The industrial cleaning market - Italy

1.2 The global market

The global industrial cleaning market was valued at **.* billion dollars in ****. It is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (***) of *.*% and reach a value of **.* billion dollars by ****.

Size of the global industrial cleaning market World, ****-****, in billions of dollars Source: ****

This growth in market size is driven by the growth in the manufacturing and healthcare industries, which are important end-users of industrial cleaning services. Increased awareness regarding hygiene and cleanliness at the workplace, particularly after the COVID-** pandemic are major drivers of this market. This takes into account physical, chemical, biological and environmental hazards to the workplace. Industrial cleaning is not only used in industry but also in commercial sectors such as offices, banks, hospitals, hotels, food processing etc. 

The rising global healthcare expenditure is expected to be a major growth driver of this market, particularly since the frequency of cleaning is particularly high in healthcare. Metal cleaners are also expected to be the fastest growing product type during this period, due to their reliability and durability, but also the fact that they can be multi-purpose [***].

The greater use of green, bio-based environmentally friendly chemicals in industrial cleaning presents itself as an opportunity for the market ...

1.3 The Italian market

Industrial cleaning is a subsegment of the cleaning and disinfestation sector. As mentioned above, industrial cleaning refers to a method of cleaning rather than cleaning on industrial premises. The cleaning and disinfestation services market was worth almost *.* billion euros in **** (***). The graph below breaks down this sector in more detail.

Cleaning and disinfestation services market Italy, ****-****, in millions of euros Source: ****

 The cleaning market is relatively stable, with its value fluctuating around *.* billion euros. As we can see, residential cleaning accounts for over half of the cleaning market in Italy.

  Cleaning and disinfestation services market Italy, ****, in % Source: Dimensione Pulito According to Afidamp (***), the industrial cleaning market was worth *.* billion in ****, signifying a *% growth from ****.

  Industrial cleaning market Italy, ****-**** in millions of dollars and % Source: Afidamp   Machinery and paper makes up almost two thirds of the market, accounting for over *** million euros each. A further breakdown of the industrial cleaning market is detailed in the graph below.

  Breakdown of the industrial cleaning market, revenue source Italy, ****, in % Source: Afidamp  

While the graphs above outline the value and breakdown of the production of the industrial cleaning, they don't deal with the revenue from the services. Afidamp ...

1.4 The impact of COVID-19

In early **** the COVID-** hit the world. Italy was the first European country to experience it, and the first to impose severe lockdowns. These lockdowns were strictly enforced, which halted all economic activity for a period of almost two months. This put a strain on many industries, including the cleaning one. The manufacture of products and machinery stopped, factories were closed and workers were furloughed. 

However, the nature of the pandemic and of the SARS-CoV-* virus resulted in cleaning being essential. When it was discovered that the virus survived on surfaces, cleaning, sanitation and disinfection of surfaces became essential. In fact, the shortage of masks and PPE that took place in the first months of the viral outbreak, impacted cleaners and the cleaning sectors. Industrial cleaners have specialised gear and equipment (***), and when masks were being prioritised for hospitals they were left unprotected [***].

Due to the virus people are taking much more care of their hygiene and cleanliness, and so are businesses. Most offices, factories, shops and businesses are cleaned, disinfected and/or scrubbed one or multiple times a day. Cleaning product sales and use have boomed. This is expected to result in a long-term growth in the cleaning and, by ...

2.1 Main consumers and their habits

Industrial cleaning services are very useful for a variety of end-users. These range from hospitals, to factories, to the public administration, to SMEs and occasionally residences. The graph below outlines which type of establishments are the main consumers of industrial cleaning.

Main consumers of industrial cleaning services Italy, ****, in % Source: ****

The industrial cleaning products that are most sold are chemical cleaning products (***). They make up **.*% of the value of sales and are followed by paper at **.*% and machinery at **.*%. The discrepancy between these statistics and the ones in section *.* is explained by the fact that over **% of the production of industrial cleaning products in Italy is exported abroad.

  Breakdown of sales of industrial cleaning products, by value Italy, ****, in % Source: ****

2.2 Individual consumption and opinions

Industrial cleaning takes place mostly in offices, warehouses, factories and hospitals. Nonetheless, individuals and households are still significant consumers of these type of services and products. In fact, Istat conducted a study which analysed household consumptions for a variety of goods and services (***). 

Average monthly expenditure by Italian families on different goods and services Italy, ****, in euros/month Source: ****

The total monthly expenditure in **** for the average Italian family on professional/industrial cleaning services and products was **.* euros. In **** the average monthly expenditure for the Italian family was of ****.* euros. Therefore, around *.*% of monthly expenditure in Italian families is dedicated to these products and services.

