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Expectations are like dust…
14th of October 2026 Article by Lotte Printz
Lotte Printz in Denmark speaks to Martin Schuster as he publishes his book on the cleaning industry.
There could be entire anthropological studies written about cleaning… You could study culture, motivation, leadership, migration, class, gender, language, trust, invisible labour, service expectations and the strange social politics of office kitchens.
Office kitchen areas deserve a whole department of their own at ..
Minijob debate and wage demands
7th of October 2026 Article by Katja Scholz
Germany’s contract cleaning sector is facing a challenge autumn, writes Katja Scholz for ECJ.
The building cleaning industry is facing a difficult financial situation: on the one hand, wage and social security costs are rising, while on the other, many businesses are struggling with weak demand. Two current debates - around Minijobs and wage increases - highlight the challenges facing the sector.
The German governme..
Market shows stability and growth
30th of September 2026 Article by Anna Garbagna
ECJ’s Anna Garbagna reports on the latest survey of manufacturers and distributors in Italy.
The Italian professional cleaning market is worth approximately €7 billion and remains a stable sector, although it is undergoing gradual transformation. This is according to 2026 research conducted by Cerved for AFIDAMP among manufacturers and distributors, carried out between April and June this year.
On the manufactu..
Advancing urban cleanliness
23rd of September 2026 Article by Christian Bouzols
Christian Bouzols in France on a new label promoting local authorities commited to clean spaces.
The Eco-Clean City label distinguishes local authorities that are committed to a structured and progressive approach to sustainably improve the cleanliness of their public spaces.
Created by the AVPU (Association of Cities for Urban Cleanliness), this label promotes cities that implement concrete actions to reduce dirt, ..
Subjective eyes, objective outcome
17th of September 2026 Article by John Griep
John Griep in the Netherlands tells us more about how a VSR-KMS cleaning inspection operates.
Cleaning inspection starts with something less solid than it looks: an inspector judging a surface by eye. What registers as a fault depends on the light, on the colour and texture of the surface, even on the day. Two inspectors may not see exactly the same thing. That is why VSR-KMS does not rest on any single observation, but on a samp..
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