Cleaning is not unskilled work, says award winner

Kelsey Hargreaves (centre) won Rising Star of the Year at the 2024 European Cleaning and Hygiene awards

An award-winning cleaner is challenging the perception that cleaning is an "unskilled" profession.

Kelsey Hargreaves, 26, who works as technical manager at the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) based in Moulton Park, Northamptonshire, says it is a "serious misconception" that the job is easy.

Ms Hargreaves was announced as the winner of the Rising Star of the Year Award at this year's European Cleaning and Hygiene Awards in Portugal earlier this month.

She added: "People think [cleaning] is unskilled. It's not. There's a lot of skills outside of the actual job [operatives] need to have: customer service, teamwork, the ability to work by yourself."

Kelsey Hargreaves said there is "a lot of science" behind the art of cleaning

The UK's cleaning sector contributes nearly £60bn annually to the economy and employs 1.47 million people, according to the British Cleaning Council.

Neil Spencer-Cook, group managing director at BICSc, said the industry faced staff shortages due to "Brexit and fewer people willing to clean", but was exploring "innovative ways" to recruit.

He added one of the ways to increase the profile of the sector was to "scream and shout" about the positives - a trait "Kelsey does so well".

Ms Hargreaves, who started three years ago, said the sector was important to society, adding: "If you don't get something cleaned - everybody notices".

She said: "The work we do really does matter.

"The knowledge you get out of it and the science behind it is something maybe unseen but is definitely prominent."

Neil Spencer-Cook, group managing director at BICSc