Cleaning and Maintenance Management

During the past five years, the janitorial services industry has expanded amid intense competitive pressure and shifting customer expectations, IBISWorld’s Janitorial Services in the U.S. report found. A surge of new entrants rushed in to capture post-pandemic demand, driving establishment growth faster than revenue and leaving providers to fight over contracts in a highly fragmented market.

During the past five years, the janitorial services industry has expanded amid intense competitive pressure and shifting customer expectations, IBISWorld’s Janitorial Services in the U.S. report found. A surge of new entrants rushed in to capture post-pandemic demand, driving establishment growth faster than revenue and leaving providers to fight over contracts in a highly fragmented market.

Office space leasing activity established a new post-pandemic high in the second quarter of 2026. The number of leases are up 27% over the trailing 12 months relative to the previous 5-year average, according to JLL. A significant uptick in absorption in the second quarter has driven over 30 million square feet of occupancy gains during the past 12 months. Total vacancy rates are declining aggressively, JLL reported. Availability also has declined rapidly for eight consecutive quarters.

Healthy indoor air quality (IAQ) is crucial to the well-being of your facility’s inhabitants. But inefficient HVAC systems, dusty surfaces and toxic fumes can negatively affect air quality, making breathing difficult and triggering allergy and asthma symptoms. Join CMM on Oct. 21 at 1 p.m. CT for a free webinar— Breathe Easy: Improving Indoor Air Quality—sponsored by Global Industrial and TEAM Software by WorkWave.

Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advanced safety reviews of new chemicals and pesticides while further eliminating the agency’s reliance on animal testing. The new methods will help EPA assess the potential inhalation and oral risks of certain chemicals and pesticides faster and with greater human relevance, advancing the agency’s commitments to transparency, regulatory certainty, and the protection of human health and the environment.

The Fall 2026 issue of Cleanfax opens with three restoration operators who agreed to show their work. In the 2026 Restoration Industry Leaders Review, Krystie Reeves explains why BioteamAZ refuses to widen its scope, Ben Looper describes the culture he built almost by accident at Southeast Restoration, and Mark Springer walks through a private equity sale, a debt crisis and the operator-led comeback that followed.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that July averaged 76.9 F, the warmest month on record (1895–present) for the contiguous United States, and 3.3 F about the 20th century average. Above-average temperatures covered the entire nation, with all states ranking in the warmest third of their July temperature records and none ranking near or below average. Conversely, Alaska had the coldest July average temperature since 2008, NOAA reported.

NSF launched NSF Certified Compact Product, an independent certification that verifies products designed to reduce environmental impact. These certified products are made of optimized material that increases transportation efficiency while maintaining safety, performance and usability. The certification standard, available to all manufacturers and retail channels, addresses the continued need for credible verification of environmental claims.

Building service contractors are optimistic about demand for their services and planning for long-term growth, according to the results of CMM’s 2026 BSC benchmarking survey. Among survey respondents, 85% project an increase in gross sales revenue for 2026, and more than half of those (67%) expect growth 6% or higher. Most BSCs (61%) are targeting commercial office and property management facilities for their client base growth.

Most of the poor IAQ culprits are ordinary building elements that cleaning and maintenance professionals handle all the time: HVAC systems, flooring, insulation, and paint.