Redefining ‘women’s work’: the unsung heroes of the cleaning industry

07th Mar

Hull-based commercial cleaning company Lemonclean is redefining the meaning of ‘women’s work’ this International Women’s Day (March 8), celebrating the extraordinary and crucial work its team completes on a daily basis.

Those that work in the cleaning industry often go under the radar; it’s an invisible, thankless and often underappreciated job. However, in reality many workplaces wouldn’t be able to function properly or safely without the crucial and extraordinary work put in by hard-working and dedicated commercial cleaning teams.

Vicky Doyle, founder of Lemonclean, said: “The work our teams complete can be very physically demanding, and require many very early starts and late finishes. We can work alongside all kinds of businesses, from manufacturing sites and chemical parks to medical environments, so making sure cleans are completed to the highest standard is vital from a contamination point of view.”

During the pandemic cleanliness and hygiene became even more important, with the team at Lemonclean being given key worker status. And now, in 2024, the team is still responsible, every day, for providing safe, clean work environments for its clients.

With a range of internationally recognised accreditations and credentials reflecting the highest industry standards, Lemonclean often completes challenging projects working alongside construction companies at different NHS sites, recently completing a construction clean at a new Urgent Care facility.

Whilst CEOs and senior management in commercial cleaning teams tend to be male-dominated, Lemonclean has bucked this trend, creating a strong all-female management team alongside its predominantly female cleaning team, who manage childcare, blended families, carer roles and other family commitments together with their cleaning roles.

Vicky added: “We pride ourselves on having a hard-working, reliable and conscientious team that delivers excellent results. Our business is built on the strengths and talents of our people and this is reflected in the work we complete.”

HEY spring 2025

In this issue:

  • This is just the beginning, says Nikki Blowers as Eazy Rooms marks 10 years
  • The Cherry Group: home improvements without the hassle
  • Why Gareth Laycock of HubXpert is taking on the logistics giants
  • Meet the couple behind Eco Group Hull
  • Plus lots more…