This relatively high level of expenditure on such products and services is perhaps unsurprising when looking at the opinions of Italians regarding cleanliness and hygiene. **% of Italians have their homes cleaned every day, while for **% of them the most important factor when buying a cleaning product or employing a cleaning service is their effectiveness (***) [***].

When comparing views regarding cleanliness and hygiene between Germans and Italians we can notice a divergence.

Opinions on cleanliness and hygiene Italy and Germany, ****, in % of approval Source: ****

Industrial cleaning services are employed in residences for a few reasons:

Prior to moving ...

2.3 Latest trends in demand

Environmental performance

The conscious effort to preserve the environment and adhere to ecological standards has not escaped the industrial cleaning market. Other than obvious demands such as effective performance and affordability a new trend in demand is environmental performance of industrial cleaning services and products. This is being increasingly focused on not only by consumers but also by regulators and lobbyist who want to see products and services that have a minimal impact on the environment.

The EU has led this trend as a regulator (***), based on popular demand, through EU Detergent Regulation ***. This ensures that all cleaning products adhere to basic environmental and safety standards. 

However, some companies are taking it a step further and starting to utilise natural ingredients and degradable substances in their cleaning products to be environmentally sustainable. Meanwhile, industrial cleaning in hospitals is focusing on a switch to non-toxic and non-hazardous cleaning solutions, primarily for health reasons, which also have an environmental impact. 

Some companies are investing in R&D to produce environmentally friendly and sustainable products that are equally effective to their non-friendly counterparts.

Multi-use

Historically, there are a multitude of variation of cleaning products based on the function they perform. For example there are ...

3.1 A fragmented market

The industrial cleaning market is very fragmented and this is mainly due to two reasons:

This market is very broad since it includes manufacturers of industrial cleaning, products, equipment, and supplies but also industrial cleaning services providers (***) Companies that provide industrial cleaning services also operate in other segments of the cleaning market (***)

As mentioned above, the cleaning and disinfestation services market was worth almost *.* billion euros in ****. This market accounts for **.*** companies across the peninsula and employs ***.*** people [***].

In **** there were *.*** companies that specialised in industrial cleaning in Italy which employed **.*** people [***].

Breakdown of companies in the industrial cleaning market, by type Italy, ****, in % Source: ****

The cleaning sector is a highly labour intensive sector (***). In this market specifically, on average, **% of the cost of the service is represented by labour. A majority of people employed in industrial cleaning are women.

  Breakdown of industrial cleaning workforce, by gender Italy, ****, in % Source: ****

3.2 Main players

As mentioned above, this market is highly fragmented with numerous SMEs, auto-entrepreneurs and artisans. However, on the scene there are also some larger players which are outlined in the graph below.

Biggest industrial cleaning companies, by revenue Italy, ****, in millions of euros Source: ****

There are also some niche players that specialise in industrial cleaning services for hospitals, or offices or public buildings:

Dussmann Service SRL specialises in industrial cleaning for restaurants, cafes and hotels and has a revenue of around *.* million euros Markas SRL provides industrial cleaning services for hospitals and clinics and has a revenue of ** million euros Roma Multiservizi SPA specialises in industrial cleaning in schools and universities and has a revenue of *.* million euros CNC is specialised in industrial cleaning for train stations and trains with a revenue of * million euros

3.3 Trade fairs and shows: a way for brands to promote their products

There are two exhibitions which industrial cleaning product manufacturers and service suppliers attend in Italy: Host Fiera Milano and EcoMan Rimini. These shows are a way for brands to showcase their new products and innovations.

Host Fiera Milano

Host Milano is the world trade fair dedicated to the world of catering and hospitality. It is held every two years and offers everything you need for a successful restaurant: from raw materials to semi-finished products, from machinery to equipment, from furniture to the table, with an in-depth look at trends, technologies and innovations.

While at first sight it may appear that it is completely unrelated to industrial cleaning it has sections, symposiums and panels dedicated exclusively to machinery and technology. Every two years HostMilano presents the latest news and innovations in terms of equipment and machinery in which technology is the protagonist. This is the main point of focus for industrial cleaning manufacturers who wish to expose their products to their potential Ho.Re.Ca (***) clients.

The **** edition will be the **nd after skipping **** due to the pandemic. In **** ***.*** people attended, an *% increase from the previous year. **% of visitors were not Italian.

