The cleaning industry in Canada and beyond has changed significantly and likely on a permanent basis since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and 2022 is only likely to see further evolution. But what cleaning industry trends should we be expecting?

Cleaning product distributor Afflink shed some light on the matter as it recently conducted a survey of its members. That survey found that marked increases in technology and digital communication were cited by many as one of the major trends expected this year.

“[Our members] believe technology has been ‘recharged’ due to the pandemic with more technological advances expected right around the corner,” said Michael Wilson, vice president of marketing and packaging at Afflink.

Certainly, the pandemic has proven that the impacts on the cleaning industry, from new practices to supply chain stresses, are global. Businesses have long since realized that COVID-19 has changed everything, and more changes are coming.

The survey of Afflink members also found that many are expecting to see a new reality in workspaces. After many workers travelled less and more and more began to work remotely during the pandemic, it is now unrealistic that businesspeople will willingly return to working in office settings as often as they did before.

Respondents also predicted a further shift from physical to virtual operations as well as an increase in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. AI can perform many human tasks and allow cleaning businesses to identify customer purchasing patterns and recommend products as well as reduce inventory waste, optimize inventory, and enhance supply chain management.