Employee turnover in the commercial cleaning industry makes consistency a challenge for building service contractors (BSCs) and in-house providers alike. In this Q&A, I provide the answers to some common questions on how standardized processes and technology can help cleaning organizations maintain quality, improve onboarding, and support frontline teams despite ongoing workforce challenges. Why is standardization so important in high-turnover cleaning environments? When employees leave, they often take years of knowledge about a facility, client preferences, and daily routines with them. Without standardized processes, every new employee must start from scratch. That disadvantage creates inconsistency and increases the amount of time managers spend training new hires. When organizations document their processes, ideally within a digital system, new employees can step into a role with clear instructions instead of relying on guesswork or institutional knowledge. Standardization helps ensure that service quality remains consistent regardless of who is performing the work. What challenges do cleaning organizations face when onboarding new employees? One of the biggest challenges is communicating the scope of work. Many cleaners work independently during evening or overnight shifts, so after an initial walkthrough with a supervisor, they're often responsible for completing tasks on their own. If questions arise while they're in the field, they may not have immediate access to someone who can help. That uncertainty can lead to missed steps, inconsistent service, or frustration for both employees and clients. Having clear documentation, accessible work instructions, and reliable communication channels helps new employees feel supported while shortening the learning curve. How can technology help create consistency across multiple facilities and shifts? Technology brings the standard of work directly to the employee instead of leaving it in a binder or in someone's memory. Whether it's a checklist, QR code, timekeeping tool, or mobile work instructions, employees have immediate access to exactly what needs to be done, including the products, equipment, and procedures required for each location. That consistency is especially valuable when employees are assigned to facilities they've never serviced before. Technology also improves communication. Commercial cleaning is a highly bilingual industry, and tools that offer multilingual support or real-time translation help employees ask questions and receive guidance in their preferred language. That removes uncertainty and helps ensure work is completed according to company standards. What role do inspections and quality checks play in maintaining standards? Inspections establish the benchmark for what success looks like. They allow supervisors to measure performance against client expectations and identify areas that need attention before they cause larger problems. More importantly, inspections create consistency across an organization. Managers can compare performance between locations, identify recurring issues, and ensure every facility meets the same service standards. Rather than relying solely on customer feedback, inspections provide objective data that helps organizations proactively manage quality. How can managers use performance data to improve training and accountability? Performance data is valuable because it supports both coaching and recognition. Too often, employees only hear from management when something goes wrong. Inspection results and task data allow managers to recognize employees for work done well while also providing targeted coaching where improvements are needed. Over time, that data reveals trends. Managers can identify their highest-performing locations, their lowest-performing sites, and the tasks that fail most frequently. Instead of delivering broad training sessions, they can focus on the specific areas where employees need additional support. This specification creates a more efficient training process and helps organizations continuously improve service quality. What advice would you give cleaning organizations struggling with consistency due to turnover? Don't try to hire your way out of the problem. Many organizations respond to turnover by focusing only on recruiting more employees. While hiring is important, it doesn't solve the underlying issue if every new employee must learn processes differently. Instead, focus on building repeatable systems. Clearly define the scope of work, document your processes, and provide employees with the tools they need to succeed from day one. Even if you need to start with written procedures before moving to a digital platform, creating consistent processes will have a much greater long-term impact than simply adding more staff. Don’t try to change everything at once. Start by documenting your core processes, then implement improvements in manageable stages. Organizations that take a thoughtful, step-by-step approach are more likely to achieve lasting consistency than those that try to overhaul every process overnight.
