First-of-its-kind report finds universities spend millions on cleaning

A landmark report has revealed that UK universities are spending an estimated £300million annually on cleaning academic and residential buildings.
The ‘Cleaning Services Benchmarking Review 2025,’ produced by the Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE) and facilities management experts Litmus FM, offers the most detailed look yet at sector-wide cleaning costs.
With 72 per cent of universities facing a financial deficit by the 2025-26 academic year, and a number of