As ISSA president, I often find myself reflecting on how far our industry has come and how far we still need to go in shifting the perception of what we do. For too long, cleaning has been viewed primarily through the lens of appearance. Shiny floors and spotless lobbies were the markers of success. But that lens is outdated.

Cleaning for more than just appearance

Our industry has always been about health. The pandemic made that visible to the world. Suddenly, everyone realized that cleaning professionals are on the front lines of public health. What we do prevents illness, reduces absenteeism, supports recovery, and even saves lives. That has always been true, not just in healthcare settings, but in every environment we touch.

My teams operate in some of the most complex environments, including healthcare facilities, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) facilities, labs, and cleanrooms, where the margin for error is nonexistent. Pathogens and particulates in these environments can delay healing, compromise product quality, or lead to costly failures. And yet, the principle is the same whether we’re cleaning a surgical suite or an office space: Health is the outcome we are protecting.

So why do we still treat health-focused cleaning as something reserved for “special” spaces?

The health of workers in non-critical spaces matters just as much. The child with asthma in a poorly ventilated classroom, the retail worker exposed to allergens on surfaces, or the warehouse associate navigating dust-laden air, don’t they also deserve environments that protect their well-being?

The answer is yes. And the metrics we use to define “clean” must evolve to reflect that.

Elevating cleaning standards

It’s time to elevate cleaning for health as the default, and not the exception. That means leaning into measurable outcomes, not just visual ones. It means leveraging new tools, including AI, sensors, and data analytics, and not just for efficiency but also for the insights that enable us to prove and improve the health impact of our important work.

As we continue to professionalize our industry, let’s carry forward the lesson COVID-19 taught the world: What we do is essential. Not just in emergencies. Not just in hospitals. Always and everywhere.

And now, it’s up to us to keep driving that message forward, to clients, to policymakers, and to the public. Let’s lead the way in making cleaning for health the expectation, not the exception, for everyone, everywhere.

Laurie Sewell is the president of ISSA. With over 30 years of industry experience, she is CEO and president of Servicon Systems Inc., a leading provider of environmentally sustainable cleaning and maintenance services.

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