Overview
The 2023 CloroxPro Clean Index report reflects the current challenges and perceptions of more than 1,700 cleaning professionals and consumers and unveils key shifts in year-over-year industry trends, including:
Download the 2023 Clean Index infographic to learn more.
Battling Burnout in the Cleaning Industry
In comparison to research conducted by CloroxPro in 2022*, the 2023 Clean Index study shows there is a need to lessen the burden on cleaning professionals.
From staffing shortages to increased workloads and not having enough time for training, cleaning professionals continue to face high turnover and burnout. In fact, nearly nine out of ten (87%) cleaning professionals have personally experienced burnout in the last two years, with cleaning professionals in Healthcare and Education reporting the highest rate of burnout (90%), followed by those who work in Office/Professional environments (79%).
Cleaning professionals rate the leading causes of burnout as:
1. Hiring issues/staffing (60%)
2. Not enough time for training (44%)
3. Long hours (40%)
PRO TIP
Ready-to-use (RTU) cleaning and disinfecting products can help lessen the burden on cleaning professionals because they are easy to prepare — no dilution required — simple to use, and they offer versatility across many surfaces and spaces.
CloroxPro’s wide selection of ready-to-use cleaning and disinfecting products offer facilities and professional cleaners many benefits, including efficacy, versatility, reduced effort and time saved.
A Crisis of Confidence for Cleaning Professionals
In comparison to research conducted by CloroxPro in 2022*, consumers are more confident in the cleanliness of public spaces, yet cleaning professionals are less confident in their ability to prevent the spread of illness-causing germs.
While consumer confidence in the cleanliness of public spaces increased 23% since last year, cleaning professionals’ confidence fell nearly 5%, with the largest confidence drop among building-service contractors (-15% vs. 2022).
Cleaning professionals cited lack of training programs (22%, +9% vs. 2022) and more public scrutiny of cleaning practices (20%, + 6% vs. 2022) among the primary drivers of their declining confidence.
PRO TIP
Access to high-quality, on-demand training can help provide cleaning professionals the knowledge and skills they need to confidently keep public spaces clean and has been shown to help increase staff retention.1
CloroxPro HealthyClean® is an online learning platform offering high-quality education and training on how to clean for health effectively, efficiently and safely.
^1. Bersin J. New Research Shows “Heavy Learners” More Confident, Successful, and Happy at Work [Internet]. LinkedIn. 2018; Available from: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/want-happy-work-spend-time-learning-josh-bersin/^
It’s Still an Uphill Battle for Eco-Conscious Cleaners
While three out of four cleaning professionals agree that eco-conscious cleaners and disinfectants are important to use, uncertainty remains.
When it comes to the most important quality cleaning professionals look for in eco-conscious cleaners, 82% cite killing germs effectively as No. 1.
Cleaning professionals list their top concerns for switching to eco-conscious cleaners as increased cost (78%), uncertainty of cleaning effectiveness (67%), compromised efficiency of cleaning (58%), limited product availability (56%), and preference for using traditional cleaning solutions (52%).
PRO TIP
Ready-to-use eco-conscious cleaners and disinfectants can be as affordable and effective as traditional products. When selecting eco-conscious solutions, look for products that display the EPA Safer Choice or Design for the Environment logos on their product labels.
Clorox EcoClean™, is a line of cleaners and disinfectants made with EPA Safer Choice and Design for the Environment (DfE) certified ingredients.
Wrap-Up
CloroxPro is committed to partnering with cleaning professionals to provide innovative products, quality training, and educational support to help them confidently create clean and healthy public spaces.
Data for this report was collected in an April 2023 online survey of a nationally representative U.S. General Population of more than 1,000 consumers, based on age, gender, region, race/ethnicity and income, and 714 cleaning industry professionals defined as business service contractors; facility managers in education, office buildings, medical facilities or gyms; or infection preventionists.
* Results are from a CloroxPro online survey of 1,200 consumers and more than 554 Cleaning Professionals fielded in April 2022