The "Quality is Free" principle
In 1979, Philip Crosby published Quality is Free. His thesis: doing things right the first time costs less than fixing them afterwards. ISSA cites this principle as the opening of its Value of Clean® 3.0 report:
"Poor quality can decrease revenue by 30%."
- Philip Crosby, Quality is Free (1979), cited in ISSA Value of Clean® 3.0, p. 9.
The numbers buyers underestimate
40% of employees worldwide often worry about getting sick because of poor workplace hygiene.
Source: Essity Hygiene Story 2018, cited in ISSA Value of Clean® 3.0, p. 39.
72% of people worry about germs left on surfaces in shared common areas (break rooms, lounges).
Source: Georgia-Pacific Professional Consumer Poll 2020, cited in ISSA Value of Clean® 3.0, p. 40.
38% of commercial cleaning complaints concern restrooms, ahead of hard floors (17%) and shared common spaces (13%).
Source: Building Service Contractor Survey 2023, cited in ISSA Value of Clean® 3.0, p. 9.
What an undersized cleaning budget actually costs
- Rework. ISSA establishes that a quality defect doubles the cost of a poorly maintained floor (Value of Clean 3.0, p. 9).
- Absenteeism. 15-20% of all direct/indirect payroll expenses (cited in ISSA VoC 3.0).
- Image and retention. "Positive relationship between perceived cleanliness and employee satisfaction with speed, volume and quality of work" (Wageningen 2017).
What PM Cleaning does differently
As an ISSA member (#681812, Building Service Contractor), we apply the Clean, Measure, Monitor philosophy of the ISSA Clean Standards. Our 5S method makes these controls operational on a daily basis.
Going further
Primary sources: ISSA Value of Clean® 3.0 (2024). Crosby P., Quality is Free (1979). PM Cleaning is an active ISSA member - Credly verification.