart when it comes to prioritising sustainability. Â
Taking a purpose-led approach
Led by managing director Louis Beaumont, Hive Cleaning has a clear set of sustainability and ethical values comprising an extraordinary level of service, immaculate cleaning, motivated staff and the use of innovative green technologies that offer environmental protection.
This purpose-led approach has helped steer the business towards greener solutions that protect the planet while getting the job done.
In 2022, the business became B Corp certified. “We received an exemplary score of 108.5.” said managing director Louis Beaumont. “This means Hive Cleaning is now the UK’s leading B Corp in the facilities management and cleaning sectors. It was extremely gratifying to see us rate so highly in all areas, especially in the Environment, Community and Governance categories, where we scored more than double the industry average.”
Looking for new, green solutions
Finding greener cleaning solutions that do the job well was a priority for Hive and in 2020 they started using Robert Scott’s Toucan Eco solution. This is a make-on-demand, eco-friendly and safe disinfectant cleaner made from just three ingredients – water, salt and electricity. As well as being eco-friendly, it’s powerful – proven to kill up to 99.999% of germs.
“The pandemic highlighted the importance of the cleaning industry and the need for improved surface sanitising,” Louis explained. “There was a big increase in chemicals being used to achieve this and as part of our continuous approach to environmental stewardship we wanted to find a better solution.”
The hypochlorous acid made by Toucan Eco is a game changer for the cleaning industry, says Louis, and the solution removes the need for over 80% of synthetic chemical cleaners and the single-use plastic bottles they are supplied in.
Reviewing the impact
Toucan Eco has replaced Hive’s antiviral sanitising and multi-surface products. Â
“Our staff loved it. Not only does it clean well and provides sparkling results, but it’s also safer to use and reduces our chemical miles,” Louis said.
Toucan Eco is now in use throughout Hive’s entire cleaning portfolio. “Toucan Eco has helped to further reduce our already small carbon footprint by achieving zero chemical miles and supports our aim to demonstrate our environmental leadership within the cleaning sector,” added Louis. “It will also continue to contribute towards significant savings, while reducing plastic use, and single-use plastic waste and the transportation of chemicals.
“For cleaners looking for new, sustainable ways to provide high-quality cleaning services, I believe that Toucan Eco is revolutionary way we can do more to reduce our industry’s impact on the planet,” Louis added.