The option of renting instead of purchasing cleaning equipment can offer flexibility to in-house service providers (ISPs) and building service contractors (BSCs) who are challenged with establishing and maintaining efficient cleaning practices while also managing overall operating expenses. Long-term rental solutions can help cleaning and maintenance professionals avoid an ownership model that may not serve their needs or fit their budget. As renting is a fixed monthly cost, it is often easier to manage than a large capital expenditure. Renting also frees up money for emergency expenses, such as a new air conditioning unit in an ISPS’s facility or additional trucks for a BSC’s fleet. Long-term rental details Cleaning operations that require a high level of service and uptime, or that have tight deadlines, are well suited for long-term rentals. Long-term rental solution plans typically range from four to 36 months, depending on the provider or contractor’s needs. Rental solutions providers typically offer discounted rates for longer rental plans, with options to end the agreement early if the equipment is needed for less time than expected. This opt-out involves a discussion with the rental company to pro-rate the agreement in a manner that is agreeable to both parties. Available equipment includes ride-on and walk-behind scrubbers and sweepers, as well as more sophisticated solutions like autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) that operate as a “cobot” alongside cleaning staff, allowing them to take on more detailed-orientated tasks like cleaning and disinfecting high-touch areas. Cleaning drones for facility exteriors are also growing in popularity as a rental option, as are large outdoor sweepers for parking areas and walkways. This equipment tends to be expensive, making the option of long-term rental more appealing. While the financial factors may be the primary reason for looking into long-term rental, there are a host of additional benefits. Access to new technology: Rental companies keep a close eye on the latest solutions and can regularly add new equipment to their fleet. This variety allows renters to try new technologies without the risk of making an investment. In addition, access to the latest, highest quality equipment also increases a cleaning organization’s reliability, leading to improved uptime. Flexibility: Long-term rentals provide the flexibility to increase or decrease the amount of equipment within the rental agreement should the scope of work change. There is also flexibility in the type of equipment customers can rent as they are not tied to one serial number throughout the life of that rental. If a piece of equipment no longer suits their needs, or they need a larger scrubber or sweeper, they have the option to make changes. Rental clients can also add equipment to their cleaning program. For example, if a BSC takes on a facility with an adjacent parking garage that is a significant source of dirt brought into the building, it can add a large power broom or outdoor sweeper to its rental fleet to make cleaning more efficient. Immediate equipment needs: Rental solutions providers can quickly fulfill equipment needs when a scrubber or sweeper needs repairs. Most can either fix or replace the necessary piece of equipment within the same day, so that ISPs and BSCs can stay within their scope of work. This benefit brings long-term savings since the responsibility and cost of equipment maintenance and repairs fall to the rental solutions provider. In addition, quick equipment repairs or replacements minimize downtime that could negatively affect project deadlines or increase labor costs. Maximum utilization: Long-term rentals can help facilities maximize utilization of their equipment. For instance, schools may use a floor scrubber regularly during the academic year but put it in storage during summer break. Owning equipment that is only used for a portion of the year can be a costly investment. Long-term rental can offset that cost by providing a rental plan the fits the timeline when the equipment is necessary. It also ensures that the equipment is in working order when it is deployed. Less overhead: As scheduled maintenance is part of a long-term rental agreement, ISPs and BSCs can reduce costs associated with hiring maintenance and repair technicians. BSCs also may be able to reduce the number of vehicles they keep for transporting equipment. Increased BSC competitiveness: With access to a range of flooring equipment through long-term rental, BSCs can position themselves to bid on additional projects—making them more competitive without the concern of capital investments. If they decide to purchase a core piece of equipment to expand their business, long-term rental can fill the lead-time gap while they are waiting to secure their capital. Partnerships with rental providers Rental solutions providers work with their clients to ensure they are entering into the right long-term rental agreement with the right equipment. A representative can analyze their clients’ cleaning program or scope of project—including labor availability—and walk through the facility with them to assess it. They will also discuss the projected utilization of the equipment. For example, if a client will use the equipment over the standard 160 hours a month for a rental, renting a larger more robust scrubber or sweeper may make better sense. By gathering information, the rental solutions provider can provide an accurate recommendation for the size and type of equipment that will introduce the most efficiencies. Upon completion of the rental agreement and the equipment delivery, a representative from the rental company can also provide equipment demonstrations and training. Most rental solutions providers offer free training for the entire length of the rental agreement and for any rental technology upgrades. This ensures that new employees receive the appropriate training on existing equipment and that existing employees receive training on new equipment. In any rental partnership, the goal is to provide ISPs and BSCs with the equipment and support they need to operate a safe and efficient cleaning program benefiting the facilities they serve.
