Skilled, trained and trusted – the real value of professional cleaning services
Cleanliness is often taken for granted, but its impact on our economy, our health, and our everyday lives is anything but invisible. Every day, the cleaning industry quietly supports essential sectors such as healthcare, education, tourism, hospitality, and retail, keeping workplaces and public spaces safe and clean.
In 2023, New Zealand’s cleaning industry contributed around $1.6 billion to the economy and directly employed an estimated 52,700 people. Since 2014, the sector has experienced strong and steady growth, with annual rates typically between 3% and 8%, outperforming the average New Zealand business.
Two-thirds of cleaning businesses in New Zealand are owner-operators, just like our CrestClean franchise owners. These are people who have invested in their own businesses, take pride in their work, and understand the responsibility that comes with caring for their customers’ environments.
Delivering value you can see
Much of commercial cleaning happens after hours and out of the public eye. But behind the statistics are people doing meaningful, skilled work. Despite the importance of this role, access to formal training in the commercial cleaning sector remains limited.
We believe training is what turns a good cleaner into a great one. It’s how we make the invisible visible. When teams are properly trained, they work with efficiency and confidence – and customers notice the difference.
“Having professional industry training helps our personnel become much more efficient at their tasks, and their productivity greatly increases.” – Liezl Foxcroft, General Manager Training, Safey & Wellbeing.
Raising the standard across the industry
CrestClean is committed to raising the bar for the cleaning industry. We are New Zealand’s largest trainer of cleaning personnel, setting best-practice standards through ongoing training and development. Each year, we host more than 400 training events nationwide, ensuring our teams consistently meet internationally recognised standards.
All CrestClean personnel receive their training through the Master Cleaners Training Institute (MCTI), a New Zealand–based organisation. Through professional training, CrestClean doesn’t just improve our own operations – we raise expectations across the sector, helping cleaning professionals gain the recognition and credibility they deserve.
A cornerstone of MCTI’s training is the Certificate in Commercial Cleaning (CCC) – also known as a “Licence to Clean.” This programme is specifically designed for New Zealand’s commercial cleaning sector and covers practical cleaning techniques, proficiency assessments and health, safety, and environmental procedures.
Our training programmes align with international best practice, including the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc), NZQA Level 3 in Cleaning with Contagion Prevention, and the South Australian Healthcare Cleaning Standard (2021).
The result is professional cleaning services that are effective and noticeable. Our customers experience the difference in every space we maintain, knowing that the people behind the cleaning equipment are qualified professionals who take pride in the work they do.
