As editor-in-chief of Contracting Profits magazine, Sanitary Maintenance's sister-publication for building service contractors, I'm well aware of what cleaning trends your customers are currently embracing. So for this month's cover story we addressed three cleaning techniques growing in popularity: day cleaning, the use of scientific measurements and organization certifications.

These three trends put cleaning in front of building owners and occupants. Day cleaning is done while tenants are still in the building instead of having faceless cleaners work in the dead of night. Science-based cleaning provides definitive measurements that determine the cleanliness level of the space — occupants can't question how well, or if at all, their areas were cleaned. And with the strict audits of cleaning and business protocols required by organization-wide certifications, building owners will know their building is being cleaned by a professional and reputable vendor.

Putting cleaning in the spotlight is not an easy task and to do it successfully building service contractors and in-house professionals will need help from their distributors. Start by familiarizing yourself with these trends and their associated products. Be a partner to customers implementing these trends with appropriate training and product data. And finally, suggest one (or all) of these trends to clients who may need help validating their operations to building owners, or who may need an edge in their market.

Some readers may ask, "what about green cleaning?" To me, the use of environmentally friendly products has gotten so commonplace, I hardly think of it as a trend. It's now mainstream. But for some additional information on green, check out our article that identifies some of the most popular green products currently being used by BSCs and ISPs. See if your current sales match up or use this information to help customers create or improve their programs.