In 2026, one would be hard-pressed to avoid headlines asserting that artificial intelligence is moving from “pilot to production” across industry after industry. The technology has advanced, trust (from a business lens) has increased, and objections have fallen one by one as organizations witness their peers’ deployment scale and fear the cost of being left behind. For facility managers and building service contractors (BSCs), the same is quickly becoming true for cleaning robotics. This year is likely to see more large-scale adoption of autonomous solutions than any year prior. Three trends define where robotics stands today and where the technology is going. 1. The move from consideration to necessity Even just a few years ago, autonomous cleaning equipment occupied a cautiously optimistic corner in the minds of facility managers. Something to pilot, evaluate carefully, and perhaps circle back to in a future budget cycle. But a few key factors have converged to push cleaning robotics firmly into the mainstream today. Safety concerns that once made teams hesitant—particularly in retail and mixed-use spaces—have largely been diminished by considerable improvements to the underlying technology. Obstacle detection and machine response have both made massive leaps. Some autonomous scrubbers can now deftly differentiate between fixed objects and moving ones (like people) and respond accordingly. That reliability, accumulated over years of real-world deployment, has done more to shift the consensus than any novel product demonstration could. Word of mouth and social proof have also played a pivotal role. The cleaning industry is a tight-knit professional community, and when a meaningful share of teams in a given vertical are actively deploying autonomous equipment (and reaping the benefits), the competitive pressure to keep up is difficult to ignore. Additionally, the sharing of best practices across the same and other verticals has been a common theme, sponsored by industry experts, manufacturers and customers. 2. A shift from primary use to additional benefits Every emerging technology goes through a form of metamorphosis. The first stage includes doubt, and maybe a dash of fear. Then, as the technology demonstrates its viability, people ask, “will this work for me?” And once the market has answered that question, the mindset shifts to “how can we integrate it even more into operations and how efficiently can it be realized?” We’ve arrived at that tipping point for cleaning robotics for a few reasons. The persistent labor shortage that pushed many facility managers toward robotics initially remains acute. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects roughly 350,000 annual openings for janitors and building cleaners through 2034, driven not by growth primarily, but by the need to replace workers leaving the field entirely. This is a structural churn that even the most glamorous recruitment effort can’t solve on its own. Robotics addresses this problem head-on and cleaning teams are embracing it. And by doing so, they’re finding that it surfaces more possibilities than just labor relief. One of the more obvious benefits is data. Cleaning robotics collect performance data that trickles into broader facility analytics platforms: areas covered per shift, resource usage, maintenance intervals, and more. For cleaning teams that previously had little to no systematic visibility into cleaning operations, this information can enable smarter scheduling and more efficient resource allocation. Beyond data, cleaning robotic technology is prompting facility managers to think differently about outcomes a cleaning program can achieve. With floor care running essentially on autopilot, staff are freer to address higher-value tasks that rely on the human element. Robotics handle volume and repetition; humans handle complexity. Lastly, there is something commercially meaningful, though perhaps more difficult to quantify, about the general effect of a consistently clean space. Facilities that have transitioned from manual to robotic cleaning programs report that the difference in cleanliness is perceptible, not just to the people responsible for maintenance but to the people using the building. In environments like retail, corporate offices, and healthcare facilities where cleanliness represents safety and care, that perception speaks volumes. 3. Rising adoption among BSCs BSCs have been among the slowest segments to adopt autonomous cleaning and for a fairly evident reason: labor is their chief offering. And if what you sell is labor, a technology that reduces the need for it looks less like an opportunity and more like a threat to the business itself. But that way of framing cleaning robotics is deteriorating. BSCs are recognizing that differentiation has become a crucial competitive advantage and robotics is one of the clearest paths to it. More importantly, the operational logic of adoption is starting to click. A BSC’s field structure has traditionally been organized around square footage and headcount—how many people it takes to clean a certain amount of space. Autonomous floor scrubbers turn that equation on its head. Now, with robotics handling routine floor care, a single field supervisor can oversee multiple locations rather than being anchored to one. That may be a fundamental shift from a tried-and-true model, but it also may be the sound of a door opening to a kind of growth that wasn’t available before. Reading the market The decline of extended pilot periods across the board may be the clearest signal of where the market stands. Facility managers who once spent considerable time proceeding gingerly are now skipping the pilot phase entirely, trusting the evidence the industry has already accumulated rather than feeling the need to generate it themselves. With the groundwork laid, the most useful question now is where to begin.
