Research Confirms the UK’s Domestic Cleaning Industry has Boomed Post-COVID
Independent research by polling company YouGov has shown that a record number of UK households are paying to have their home cleaned, with even more of these turning to professional cleaning companies. The results of the nationwide research, commissioned by industry leader Molly Maid, were hardly surprising given the unprecedented demand they have seen for their cleaning services in the past two years.
Marketing Manager for Molly Maid, Kanika Srivastava, said that the increase in the percentage of households employing someone to help with their homecleaning was the largest the company has ever seen in its’ 40-year history. “In 2018, before COVID, our research indicated that one in ten UK households (ten percent) paid someone to help with their homecleaning but research this year indicated that seventeen percent are now paying for this help. That’s an astonishing increase of 70%”.
What’s more the average amount these households pay each month has increased from just under £100 to over £145. These results provide an indicative value for the UK’s housecleaning industry of over £8 billion – up from £3 billion in 2018. Srivastava says that there is no doubt that a focus on cleanliness coming out of COVID has been a key factor in this increase, something that is echoed by the company’s Franchisees. She says that most Franchisees can’t keep up with the number of enquiries received from new customers, with many regularly indicating that finding a reliable cleaner is near impossible. “Search any Facebook community page and you are going to find hundreds of posts for people looking for a cleaner – a combination of the pandemic and BREXIT has caused a shortage of cleaners in the domestic cleaning industry”, says Srivastava. “It’s something that is driving record growth for us at Molly Maid.”
The survey also measures the most recognisable names in the industry and no surprise that Molly Maid again tops the list by a long shot. Srivastava says that a combination of the company’s 40-year history in the UK and instantly identifiable pink and blue colours have helped to make the company a household name in cleaning. “Most people can’t remember how they heard of us, they just know our name.”
Despite the cost-of-living crisis, Molly Maid has set new sales records in 2023, something that Srivastava notes is as much down to a booming market for their services as their leading brand awareness and hard-earned reputation for high quality housecleaning.
For more information about the YouGov research and Molly Maid UK, contact Kanika Srivastava, Marketing Manager, Molly Maid UK, ksrivastava@mollymaid.co.uk.