2011 Housekeeping Solutions Reader Survey

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6/20/2011

Economists claim that after three "lean years," the recession is now over and the U.S. economy is back on track. That said, is it safe to say that in-house custodial departments can look ahead to better days? That's still up for debate.

During the last three years, radical decisions were made to offset drastically reduced budgets and dwindling staffs. Polices were implemented to minimize product spending and reduce labor costs. And unfortunately, departments have gotten so efficient with their cleaning that management became accepting of the results and few are looking to replenish funding or staff to pre-recession levels.

That said, it was no surprise to learn that almost half of the facility managers surveyed have cut back on cleaning frequencies. And when it comes to cleaning priorities, tenant satisfaction and appearance top managers' lists as hygiene improvement and occupant and employee health have continued to drop over the last 12 months.

One highlight is that a plateau in the economy has stabilized budget cuts. But, custodial managers still rely heavily on value-added services that accompany purchases. They also look to the Internet for immediate information, employee recruitment, product or equipment research/testimonials, access to material safety data sheets (MSDS) and price comparisons.

Even though the economy has dominated thinking for the past three years, it is not the only issue top-of-mind for in-house custodial managers. Green and sustainability are obviously the present and future of this market.

In the 2010 Reader Survey, respondents indicated that purchasing of green products was up, but only 12 percent commented that their use resulted in reduced costs and expenditures. In 2011, that number has more than doubled to 35 percent. Not only are green product purchases up, but their use has helped more than the environment.

Sustainability has also gained momentum as this year's survey revealed that 76 percent of facilities buy or use sustainable products in their cleaning programs and 63 percent feel it is important to buy products from manufacturers or distributors that embrace sustainable initiatives.

Budgets and environmental programs have certainly attracted attention over the last 12 months, but survey statistics show that readers aren't ignoring other issues that should shape the reminder of the year.

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