2 Exemplary Events in the World of Industrial Cleaning & Maintenance

As we’re in the third year of the pandemic, a lot has ultimately changed in the world of industrial and commercial cleaning and maintenance. Perhaps the biggest change has to do with the routines and cleaning standards now imposed on commercial entities due to the coronavirus.

The industry has been more or less revamped in order to create the right kind of environment for people to work and create in. Office, manufacturing spaces and industries as a whole have migrated from using in-house janitors to contracting authorised cleaning companies to get the job done. The work has increased significantly as well as the need for experts in the areas of disinfection. Actually, the commercial cleaning sector has been growing at incredible rates.

A natural extension of this boom in popularity has been the diverse range of niche services rising in popularity. We’re definitely moving away from the traditional one-size-fits-all model. Instead, we’re seeing a lot of specialisation – window cleaning, commercial cleaning, industrial cleaning, worship centre cleaning, residential cleaning, strata cleaning. Customers have a lot more choice in what’s being offered to them and can create a bespoke plan for their premises. Specialty training has also become a lot more crucial. The standards have risen, which means that the working staff needs to be up to date with their skills and technique. Experienced cleaners are very well valued and in high demand!

A direct result of this has been clients’ proactive communication with cleaning providers. On one hand, there are a lot more check-ins and checkups to make sure the work is done in a satisfactory manner. On the other, clients involve themselves in the actual process by inspecting the proposed plans and their execution as well as informing themselves about how they operate and how they clean. Speaking of how they clean, eco-conscious cleaning has become a leading topic for many.

It’s important to get the work done but not at the expense of the environment. The discussions and concerns regarding climate change have a significant impact on the manufacturing of detergents and other cleaning products. After all, cleaning supplies be they industrial or for the home have been historically by far some of the most harmful chemicals that were ever manufactured. These are not just harmful to the environment, but to people as well. You can easily develop respiratory concerns or prospective allergies.

The first event we have selected to highlight is a heavy hitter in Europe. EXPOdetergo operates in Milan, Italy and occurs once every four years. This gives manufacturers and suppliers enough time to develop new advancements, technologies and solutions to showcase later on. Every edition has its own specific flavour. The main product portfolio embraces laundry, ironing and textile dry-cleaning machines, processing machinery, auxiliary machinery, chemical products and services. The trade fair has established itself as a defining event on the territory of Europe, and has gradually expanded its reach to Asia, the Americas and North Africa.

Last edition attracted over 20,000 visitors from 113 countries. More than enough reason to make the trip to sunny Milan. Thematically, EXPOdetergo invests in sustainability and eco-friendliness. As we’ve already mentioned, achieving a low environmental impact is a defining trend for the industry as a whole. This comes from the selection of chemicals that go into making detergents to engineering better machinery that doesn’t consume that much energy. The second pillar at the fair is digitization. The introduction of digital technologies at the early stages of manufacturing lead to more precise, faster and safer production.

The second event we want to mention is INTERCLEAN EUROPE. The INTERCLEAN brand is widely known since there are three events held worldwide – Amsterdam in Europe, Hangzhou in China and a completely virtual edition available to trade visitors from every international market. The European edition is spaced out every two years and provides a full overview of the value chain – carpet cleaners, cleaning agents, detergents, disinfectants, floor care products, floor cleaning machines, dry vacuum cleaners, floor mats, pressure washers, protective clothing, protective gear, sweepers, wet vacuum and work clothing.

The previous edition managed good attendance numbers with an audience of more than 25,000 professional visitors, who travelled from 125 countries in total. As a procurement platform, this trade fair certainly achieves its goal. Plus, we also have to highlight the support programme, which includes a series of high-profile keynote speeches and the results of the Amsterdam Innovation Award. One of the keynote speakers was David Abbink, professor Human-Robot Interaction at the Technical University of Delft, who spoke about the application of advanced robotics in the world of cleaning.

These two events are not the be all, end all for commercial and industrial cleaning, but remain a good entry point and resource for exhibitors to learn more about their sectors and expand their professional networks.