Two Years of Living Wage Increases — And the Cleaning Industry Is Feeling It

Did you know the UK National Living Wage has risen significantly over the past two years? In April 2025 it increased to £12.21 per hour, and in April 2026 it rose again to £12.60 per hour for workers aged 21 and over. That's a combined increase of over 10% in just 24 months.

For labour-intensive industries like commercial cleaning — where wages account for 70–80% of contract costs — these increases have a direct and unavoidable impact.

What It Means for Cleaning Contracts

Responsible cleaning contractors pass wage increases on transparently. Those who don't — whose prices never seem to change year on year — are absorbing the cost somewhere else. And that somewhere is almost always your service quality.

Where Corners Get Cut

When a cleaning company absorbs a wage increase without adjusting prices, something has to give:

• Fewer hours — the clean happens faster, but less thoroughly
• Higher staff turnover — underpaid staff leave, meaning new (unvetted) faces in your building
• Reduced materials — cheaper products that don't meet hygiene standards
• Unpaid overtime pressure — operatives rushing to hit targets, missing key tasks

What to Look For in Your Contract Review

If your cleaning contract hasn't been formally reviewed since before April 2025, it's worth asking:

1. Are your staff being paid at least the current National Living Wage of £12.60/hr?
2. Has your contract price been adjusted in line with the April 2025 and April 2026 increases?
3. Are you still receiving the same number of hours and tasks as originally specified?

Summit Clean's Commitment

We pay all our operatives at or above the National Living Wage — and we're fully transparent about how wage changes affect contract pricing. Our clients always know what they're paying for and why.

Thinking about reviewing your cleaning contract? We'd love to help.

---

Areas We Cover

Summit Clean provides commercial cleaning across Bristol and the wider South West, including:

• Bristol — BS1, BS2, BS3, BS4, BS5, BS6, BS7, BS8, BS9, BS10, BS11, BS13, BS14, BS15, BS16, BS20, BS32, BS34, BS35, BS36, BS37, BS48
• Bath — BA1, BA2, BA3
• Cheltenham — GL50, GL51, GL52, GL53, GL54
• Gloucester — GL1, GL2, GL3, GL4
• Weston-super-Mare — BS22, BS23, BS24

Get in touch to discuss your requirements.