Question Of The Week: How Does Your Cleaning Program Look For 2018?

A recent survey of facility end-users provided insight into the cleaning and maintenance products and processes being used more frequently.

The highly competitive nature of the jan-san cleaning market has caused cleaning product suppliers to look deeper into end-user preferences and usage patterns to identify pockets of growth. Such insights help their business thrive in the $4.4 billion jan-san cleaning market, according to Kline’s 2017 edition of “Janitorial and Housekeeping Cleaning Products: U.S. Market Analysis and Opportunities” report, which is based on surveys with more than 1,000 end-users about the cleaning and maintenance programs in their facilities. Kline is a a worldwide consulting and research firm, with U.S. headquarters in Parsippany, NJ.cleaning and maintenance

The end-users surveyed include those who manage: colleges/universities; government facilities; hospitals; assisted living facilities and nursing homes; office buildings; fast-casual, fast-food, and full-service restaurants; lodging establishments; industrial facilities; recreational facilities; and retail facilities — as well as contract cleaners.

Highlights shared by Kline from its recent report are below:

  • Hard surface, hand care, and floor care products are the largest product categories, together accounting for over 85% of the total market value.
  • Liquid products dominate the industry, with concentrates and ultra-concentrates being popular for the efficiency these offer end-users.
  • Spending on floor care cleaning products is decreasing as new construction chooses lower maintenance flooring surfaces, while other end-users report performing floor care tasks, such as stripping and refinishing, less frequently in order to cut costs.
  • About half of the respondents report the usage of liquid and foam hand soaps. Foam continues to be adopted due to its “less mess” value proposition and popularity among facility patrons. Foam hand soaps, instant hand sanitizers, and aerosol odor control products show the fastest growth rates from 2014.
  • Increased efficiency and equitable prices drive demand for green cleaning chemicals among education end-users who seek safety at their facilities.
  • About 16% of end-users report using hydrogen peroxide disinfectants, most coming from the healthcare, education, and nursing home/assisted living segments.
  • Healthcare facilities and nursing homes are the fastest growing end-users due to the aging population and increased frequency of cleaning in hospitals, as they seek to discharge patients sooner. Contract cleaners, the third fastest growing segment, are adding more types of accounts to their portfolio beyond just office buildings. By offering custodial services at sometimes half the hourly charge rate, they continue to acquire users from the price-sensitive education segment.
  • Fast-casual restaurants, the fastest growing end-use segment in 2014, continues to grow albeit at a slower pace in 2017. This is due to fewer new fast-casual restaurants being opened and increased competition from fast-food chains with updated menus and interior designs, which has helped drive more visits from customers.
  • The competitive landscape is highly fragmented with the top 25 suppliers accounting for 55% of total market value. There is slow but steady industry consolidation towards larger market suppliers. Diversey, after being divested by Sealed Air to Bain Capital, is the leading supplier of janitorial and housekeeping cleaning products, followed by Ecolab, the leader in the foodservice sector, and GOJO Industries.
  • Consumption of the janitorial and housekeeping cleaning products is expected to reach 
$5 billion at the end-user’s level in 2022. Lodging establishments, fast food restaurants, and industrial facilities are expected to show the highest growth rates over the following five years.

These and other market shifts and detailed survey results are based on more than 1,000 interviews with jan-san cleaning product end-users and 70 unstructured interviews with suppliers, distributors, and trade associations. A further overview of the for-purchase report is available on the Kline website.

Does this research reflect the cleaning program for your facilities? What changes are you planning to implement in 2018? Please share your thoughts and experiences on this topic below.