The cleaning sector generates billions of dollars every year worldwide. More and more people join the cleaning workforce in hopes of a better future. But what does this mean for the UK economy? How big is the cleaning industry on the Island? How do British consumers react to the idea of booking those kinds of services?
To help you best understand the UK cleaning industry, we have compiled a list of 45 intriguing facts and stats that will leave you speechless.
1. General Stats for the UK Cleaning Industry
1. The annual revenue from the cleaning sector in the UK amounted to around £55 billion in 2018. The number has been significantly influenced by the Pandemic, and for 2021 it has decreased to £1,029 million.
2. The cleaning industry employs 970,000 people. If we include all cleaning-related jobs, the number jumps to 1.47 million people making up 5% of the UK workforce, placing the sector among the top in the country.
3. Nearly 450,000 people work in the commercial cleaning sector.
4. More than 50% of them are employed by the top 1% of cleaning companies in the UK.
5. 35% of people working in the cleaning industry are located in London and the South East of England.
6. There are almost 66,500 cleaning companies registered in the UK, with the average number of cleaners per business being 15.
7. Roughly 11,000 cleaning companies reside in London, while less than 2,000 can be found in the North-East parts of England.
8. Non-native Brits account for more than 40% of general cleaners.
9. The cleaning sector is female-dominated, with women making up around 70% of the whole industry workforce.
10. Males make up 69% of the building cleaners and janitors, while females account to 86% of maids and housekeepers.
11. The division of the workforce within the cleaning sub-sectors is different. The majority of people (65%) are employed in domestic and commercial cleaning.
12. During the lockdown, the search for cleaning services has dropped by nearly 60%, and at the end of 2021, 6% of the cleaning companies permanently closed operations.
13. Since most people in the past 3 years have started to work from home, there has been a 50% decrease in the need for office cleaning services.
14. In the past five years, there has been a 25% increase in the demand for domestic cleaning services.
2. How Much Do House Cleaning Services Cost?
15. Depending on where you are located, domestic cleaning can cost from £10 to £25 per hour, with independent cleaners charging £12/hour on average and companies – £20/hour.
16. Generally, cities in the Northern parts of the country are cheaper than those on the south coast.
17. A standard weekly four-hour clean can cost between £48 and £92, depending on the county.
18. London cleaners charge £5 to £10 more an hour compared to their colleagues in other cities.
19. The average price for carpet cleaning starts at around £60 and can go up to £120. However, these numbers depend on the amount of work and the city.
20. The average price for end of tenancy cleaning in the country is £170.
3. Interesting Facts about the Consumers’ Behaviour
21. 40% of people between the ages of 25 and 34 have already had or are searching to hire a house cleaner.
22. Customer satisfaction is the leading factor that can make or break a business. Insufficient and low-quality services can cause a 55% decline in bookings.
23. Almost 50% of Brits report they dedicate 1 to 4 hours per week to cleaning.
24. 39% of office workers in the UK don’t wash their hands after visiting the toilet.
25. On average, only 37% of people do spring cleaning in their homes, while 61% say they are motivated to tidy up only when they have free time.
26. Almost 70% of people find the motivation to clean their homes if they know guests are arriving.
27. 18% of people choose to wipe their toilet seat every day.
28. 66% of Brits sanitise the surfaces in their homes daily.
29. The average person has to clean double the time to achieve the results made by a professional cleaner.
30. 39% of Brits prefer to throw away their dirty appliances instead of cleaning them. The most commonly replaced items for those reasons are microwaves, toasters and kettles.
31. On average, people spend roughly 12,896 hours of their life cleaning or about a year and a half.
32. The kitchen is the room people clean most often in their home, while the spare bedroom is the one that gets skipped the most.
33. 72% of people in the UK say that their main reason for regularly cleaning the home is their kids, while 45% do it because they have pets.
4. Scary and Amazing Stats and Facts about Cleaning
34. 90% of tracked-in dirt is embedded within the first 7 meters of an entrance.
35. You can find more than 3,000 different kinds of bacteria on money (bills and coins).
36. Almost 55% of all cleaning solvents have ingredients that can seriously hurt your lungs if inhaled.
37. The average kitchen sponge contains over 10 million live bacteria.
38. The germ count on a surface can increase daily by 31% on average if you don’t regularly disinfect your home.
39. There are over 4,000 bacteria per sq cm on the average office phone.
40. Computer keyboards can have 200 times more germs than the average toilet seat.
41. 90% of all carpet stains can be removed if you take action in the first 72 hours.
42. If you use only a dust mop to clean your hardwood floors, dust bunnies will reappear in roughly 24 hours. To achieve a lasting effect you need to regularly vacuum your home.
43. Dust is composed of 70% dead skin flakes and 30% outside materials.
44. The average mattress is home to over 6 billion dust mites.
45. England holds the record for the fastest window cleaner in the world. In 2009, Terry “Turbo” Burrows set a Guinness World Record that hasn’t been broken for almost two decades. He cleaned 3 windows in just 9.14 seconds!
5. FAQs
5.1 How many households in the UK employ a cleaner?
According to research by the British Cleaning Council, 1 in 10 British households have a domestic cleaner. Additionally, almost 25% of all households with an annual income under £20,000 use the services of a home cleaner.
5.2 How much can an average domestic cleaner make in the UK?
The average yearly salary a house cleaner can make is a little over £20,000 or around £10.50 per hour. Depending on the level of expertise and the location the number can rise to £22,000.
5.3 What is the future of cleaning services in the UK?
Researchers are optimistic, as the lockdown is over and the demand for cleaning services is exponentially growing. Hopefully, the annual revenue for 2022 will increase by up to 6% and will continue to climb in the coming years.
6. Conclusion
With the way the economy is going, you can be sure that the cleaning industry in the UK will continue to grow and employ even more people. So if you are working in the sector or are considering entering, use this list of facts and stats to plan your next business move. Remember, good things come for those who are bold and brave.
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