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How indoor cleanliness is measured
14th of May 2026 Article by Lynn Webster
Some new research could significantly change how cleanliness is measured, writes Lynn Webster in the UK.
This could be one of the most practical breakthroughs that the cleaning and FM industry has seen in many years. It may give cleaning professionals and those involved in infection prevention a simple method to identify when and where reactive hygiene cleaning is required. After all, if you can measure it, you can improve it.
Some new research could significantly change how organisations measure and manage cleanliness in indoor environments. The research has been led by Andrew Kemp JP, PhD, supported by the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) and the Cleaning & Support Services Association (CSSA), resulting in a clearly identifiable and measurable relationship between airborne particles and surface bacterial contamination. The findings may provide the cleaning and FM sectors with a simple, practical and scalable method to assess hygiene levels more effectively.
The study highlights what researchers describe as an approximate 10:1 relationship between airborne particles and surface contamination. By measuring airborne particles in the 0.5–1 micron range, research found they could estimate the level of bacterial contamination present on nearby surfaces.
In practical terms, the research suggests that a 60-second air sample taken approximately 20 centimetres above a surface can provide an indication of how contaminated that surface may be. If validated further, this approach could offer organisations a faster and more efficient way to monitor hygiene compared with traditional surface sampling techniques, which often require swabs and laboratory analysis.
The research is particularly relevant for professionals responsible for infection prevention, facilities management, cleaning services, health and safety compliance and building performance. For these sectors, the ability to quickly assess hygiene risks could enable more targeted cleaning strategies and faster responses to potential contamination.
Two technologies were evaluated as part of the study: Advanced Photocatalytic Oxidation (APO), which is designed to improve indoor air quality by breaking down airborne contaminants, and photocatalytic surface coatings - intended to provide long-term antimicrobial protection on frequently touched surfaces.
During practical trials conducted in controlled room environments, spaces using both technologies showed dramatic reductions in detectable contamination, with no cultures identified in post-treatment tests.
Researchers believe these findings could have significant implications for sectors such as healthcare, education, hospitality, leisure facilities and other public environments, where maintaining hygiene standards is critical.
Further study is still needed to determine the contamination thresholds at which surfaces present a genuine cross-infection risk. Future testing methods may also require more detailed identification of microbial species to better understand potential health impacts.
Nevertheless, these findings provide exciting opportunities towards the possibility of data-driven cleaning strategies, faster hygiene monitoring and more effective risk management in indoor environments.
If adopted widely, the methodology could represent a significant step forward in how organisations monitor and maintain cleanliness.
The research has now been published in the American Journal of Biomedical Science & Research and can be found here: www.bics.org.uk/new-research-could-transform-how-we-measure-cleanliness-indoors/
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