The Cleaning Show Celebrates the Work of Cleaning and Hygiene Operatives with a Triumphant Return to London
The UK’s largest and most important event in the cleaning and hygiene sector, The Cleaning Show, welcomed more than 4,600 visitors through its doors when it made its triumphant return to London. It marked the industry’s first physical event since the UK’s national lockdown was lifted, coming at a critical time as cleaning lands high on the agenda of businesses across the country.
Opening the event, Nigel Mills MP, Chair of the Cleaning and Hygiene All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), welcomed visitors and exhibitors, highlighting the important role the show plays in bringing the industry together to celebrate the sector and facilitate business. He paid tribute to the industry and the role cleaning and hygiene operatives have played over the past 18 months and highlighted how the APPG would help shine a light on an industry that was once overlooked.
With sustainability high on the agenda for visitors and exhibitors alike, James Lee, Council Member, Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association declared that innovation alone wouldn’t solve the industry’s problems. He identified five pillars of sustainability: product, packaging, transportation, social and ethical values and corporate emissions, waste and water, while highlighting the challenges – from financial pressures to a resistance to change – that would need to be overcome for lasting change.
Highlighting The Cleaning Show’s position as a hotbed of innovation, several exhibitors used the show’s return as the opportunity to announce new product launches. Among the new products announced at the show, Killis revealed ‘Rex’ – a king-sized, autonomous cleaning robot targeting commercial and industrial settings, with complete remote handling. Lionsbot, a Singapore-headquartered smart robotics company, conceptualised Rex during the pandemic to empower the cleaning workforce and to keep them safe. It uses lidar technology to clean 4,032m² – the size of a football field – in one hour, the highest cleaning efficiency in its size class.
Demonstrating the growing importance of sustainability and a green approach to cleaning, first-time exhibitor FogPod revealed its electrostatic devices that produce a ‘positively charged’ spray that binds to surfaces giving 360-degree coverage. The company, born out of the pandemic in January 2020, offers both handheld devices and motion sanitiser stands, which offer no contact sanitisation. Elsewhere, ICE, the UK’s largest independent provider of cleaning equipment, introduced its handheld ICE Aquasmart Unit. The patented Diamond-Technology in the ICE Aquasmart Nano produces aqueous ozone – a natural cleaner, sanitiser and deodoriser that is more powerful than bleach but completely safe to use on all surfaces.
Announcements at the show continued with The Worshipful Company Of Environmental Cleaners (WCEC) using the event to launchits Chartered Practitioner scheme to the entire cleaning industry. Demonstrating the industry’s professional commitment, skill and expertise, the scheme means cleaning professionals can now register as Chartered Practitioners, with Yvonne Taylor from OCS and Robert Sutherland from RAMS FM confirming their new status at the show.
Demonstrating the industry’s most innovative and new technologies, The Cleaning & Support Services Association (CSSA) played host to the new CSSA Innovation Showcase – a pavilion dedicated to nine companies selected by a panel of industry experts and representatives. Selected from more than 30 entries, Bunzl Cleaning & Hygiene Supplies (BCHS), Washroom Wizard, w’air, ICE, NextDynamics, Optiqo, Orion Eco Solutions, Selden, and Softbank Robotics provided attendees with a first-hand insight into the cleaning industry of the future with the latest products spanning new fabric care systems, autonomous cleaning equipment and IoT air care solutions.
Speaking about the event’s triumphant return, Stuart Dacre, Event Director, said: “It’s been a long wait but I can’t describe how good it feels to bring the cleaning industry back face-to-face for three action-packed days of inspiration, innovation and insight. It’s been particularly special to recognise the efforts of cleaning and hygiene operators and the critical role they have played in keeping people and places safe over the past 18 months. The response from exhibitors and visitors has been overwhelming. We’d like to thank everyone who has participated in this year’s show and look forward to opening our doors once again when we return to Manchester in 2022.”
The Cleaning Show returns to Manchester Central from 6-7 April 2022. To find out more, visit: https://cleaningshow.co.uk/manchester/
