Healthy Green Schools & Colleges (HGSC) is reflecting on challenges the commercial cleaning industry faced throughout 2025. Uncertainty across all operational sectors—budgets, staffing, and declining structures—was an issue that cleaning executives and teams strategized to address, HGSC says. Some facilities found solutions to overcoming the concerns that shaped 2025 by investing in sustainable equipment and products and supplementing decision-making with data-driven applications, TC Services shares.

According to Forbes, engagement in sustainability initiatives can lead to improved energy efficiency—thereby reducing budget constraints. Moreover, eco-friendly cleaning products can save on expenses by reducing the amount of product needed to provide a quality level of sanitation and/or disinfection, Lyreco affirms. Looking to 2026, regulatory compliance will become a framework that guides operations, SoftExpert Blog purports.

Data-driven cleaning can also provide frontline staff with timely and accurate information they can use to address high-traffic areas and apply a clean that aligns with what the space needs, Perfect Building Maintenance reports. In a McKinsey & Company survey, facilities employing technologies—such as Internet of Things (IoT) sensors—can improve productivity by 30 percent, LL Hospitality adds. The use of innovations to supplement the work of cleaning teams could support their retention as well as enhance cleaning processes, CleanLink describes.