Pursuing its mission to raise awareness of the importance of effective cleaning through scientific research, the Cleaning Industry Research Institute (CIRI) today announced it has expanded its membership eligibility for individuals to contract cleaners, in-house cleaning professionals, disaster restoration professionals, consultants, and others with interests in common with the related industries and their affiliations.

Previously, membership was limited to academics and trainers.

However, now, businesses and other organizations can also become members of CIRI under the newly expanded categories. This includes for-profit and nonprofit entities such as manufacturers, distributors, contract cleaning companies, disaster restoration contractors, trade associations, academic institutions, and government agencies.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve seen a growing need to better connect the worlds of cleaning research with practice,” said John Downey, Executive Director, CIRI. “There are effective and ineffective ways to clean, and an abundance of research validates the best processes for cleaning and restoring indoor environments. If we want to continue professionalizing the cleaning industry, we must incorporate the latest science. This will ultimately impact human health in beneficial ways and extend the life of building materials.”

CIRI was established in 2006 as an independent, not-for-profit education, science and research organization. Its activities include research, such as the work it did to establish ATP as a viable measurement technique in certain cleaning situations. It also has held several in-person CIRI Science Symposiums. Most recently CIRI hosted a live stream COVID-19 and Pandemic Preparedness Symposium in March 2020, and a series of webinars on cleaning, disinfection, aerosols and transmission that began in the fall of 2020.

CIRI is a section 501c3 nonprofit professional technical organization, not a trade association. As such, all memberships are reviewed and approved by the CIRI board of directors.

To connect the worlds of cleaning research with practice, CIRI offers a variety of benefits to its members, including:

• A peer-reviewed scientific journal, the Journal of Cleaning Science, available to members online or even delivered to your door.
• Discounted or even free access to CIRI’s online and in-person webinars and events.
• Free access to CIRI’s treasure trove of peer-reviewed technical papers, white papers and articles.
• A members forum monitored by CIRI-affiliated scientists and other industry cleaning- science experts.
• Opportunities to participate in research and present at CIRI science webinars, seminars and symposiums.

RELATED: CIRI to host Healthy Buildings 2021 – America conference

In addition to connecting members with current research, the institute also offers an exclusive first look at new and emerging research related to cleaning and disaster restoration. For example, during the pandemic, CIRI’s Science Advisory Council published a series of white papers and guidance recommendations related to cleaning, disinfecting and protecting cleaning workers from SARS-COV-2.

“CIRI is working toward building a community of science-minded individuals who are committed to improving the way our indoor environments are cleaned and maintained,” added Downey. “We will continue connecting research with practice so organizations have the data and research they need to clean effectively.”