Cleaning Services Market Trends

Growth Drivers

• Post-pandemic hygiene awareness: Businesses and households are prioritizing health and safety compliance, leading to recurring service contracts, which are bolstering the market’s adoption. On the other hand, cleanliness has become a core expectation across industries such as hospitality, healthcare, and education, which is also driving consistent revenue in this sector. Based on the UK government data, its National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness 2025, published by NHS England in February 2025, stated that it set out mandatory and recommended requirements for cleaning across all of the NHS healthcare settings by replacing the 2021 standards. Besides these standards, leverage collaboration between clinical and non-clinical staff, transparency through star ratings, and compliance with legal and infection prevention requirements. Furthermore, they apply to all NHS trusts, such as ambulance facilities, and are designed to support governance and continuous improvement, thus benefiting the market growth across government sectors.
• Technological improvements: Automation and robotics play a key role in reshaping the growth dynamics of the cleaning services market since they are being deployed to address labor shortages and improve efficiency. Also, the smart cleaning equipment allows providers to scale operations while maintaining quality, which attracts both consumers and investors to operate in this field. For instance, in May 2025, Pudu Robotics announced that it had launched an AI-based autonomous cleaning robot called CC1 pro, which is especially designed for large commercial environments. This CC1 pro has been built on the original CC1 with advanced AI that enables real-time dirt detection, adaptive cleaning strategies, and automated re-cleaning.  The presence of such ongoing developments by the national & international players is creating optimistic opportunities for the market’s progression in the years ahead.
• Commercial sector expansion: Growth in terms of office spaces, retail outlets, and healthcare facilities is efficiently fueling demand for professional services. Simultaneously, the facility management outsourcing is rising, driving growth in the market. Government-backed data from the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, which was published in December 2024 the Smart Cities Mission has successfully transformed 100 cities in India with sustainable infrastructure and technology-based solutions. It also notes that around 91% of projects were completed with an investment of ₹1.47 lakh crore (approximately USD 17.7 billion), delivering smart roads, classrooms, water systems, and solid waste management improvements by December 2024. Therefore, this expansion of urban infrastructure and facilities directly boosts demand for outsourced services, which is a core part of facility management contracts.

Challenges

• Labor shortages and workforce retention: The cleaning services market faces a major challenge in terms of labor shortages owing to the high turnover rates, low wages, and physically demanding work. Therefore, most of the cleaning companies find it difficult to attract workers since it is seen as low-skilled. Retaining experienced staff is also a major hurdle, especially with aging workforces in management and training roles. In addition, the aspect of cultural and language diversity adds another layer of complexity, as effective communication and consistent quality standards are harder to maintain. Furthermore, companies are making investments in terms of training, incentives, and technology to attract and retain talent, yet competition from other service sectors and rising labor costs continue to strain operations.
• Quality standards and regulatory compliance: Maintaining consistent quality is yet another critical challenge in the market, especially for companies that are operating across multiple regions or internationally. Clients expect high hygiene standards, particularly in healthcare, foodservice, and industrial sectors, whereas regulations continue to evolve regarding chemical use, waste disposal, and workplace safety. Therefore, companies in this field need to implement monitoring systems and document compliance, which increases operational complexity, wherein failing to meet standards can lead to legal penalties.  Meanwhile, to address this, players are focusing on digital platforms, but integrating these solutions across teams and client sites is again resource-intensive and requires ample investment in technology and human capital.