Ecomondo Rimini

EcoMondo is an expo that revolves around green ...

4.1 Typology of the offer

The offer of industrial cleaning can be categorized in two sections: services and equipment & products

Industrial cleaning services

This category can be further segmented into the type of service provided by function, or the type of service provided by location in which the service is provided.

Some of the most common type of locations in which industrial cleaning services are provided are listed (***) below:

Floors and surfaces Restrooms Offices, cubicles and conference rooms Laboratories Locker rooms, sports facilities and stadiums Loading docks and warehouses Cafeterias, restaurants, cafes Storage areas Factories and manufacturing plants Silos and exhaust systems Residences

The table below describes (***) industrial cleaning services that are provided.

Source: ****

Equipment & Products

Most of the services mentioned above cannot be done by hand and machinery and products needed to complete the service. 

Below is a list of the most commonly used machines in industrial cleaning

Pressure washers: used to wash brickwork, machines and vehicles. These blast a powerful jet of water in an area which dislodges grime, dirt and other unwanted material. These washers have the modality to spray hot or cold water and cleaning fluids can be added to the water spray Steam cleaners: used to give a deeper and disinfecting ...

4.2 Pricing

The two tables below outline average prices in Italy for industrial cleaning services and machinery.

Source: ****

4.3 Innovative offers

Electrochemically Active Solutions (***)

ECAS have been used in the treatment of drinking water for more than a century, but in recent years a number of companies have been exploring new applications for these water-based solutions. Among them, Envirolyte provides ECAS systems a powerful biocidal liquid, capable of killing bacteria and viruses when diluted in water and sprayed in the air, and Neutral Anolyte, which as well as being useful in water treatment, can be aerosolised to disinfect walls, floor and tools  

ECAS have been tested against , E. coli and spores, and have shown to kill bacteria on surfaces or in suspension in two seconds; much more quickly than traditional cleaning agents such as bleach and alcohol. ECAS can also be generated on-site - reducing the environmental impact of transport - and are formed from simple salts and water, which do not create harmful by-products.

High-pressure carbon dioxide

High-pressure carbon dioxide (***) is currently used to inhibit pathogen growth in dried food and liquid products, and research scientists have recently been exploring its wider use as a disinfection agent, in particular in the sterilisation of foodstuffs, transplant tissues and drugs.

Cold air plasma systems

Cold air plasma systems could potentially be used as ...

4.4 Rental services

In recent years, following growing customer demand and in response to market developments, alongside the more traditional financial solutions of sale and financing, there have been increasing proposals for short and long-term professional rental solutions, culminating in the articulated "Full Rent" formula which includes maintenance and assistance for the entire duration of the contract. A solution that is highly appreciated by the market.

Short-term rental favours small and medium-sized machines, which are more in demand for temporary activities. In fact, the customer can pick up the machine in a short time, often choosing between different models available according to the duration of the rental and the specific cleaning needs of each time.

Long-term rental, on the other hand, is oriented towards small fleets or larger industrial machines left at the full disposal of the user (***). All this is supplemented by dedicated training that supports the customer in the specific training of operators, as well as constant and punctual assistance in the field, which allows the customer to reduce machine downtime to a minimum.

Source: ****

5.1 Regulations

Article * of Ministerial Decree ***/**** defines what cleaning is:

cleaning activities: those that concern the set of procedures and operations aimed at removing dust, unwanted material or dirt from surfaces, objects, confined environments and pertinent areas;  disinfection activities: those concerning the set of procedures and operations aimed at making certain confined environments and pertinent areas healthy by destroying or inactivating pathogenic micro-organisms; sanitisation activities: those which concern the set of procedures and operations aimed at making certain environments healthy through cleaning and/or disinfection and/or disinfestation, or through the control and improvement of microclimate conditions as regards temperature, humidity and ventilation, or as regards lighting and noise.

Industrial cleaning can overlap with all three of these activities and falls under and is regulated by this decree

Registration

Registration is indicated in Law no. **/****, art. *, paragraph *:

"Companies that carry out cleaning, disinfection, pest control, deratization or sanitation activities, hereinafter referred to as" cleaning companies ", are registered in the register of companies referred to in the Consolidated Text approved by Royal Decree ** September ****, n . ****, and subsequent amendments, or in the provincial register of craft companies referred to in Article * of Law * August ****, n . ***, if they meet the requirements of this law"

Sanctions

Article ...

6.1 Segmentation

• GAP S.P.A
• Vivaldi & Cardinio S.P.A
• Pulitecnica Friulana
• Tennant Company
• Columbus
• Karcher