How Cleaning Impacts Hospitality And Retail Facilities

When it comes to building a brand based on appearance and overall cleanliness, fewer sectors have more to gain — or lose — than hospitality. From photos of dirty restaurant tables getting shared across social media to online bed bug databases shaming hotels, maintaining a strict cleaning protocol at high frequencies is essential.

Yet the risks haven't deterred every in-house cleaning department. In the 2019 Facility Cleaning Decisions Management Survey, 32 percent of departments were forced to reduce cleaning frequencies as a result of budget cuts. Decisions like this can cost departments in a variety of ways.

• 60 percent of travelers will switch hotels if they encounter pests in their room.
• $38: The average reduction in per-night hotel room value for business travelers after bed bugs are mentioned in hotel reviews.
• $6,383: The average cost per bed bug incident after lost business, soft goods replacement and treatment is factored in. Litigation can elevate the total north of $23,000.
• 38 percent of travelers vet a hotel for cleanliness feedback prior to booking a room.
• 73 percent of restaurant customers agreed that a smelly restroom is worse than receiving the wrong food order.
• 88 percent of restaurant customers question the safety of their food if the restroom is dirty.
• 74 percent of restaurant customers expressed willingness to overlook slow service if a business is noticeably clean.