On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed two measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania. Both individuals were unvaccinated residents of Lancaster County. These marked the first deaths related to measles within the commonwealth in 35 years. To protect the privacy of the individuals and their families, Pennsylvania health officials will not release any additional details that could personally identify these individuals and their families. The state has confirmed 393 cases in 28 counties thus far in 2026. Measles is a highly contagious virus that can cause serious short- and long-term health problems, including pneumonia and brain swelling, with nearly 20% of people who contract measles being hospitalized. Death related to measles, though rare, occurs in one to three patients per 1,000 cases. “My deepest sympathies are with the loved ones who are facing this unimaginable loss,” said Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen. “Because measles was largely eliminated in the commonwealth for more than three decades, people are not familiar with this disease and don’t fully understand the potential severity of the illness. We want to ensure every Pennsylvanian has the information they need to protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities. As a physician, I want to make sure that people understand that the MMR vaccine is safe and provides the best protection we have against measles.” The best protection against measles is getting fully vaccinated. The MMR vaccine, administered over two doses, boosts a person’s immune system and provides 97% lifetime protection. The U.S. is experiencing its worst year for measles since 1991, the Associated Press reported. Earlier this summer, it surpassed last year’s record-breaking measles count, with 2,777 cases as of Aug. 20, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2025, the CDC confirmed 2,289 cases, and three people died last year.
This month, the New York City Health Department released its first comprehensive evaluation of the Congestion Relief Zone Tolling Program’s impact on neighborhood air quality. The report determined that the city’s air quality remained stable or improved slightly in the first year of congestion pricing, continuing a 20-year trend of improving air quality and declining pollution. Additionally, environmental justice communities alongside major highway corridors identified in the Congestion Relief Zone Tolling Environmental Assessment did not experience increased air pollution attributable to congestion pricing. “Cleaner air means healthier communities, and New Yorkers deserve to know how major policies affect the air they breathe,” said NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Alister F. Martin. “This report gives us the clearest picture to date of how air quality has changed during the first year of congestion pricing, and we now know that air quality across New York City was not any different because of congestion pricing. By continuing to monitor neighborhood air quality over time, we’re helping to ensure that decisions affecting our city are informed by strong health data.” “With congestion pricing, we’ve seen fewer vehicles entering Manhattan’s central business district and more people choosing to bike, walk and take mass transit,” said New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn. “Health’s findings, combined with the program’s investment of over US$120 million into the city’s air quality and public health initiatives like NYC DOT’s Clean Trucks Program, mean that congestion pricing will help communities across the city breathe cleaner.” The report also concluded that the reduced congestion, improvements in transit systems, and investments through the mitigation program—which directs funds toward initiatives in environmental justice communities—clearly demonstrate the overall benefit of the program. To conduct the evaluation, the health department expanded its existing New York City Community Air Survey (NYCCAS) monitoring network in partnership with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the NYC Department of Transportation and the New York State Department of Transportation. The analysis examined concentrations of four traffic-related air pollutants, fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitric oxide (NO), and black carbon (BC), within the Congestion Relief Zone and in environmental justice communities where concerns had been raised about potential traffic changes—areas that include the Major Deegan Expressway, Cross Bronx Expressway, Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, Staten Island Expressway, FDR Drive and Trans-Manhattan Expressway. Using data starting one full year before tolling began and continuing one year after, researchers were able to distinguish the effects of congestion pricing from other factors that influence air quality, such as weather, seasonal changes and regional wildfire smoke, by using a control site that was not affected by congestion pricing and statistical modeling. For nearly two decades, NYCCAS has monitored neighborhood-level air quality to better understand what causes differences between neighborhoods, how pollution changes over time, and how it affects health. NYCCAS has found that air quality improved dramatically in all NYC neighborhoods during the past decades, but more work is needed to mitigate traffic-related air pollution, which is linked to asthma, heart disease, stroke and other serious health conditions. In May, the city announced a US$20 million investment from the MTA to improve childhood asthma outcomes in the Bronx. This investment allows the health department to further support the Bronx Asthma Program and expand the Asthma Case Management Program. The full report is available on the NYC Health Department’s website.
