How Facility Managers Can Turn Cleaning Protocols into ROI Drivers

We spend most of our time indoors, and so the centrality of occupant comfort in facility management strategies is not surprising. Temperature, ventilation, lighting, and yes, cleanliness, are defining factors of whether a building is supporting people’s wellbeing and productivity or not.

Yet one factor is massively overlooked in the bid to maximize occupants’ health and well-being: the very products used to keep buildings clean. Facility managers can’t afford to overlook the small details that have big impacts, especially considering that sick building syndrome (SBS) affects about a third of new buildings.

There’s also the dilemma of lost productivity due to absenteeism, which costs over $600 billion a year. Facility managers could help address this massive problem by improving office conditions so employees’ health and wellbeing are better protected.

The economic case for enhancing occupants’ well-being is undeniable, too. Joint research from McKinsey and the World Economic Forum shows that enhanced employee well-being and productivity could generate $11.7 trillion in global economic value.

Here’s what facility managers need to have on their radar, and how to turn cleaning into an ROI driver.

The Red Flags to Look Out For

Poor indoor air quality and SBS go hand in hand. SBS is a very serious health and safety concern, especially in office buildings, and is caused by VOCs and other airborne irritants from harsh or toxic cleaning products, fragranced air fresheners, and other chemicals and materials. People exposed to SBS often show symptoms like frequent headaches, respiratory issues, and rashes. So, toxic chemicals and pollutants are a contributing factor to poorer health and absenteeism.

From both a health and environmental standpoint, pollutants and toxins from chemicals found in cleaning products are wreaking havoc on building management. VOCs are found in abundance in most cleaning products, and they’re directly tied to poor indoor air quality. Even worse, they’re two to five times higher indoors than outdoors—meaning occupants are feeling the effects of them on their bodies multiple times over.

These consequences also hurt facility management, which is still required to keep buildings running even if occupant capacity isn’t being met. Fewer people showing up for work impacts operational efficiency. Is it worthwhile to run HVAC systems and keep the lights on when occupants aren’t able to show up?

Besides that, water and airborne pollutants from harsh cleaning products harm habitats, slowly killing aquatic life and poisoning the planet because of toxic “bioaccumulative” chemicals. When facility managers dump toxic chemicals from cleaning products into drains that eventually impact groundwater and surrounding nature, they’re directly jeopardizing any sustainability efforts made.

Turning Risk into Reward via Auditing

Facility managers need to lock in an action plan so their cleaning protocols and procedures don’t harm occupants or the environment. To build that action plan, they need to regularly audit current cleaning processes.

Audits must cover multiple bases, including compliance, health and safety, maintenance, and operational efficiency. Do existing cleaning protocols meet regulatory requirements? Are occupants, including staff, exposed to toxic fumes because of cleaning products used? How are current protocols and cleaning equipment affecting utilities and sustainability efforts? These criteria are useful for pinpointing where improvements can be made for safer, more sustainable, and more efficient cleaning.

For audits to be successful, facility managers need to have the full picture. Often, missing information, like incomplete paperwork or misplaced files, distorts audits. There’s also the issue of gathering data from reliable sources. Facility management teams might measure material waste from single-use cleaning products but not check in with occupants on their own experiences and thoughts. That missed information translates into missed opportunities for improvement, whether that’s maximizing occupant well-being or reducing a building’s carbon footprint.

The more complete the information, the more comprehensive and accurate the audit. Additionally, audits must happen on a regular basis, whether that’s every three or six months or annually. This helps building management stay on top of issues before they snowball. Frequent audits also mean stronger accountability by sticking to a set timeline for meeting KPIs incrementally.

Auditing also needs to be based on actionable insights, such as:

• Current indoor air quality
• Waste disposal practices and costs, and how they’re impacting a building’s carbon footprint
• Occupant satisfaction scores in terms of well-being and comfort

Keeping a Pulse on Protocols

It’s important to note that these insights are measurable, not only guiding KPIs but ensuring tangible ROI from strategies to improve cleaning protocols. Being able to showcase results from these efforts brings multiple benefits to wider ESG strategies.

Circling back to the aforementioned insights is a good starting point. Measurable metrics will fall under different categories, whether that’s improved sustainability, better occupant wellbeing, or greater operational and cost efficiency.

Let’s take a situation where a facility management team decides to switch from harsh, corrosive cleaning products. Surfaces and equipment throughout the building last longer because there’s less chemical wear and tear; floors and carpet will last longer, furniture and metal equipment will not be corroded, metals will not become dull, etc. This not only means less material waste, but offers a large amount of savings over time from an operational perspective. Cleaning staff might also report that their health is less affected because they’re not breathing in toxic fumes, meaning less absenteeism on the facility management side.

Additionally, the switch can result in improved indoor air quality, helping tackle the risk of SBS and overcoming absenteeism. Indoor air quality should be frequently monitored, and air quality sensors can help do that. It’s also worth externally sourcing a certified inspector to verify results for accurate readings.

Recording these results doesn’t just help guide strategies internally—it can boost the building’s value in the eyes of financial institutions and other stakeholders. Facility managers who can prove and quantify the reductions in their chemical waste and GHG emissions can improve the sustainability ratings of their buildings. This can attract investors who take into account the building’s perceived risk of stranded assets and carbon footprints. 

Untapped ROI and better efficiency can be found in more environmentally- and occupant-friendly cleaning protocols. Switching to safer and more sustainable cleaning materials through a clear, auditable action plan is the way forward for managing buildings and facilities.