The UK Cleaning Industry continues to grow, with the latest data showing that 75,565 businesses were in operation as of 2023. 2026 looks to follow the same trend with 2025 research reports from the British Cleaning Council showing that the industry is going from strength to strength.
Despite a turbulent COVID period, the cleaning, hygiene and waste industry has shown resilience, still remaining as one of the UK’s top ten employment industries. In fact, between 2020 and 2022, employment in this industry grew by 6.85%.
Headline UK Cleaning Statistics
- As of 2022, the cleaning, hygiene and waste industry contributed nearly £66.9 billion to the economy. 18.9% can be attributed to the cleaning industry alone [1].
- The cleaning, hygiene and waste industry directly employs over 1,008,700 staff. An increase of 0.44% from the previous year [1].
- If including public services and hospitality, the total number of individuals working in the industry can be expressed as 1.49 million. Roughly 5% of the UK workforce [1].
- The UK Cleaning workforce is 58% female and 42% male. Roughly 9% are under the age of 25 [1].
- 83% of the UK Cleaning Industry is made up of Micro-businesses (fewer than 10 employees) [1].
- The average hourly pay for a cleaner was £12.13 in 2024, up 1.1% [1].
- London is home to the most cleaning businesses [2].
UK Cleaning Business Statistics
The cleaning, hygiene and waste industry contributes a massive £66.9 billion to the UK economy, with the cleaning industry alone accounting for 18.9% of it. Employing over 1,008,700 people throughout the UK, the industry has grown since the pandemic, according to the British Cleaning Council’s Cleaning, Hygiene and Waste Industry Research Report 2025. This report also states that this industry makes up 5% of the UK workforce.
London continues to be the home of the most cleaning companies, according to the ONS. With over 14,000 businesses operating in 2024. The second most popular region was the South East of England, with a total of 13,015.
Number of Businesses in the Industry by Nation
UK – 77,540
England – 68,075
Scotland – 4,930
Wales – 3,120
Northern Ireland – 1,410
Source: ONS
Number of Businesses in the Industry by Region
East of England – 8,445
East Midlands – 4,795
London – 14,125
North East – 2,080
North West – 7,550
South East – 13,015
South West – 7,235
West Midlands – 5,750
Yorkshire and Humber – 5,090
Source: ONS
UK Cleaning Employment Statistics
According to BICs, there are 491,200 people employed under the cleaning and hygiene sub-category, as of 2024. Up 6.2% on the previous year. This signifies the continued need for cleaners across the UK. Going into 2026, many expect this to continue.
The demand for housekeepers has seen an increase of 4,000 from 39,000 employed housekeepers in 2023 to 43,000 in 2024. However, 2024 has yet to reach the heights of 2022, when the number of employed housekeepers totalled 49,000 in the UK.
UK Cleaner Workforce Demographics
The UK cleaning workforce is made up of 42% males and 58% females. Age-wise, only 9% of these workers are under the age of 25, signifying an ageing workforce. Below is a full age breakdown.
UK Cleaner Ages
Under 25 – 9%
25-54 yrs – 63%
55+ yrs – 28%
The British Cleaning Council’s Research Report 2025 also suggests that 69% of cleaners in the UK are born in the United Kingdom and 31% are from overseas.
Just 5% working in the sub-industry are managerial or senior officials.
UK Cleaner Pay
The BCC report also suggests that 64% of cleaners employed in the UK are employed on a part-time basis, with 36% being full-time within the industry.
As of 2024, the average pay in the cleaning industry was £12.13, up by 1.1% on the previous year. With minimum wage increasing, this is likely to also increase in 2025 and 2026.
However, according to the National Careers Service, the average salary for a full-time cleaner in the UK is £19,000 to £25,000 per year.
UK Window Cleaning Statistics
Window cleaning has long been one of the most popular cleaning services in the UK, with an Opinium study suggesting that one in four UK households now employ the services of a window cleaner or hygiene operative.
The number of UK window cleaners currently sits at 38,200, according to the Labour Force Survey (LFS).
It is also believed that the cities with a greater number of high-rise buildings have more window cleaners. IBIS World says tall buildings need more specialist equipment or training, and London is dominated by larger companies, as they like to target larger contracts and companies.
Wage pressures continue to be an issue for window cleaning companies as the living wage increases in 2024 by 10%, making remaining profitable incredibly challenging.
Cleaning Industry Trends for 2026
We expect ‘green’ cleaning to continue to be a growing trend in 2026, with many reports suggesting that more businesses are looking for cleaners with a focus on the environment. We believe that more privately owned firms will open up, adding to the current 83% of cleaning businesses being micro-businesses.
The BCC believes that office cleaning is likely to change. According to their recent report, they believe there is now an ‘increased appetite for daytime cleaning’. This is due to people feeling safer seeing cleaning being carried out. Consequently, night-time cleaning may see a decrease, which could benefit those who feel nightshifts affect their wellbeing [1].
Changes for 2026
Sustainability requirements are reshaping tendering. New rules on carbon reporting and reduced plastic waste have raised procurement costs. Still, businesses with green credentials are better positioned to win high-value contracts and maintain long-term competitiveness [2].
The Procurement Act 2023 came into force in February 2025, reshaping how public contracts are awarded by creating a single rulebook and embedding transparency [2].
Multi-year frameworks continue to anchor demand for general building cleaning. NHS Supply Chain has also locked in its latest cleaning supplies framework until June 2027, with options to extend further [2].
Sources used for the Article
- BICS – The Cleaning, Hygiene and Waste Industry Research Report 2025
- IBISworld – General Building Cleaning in the UK – Market Research Report (2015-2030).
- ONS – Enterprises by industry and employee size, 2024
- National Careers Service – UK Cleaner Salary
- ONS – Labour Force Study
- Opinium – A third employ domestic help
7. IBISworld – Window Cleaning Services in the UK – Market Research Report (2015-2030)