Thank your Cleaner Day is a day when cleaners all over the world are acknowledged for the work they do every day. It is a day of gratitude, recognition and respect for the hard working cleaners and the cleaning industry. From early 2014 to the end of 2017, I was the CEO of the BSCNZ, and through this work, I became very aware that the cleaning industry, not only in New Zealand, but globally did not have the same respect as other industries. Yet the cleaning industry is one of the most important industries in the world. Everything is connected back to cleaning. Cleaning is required in day-to-day living, working and recreational spaces, and in every other industry that we rely on in our daily lives. Everything needs to be cleaned, hygienic, tidy and maintained.

The phrase "I'm just a cleaner" is a phrase I hear a lot. I do not like hearing this, because everyone deserves to feel valued and appreciated in what they do. I decided to utilize my position to try and change this mindset and culture surrounding the cleaning industry. Cleaning and building maintenance is a value center, not just a cost center. It is people that do this work. So, with these attitudes of cleaning being a thankless job, often unseen and underappreciated, Thank Your Cleaner Day was created. The first ever Thank Your Cleaner Day campaign was in 2015 in New Zealand, followed quickly by the rest of the world. In 2021 there were 45 countries participating.

Kärcher supplied resources and funding from the very beginning and continues to do so. They really are the power behind the day on a global scale. In 2014, I was fortunate enough to attend the WFBSC congress held in New York. It was there that I saw the true professionalism of the industry. Kärcher were a major sponsor for this event. I always knew that Thank Your Cleaner Day was something that needed to be celebrated globally, so it needed a global partner. Kärcher did not hesitate to be involved, and I am positive that every cleaner around the world is grateful for their involvement.

When the cleaner and the cleaning industry is valued and appreciated as the sophisticated and professional industry that it is. There is a natural respect for the people involved. When there is respect and understanding, there is often investment. Investing in people and the right equipment to do the task efficiently and effectively. The majority of the cleaners I have met around the world love their work and many have been in the industry for 25 years plus. There are too many stories where the cost of a contract is the most important thing and cleaners are cannot be equipped correctly to do the work correctly. We must change the conversation on this. What is the cost to the business if we don't get the cleaning right? Or because the client pays so little, the contractor in unable to invest into the right equipment or have the time? This is not a situation only for an office environment, but in all industries. For example, in healthcare, where our food comes (farm to table) in hospitality etc. We have all just lived through a major pandemic. Our healthcare workers were celebrated the world over. As they should be and as they should continue to be. However, our cleaners also were on the frontline. Why does it take a pandemic to make us all stop and think about cleanliness? Too often it is taken for granted. My hope is that Thank Your Cleaner Day provides a platform of gratitude for this work.

It's important to recognize the work of cleaners year-round, not just on Thank Your Cleaner Day. I believe is the most significant and impactful way is to stop assuming that the cleaner is doing a bad job, when they are trying their very best. Additionally, cleaning companies can make sure that their equipment and tools needed for an effective and efficient cleaning task are appropriate and up to date. Investing in these things and making sure suitable training is provided makes a big difference. Every time I see one of those old fashioned string mops, I feel for the cleaner, not to mention the building owner thinking his floors are clean. Businesses hiring cleaning contractors can take care by making sure that what they are asking for is realistic and allow for the cleaner to feel welcome on site. Is day cleaning an option for example? In the end, words of appreciation by simply saying thank you is much better than receiving gifts. Every day can be "Thank Your Cleaner Day".