According to the British cleaning council, the cleaning industry contributed £58.5 billion to the UK economy in 2019 employing around 1.47 million people which Is approximately 5% of the UK workforce. The report also showed that the sector increased by 22% from 2015 to 2021 which was similar to the growth in the economy as a whole.
How did COVID affect the cleaning industries revenue?
We can all agree that the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly made us cleaner and more aware of the importance of being hygienic. Almost overnight the public was into routine sanitising their hands regularly, wiping a shopping basket or trolley before and after using it. Gyms were imposing rules that all equipment must be wiped down before and after use and chemical companies started manufacturing chemicals that could last on surfaces to kill germs as soon as they landed.
A lot of people say oh cleaning companies must have done well through the pandemic, well the answer is yes and no. Yes, cleaning companies were relied on to carry out COVID-19 fogging and sanitisation services and increased cleaning regimes. But let’s not forget that during lockdowns a lot of cleaning companies’ clients such as offices, shops etc were closed down, meaning just like most industries revenues stopped overnight. Of course, now the year is 2022 and the UK cleaning industry has made a steady bounce back like many other industries.