Thank you frontliners: people working during covid pandemic: doctors, nurses, couriers, scientists and janitors. Poster with workers fighting coronavirus disease. Flat vector illustration

Janitors, custodians and other cleaning professionals have been some of the true heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic. As tough as the past year has been, it's frightening to think about how much worse the situation might have been without their expertise. 

In recent months, parents and students have organized gift bags for school custodians, business owners have posted odes of gratitude to their office custodians on social media, and the national media has put custodians in the spotlight as unsung heroes of the pandemic. With National Cleaning Week approaching, GP PRO wanted to see if these moments of goodwill suggest consumer regard for custodians remains high. According to a February 2021 GP PRO survey, it does.

While COVID-fatigue has become a growing sentiment in communities across the country, it has not hampered how consumers regard custodians. This most recent survey found that 55 percent of respondents perceive custodians more highly than they did at the pandemic’s start.

GP PRO conducted an initial June 2020 survey to determine if consumer regard for custodians had increased since the start of the pandemic. At that time, 56 percent of respondents said their perception of custodians had, in fact, increased.

“Hooray for custodians and all those incredibly hardworking men and women who are maintaining schools, hospitals, office buildings, and all facilities during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic,” said Michelle Auda, senior director of insights with GP PRO. “These individuals are among the most deserving of our recognition and gratitude as they continue to put themselves on the frontlines to help ensure our safety. This pandemic at times seems never-ending, so it’s incredibly uplifting that many consumers value those who are helping us all make it through.”