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is seeing the highest levels of West Nile virus (WNV) activity in five years. As of Aug. 14, CDPH has reported 30 human cases of WNV in California, including three fatalities, from 13 counties. That number is higher than the five-year average number of human cases typically reported by this point in the year. Every year in the U.S., WNV activity typically increases across the country during the summer months into fall. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 222 WNV cases have been reported in 32 states as of Aug. 18. “West Nile virus can be fatal, particularly for the elderly and immunocompromised,” said CDPH Director and State Health Officer Dr. Erica Pan. “August and September are peak periods of West Nile virus transmission in the state, so we urge everyone to take precautions to protect themselves against mosquito bites." Signs of WNV activity have been detected in 32 California counties through surveillance of mosquitos, dead birds, sentinel chickens and horses. The percent of dead birds and mosquito samples testing positive are also above the five-year average. To date, over 24% of dead birds identified through surveillance have tested positive, compared to the five-year average of 13%. Currently, eight out of 1,000 mosquitoes have tested positive for WNV, compared to the five-year average of five out of 1,000. West Nile virus is influenced by many factors, including climate, the number and types of birds and mosquitoes in an area, and the level of WNV immunity in birds. Infected mosquitoes transmit West Nile virus to humans and animals through their bites. While the risk of serious illness for most people is low, some individuals can develop serious neurologic illnesses, such as encephalitis or meningitis, which are potentially fatal. Of the CDC’s confirm 222 cases this year, 156 have developed into neuroinvasive human disease cases. Some people have a higher chance of getting sick, developing neurological complications, or even dying from WNV. Risk factors include being 60 years of age and older; having diabetes, hypertension or chronic kidney disease; or being on medication that suppresses your immune system. The CDC recently issued a health alert highlighting that patients on a certain group of immunosuppressive medications have a much higher risk of experiencing long-term complications or dying from WNV. CDPH recommends that individuals protect against mosquito bites and WNV by practicing the “Three Ds:” DEET–Apply an Environmental Projection Agency-registered insect repellent, containing an active ingredient such as DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535, according to label instructions. Repellents keep the mosquitoes from biting you. When used as directed, DEET is safe for use on children and pregnant or breastfeeding women. Dawn and dusk–Mosquitoes that transmit WNV usually bite in the early morning and evening, so it is important to wear loose-fitting long-sleeved shirts and pants and repellent if outside during these times. Make sure your doors and windows have tight-fitting screens to keep out mosquitoes. Repair or replace screens that have tears or holes. Drain–Mosquitoes lay their eggs on standing water. Eliminate all sources of standing water on your property by emptying flowerpots, old car tires, buckets and other containers. If you know of a swimming pool that is not being properly maintained, contact your local mosquito and vector control agency.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released guidance to help drinking water systems that are working to keep communities safe from lead. This guidance advances the agency’s commitment to clear and plain language communication while sharing information, definitions and useful examples to help water systems comply with lead pipe replacement requirements of the Lead and Copper Rule EPA released two documents, Access Tips and Service Line Inventory Tips, to provide information to help water systems and states implement the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI). In April 2026, EPA sought the public’s input on these two tips documents, and EPA considered the comments received in the development of these final resources. The agency recently published a revamped lead website, found at epa.gov/lead, including a spotlight about Lead and Children’s Health. The streamlined website allows parents and caregivers, contractors, healthcare professionals and other users to find information on how to prevent exposures from lead. This is one of many actions being undertaken by EPA under the government-wide Federal Lead Action Plan. The agency’s Real Water TA also focuses on hands-on assistance for communities and water systems working to address water infrastructure challenges and funding needs. This year, EPA announced nearly US$3 billion in funding for lead pipe identification and removal. No safe level of lead exposure exists. Lead pipes, when present, are the primary source of lead in drinking water.