“Cleanliness Is Not Something to Be Taken for Granted”

For twenty-five years, Mihály Radnó has built his cleaning business largely on word-of-mouth recommendations. He trains new employees for up to three months and is already preparing for a future in which robots will play an increasingly important role in the industry. But while technology may take over some of the work, he believes that quality, expertise and a human approach will remain difficult to replace.

Mihály Radnó did not set out to become a cleaning entrepreneur overnight. Before launching his own business, he worked in a variety of jobs — as a porter, a telephone network installer, a newspaper delivery man and alongside construction workers. By the time he started his business in December 1999, he already had five years of experience in the industry.

But the most important lessons were not only about cleaning techniques. "I learned how the work should be done, but I also learned how to deal with people," he says. That second lesson has remained one of the foundations of his business.

Cleaning up after construction is not just about cleaning

For nearly a decade, Radnó specialised in post-construction cleaning, one of the most demanding areas of the profession. The problem is often timing. Cleaning specialists may arrive months after the construction work has finished, by which time materials that could have been easily removed when fresh have hardened or dried onto surfaces.

Removing them can then become a specialist job — and, in some cases, an expensive one. Poorly protected marble flooring, for example, can require restoration that costs more than the original installation.

"There are two things that should change in construction. Sensitive surfaces need to be properly protected, and cleaning should be included in the project plan from the beginning."

It sounds simple. Yet these two steps could prevent considerable damage and unnecessary costs.

A clean office is a shared responsibility

Office cleaning comes with a different kind of challenge. Sometimes, the biggest obstacle is not the dirt but the desk.

In some workplaces, employees put away personal belongings and organise their documents before the cleaning team arrives. In others, every available centimetre of the desk is covered with papers, personal items and office equipment.

This is why the company makes the conditions clear in its contracts: a surface can only be thoroughly cleaned if the cleaner can actually reach it. A monitor, keyboard, mouse and telephone are one thing. A desk covered with paperwork and personal belongings is another.

"It may sound like a small detail, but it has a direct impact on the quality of the work," Radnó explains. "You cannot clean a surface you cannot access."

The business also requires constant investment in equipment. Vacuum cleaners, industrial machines, cleaning cloths and mop heads all have to be replaced and maintained. Large warehouses and shopping centres are increasingly suited to industrial cleaning machines. A crowded office, however, is a different story.

Robots with mops — or instead of people?

The future of cleaning is increasingly linked to automation. Autonomous sweeping and scrubbing machines are already operating in industrial environments, performing tasks that once required people to be present throughout the entire process.

Until recently, Radnó himself would not have expected the technology to develop so quickly. A conversation with an artificial intelligence specialist changed his perspective.

"The possibility of machines replacing certain types of human work is much closer than I previously thought," he says.

Today's industrial cleaning robots can work independently, but they are not perfect. An obstacle such as a pallet can still create problems. A robot may avoid it successfully but fail to return to the original route and complete the area properly.

Once these practical challenges are solved, however, the impact could be significant. In large, predictable spaces such as warehouses and industrial halls, the need for human labour may decline.

For businesses, automation offers more than technological progress. Machines can work at scheduled times, perform predictable tasks and do not call in sick. In an industry struggling with labour shortages and reliability issues, that matters.

"Everyone can clean — but not everyone delivers quality"

Cleaning is often seen as a job that requires little specialist knowledge. Radnó strongly disagrees.

There is a significant difference, he says, between completing a cleaning task and delivering genuinely professional work.

"The profession can be learned. But attention to detail, knowledge of different surfaces, care and reliability do not come automatically."

That is why new employees receive serious training. When necessary, Radnó spends up to three months teaching them the basics of the profession. If someone still cannot master the essential skills after that period, the working relationship has to end.

But professional knowledge alone is not enough. The relationship with clients matters too. Radnó has learned to choose carefully who he works with. He has even walked away from clients whose behaviour he found disrespectful — despite the fact that every business needs revenue.

The principle is simple: money matters, but not at any price.

Why is staff turnover so high in cleaning?

High employee turnover is one of the industry's persistent challenges. According to Radnó, the explanation is not simply low wages or physically demanding work. It also comes down to how people are treated.

In many workplaces, cleaners receive little recognition. A simple thank-you is not always part of the culture.

In his own company, some employees have stayed for as long as six years. His approach is straightforward: get to know the people you work with.

He knows when his colleagues are facing difficulties and tries to treat them as individuals rather than simply as employees. That approach has a direct business value.

Cleaning companies sell reliability as much as they sell cleaning. When a cleaner fails to arrive at the agreed time, the consequences can go far beyond an untidy office. It can disrupt the client's operations and create an immediate organisational problem.

Twenty-five years without relying on advertising

For a quarter of a century, Radnó's business has grown primarily through recommendations. He has tried advertising, but he believes personal recommendations can be more powerful.

An advertisement makes a promise. A recommendation comes with someone else's experience.

That does not mean the business can afford to stand still. Equipment costs are rising. Maintaining quality is a constant challenge. Finding reliable employees remains difficult. And technological change is accelerating.

For Radnó, however, cleaning is still more than a service. It is also a creative process.

His greatest satisfaction comes from seeing a dramatic transformation: a heavily soiled apartment becoming a clean, organised and pleasant home. That sense of transformation is what attracted him to the profession in the first place — and what still keeps him motivated today.

People will not disappear from the industry overnight — but their role will change

Over the next five to ten years, human workers and automated systems are likely to work side by side. Robots will increasingly take over repetitive tasks in large, open and predictable environments. Human expertise, however, will continue to matter in complex spaces, when dealing with sensitive materials and when unexpected problems require judgement and experience.

The real question is not simply when robots will replace cleaners. It is whether businesses and employees will be ready to adapt.

Quality may be the deciding factor. Those who are reliable, take pride in their work and possess genuine professional knowledge will have a stronger chance of remaining competitive. Those who assume that cleaning requires no particular expertise may find themselves left behind.

Because cleaning has never been simply about removing dirt. It is about taking responsibility for a space entrusted to you — and delivering work where the result is clearly visible.

And perhaps the construction industry should take one more lesson from this: protect sensitive surfaces and plan the cleaning in advance. Because cleanliness should not be an afterthought at the end of a project. It is part of doing the job properly.

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