Cleaning for health is no longer a vague promise, it’s a discipline demanding clear definition, especially as indoor wellbeing moves to the centre of public health conversations. Yet many facility service providers in Australia still struggle to show exactly how their cleaning programs lower exposure to harmful contaminants.

Those who define their Cleaning for Health (CFH) strategy with measurable proof sharpen their competitive edge. Building service contractors and in-house teams who back their work with hard data create real trust – and real value. The secret lies in turning cleanliness into numbers that cannot be ignored.

Bioload exposure indexes and indoor air quality exposure indexes are two powerful ways to put health outcomes at the heart of cleaning practices.

Refining the bioload exposure metric index

The bioload exposure metric index (BEMI) is being developed by the Indoor Exposure Index, a nonprofit group pushing for evidence-based standards that protect human health. BEMI measures the biological load – bioload – on surfaces using adenosine triphosphate (ATP) sampling.

ATP levels reveal how much biological residue is present, standing in for everything from bacteria to chemical soils. The readings, gathered from multiple points, are averaged into a 1–10 scale. A lower BEMI score signals a cleaner, safer environment.

Thousands of field samples are shaping the BEMI scale into a practical tool. Specific areas receive a ‘localised verified exposure’ (LOVE) score – a precise number showing the hygienic condition of each space.

Capturing the indoor air quality exposure index

Australians spend close to ninety percent of their time indoors, according to the Australian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA). Each day, a person breathes in more than 11,000 litres of air. Indoor air quality has never been more critical. An indoor air quality exposure index (IAQ-EI) monitors airborne pollutants in real time. Today’s monitors detect particles as tiny as 0.1 microns, including mould spores, bacteria and viruses.

By integrating these monitors with a building’s ventilation and purification systems, facilities can actively manage air quality. Unlike the EPA’s outdoor Air Quality Index, which monitors pollution across cities, the IAQ-EI focuses inside the walls where people live and work.

Setting up an IAQ-EI means:

• Installing wall-mounted monitors that sample air continuously.
  
• Linking monitors to air purification systems through wifi.
  
• Using pollutant-specific data from manufacturers to pinpoint exposure trends.
  

Turning measurement into opportunity

For cleaning companies, offering a CFH program built on solid metrics is a chance to create meaningful market differentiation. Medical facilities, aged care providers and health-conscious businesses need more than a clean-looking space – they need proof that surfaces and air are truly safer.

CFH programs work by reducing risk. Risk, in its simplest form, is hazard plus exposure and vulnerability. Without data, the risk remains invisible. With indexes like BEMI and IAQ-EI, cleaning teams can make the invisible visible – and act on it.

Measured CFH programs deliver more than hygiene. They build healthier workplaces, foster better outcomes for workers and customers, and create lasting reputational strength for providers who lead the way.

In today’s world, numbers are not just for auditors. They are the new language of trust.

Make informed decisions and set smart goals for your business with the Value of Clean® Report, a compilation of the latest studies and data from around the globe. Make it easier to understand and articulate the value proper cleaning can have on your business’ bottom line with the hard numbers decision makers are looking for.

A version of this article first appeared in CMM.