About The Cleaning Trade

Independent reporting on the business of contract cleaning — contracts, pricing, staffing, and the rules that change how buildings get cleaned.

The Cleaning Trade covers the business of contract cleaning for the people who run and staff commercial cleaning firms in the United States — owner-operators, building-services managers, and crew leads. We report on winning and renewing contracts, pricing and margins, staffing and retention, equipment and chemicals, and the regulations that change how buildings get cleaned. Stories come from public records, operator interviews, and cited sources, and every one is written to be useful to someone bidding a job this month.

It reports on the commercial cleaning trade in the United States: contracts, pricing, staffing, equipment, and margins.

How stories are reported

Stories are built from public records, operator interviews, and cited sources.

Contact

Story tips, corrections, and questions go through the contact page.

Editor

Alex Harlan — Alex Harlan edits The Cleaning Trade and writes about the business of contract cleaning: winning and renewing contracts, pricing and margins, staffing, equipment, and the regulations that change how buildings get cleaned.