By Denise Williams | WFBSC Exchange

While outsiders may assume the learning curve for cleaning jobs is shallow and defined by simple, self-explanatory, or intuitive processes, the professional community knows the industry is far more complex — especially with public health, safety, comfort, and trust hanging in the balance. Cleaners need to know what to clean, how, in what order, and using which equipment and tools, all with an eye toward safety. Training is multi-faceted, evolving, and essential.

But, according to FacilityApps, it doesn’t have to be a financial drain, it doesn’t have to be time-intensive, it doesn’t have to be finite, and it doesn’t have to be tedious. In fact, technology can make for a lively learning experience, according to Dirk Tuip, CEO of the Amsterdam-based firm, whose virtual reality (VR)-based training solution snagged the Innovation Award at Interclean 2026 earlier this year.

“The jury was quite impressed with this product for a number of reasons,” confides Contracting Profits Editor-in-Chief Corinne Zudonyi, a member of the judging panel who manages several other industry publications. She cites four reasons FacilityApps came out on top:

1. The multilingual nature of the software was an aspect that the jury “found to be of tremendous value in this multicultural industry,” according to Zudonyi.
2. With insufficient labor persisting as a challenge for cleaning teams worldwide, she also says there was clear recognition of the potential to impact onboarding and retention in a positive way.
3. The jury was receptive to the software’s gamification format, which Zudonyi says can promote “increased engagement and more effective cleaning.”
4. Finally, she adds, “We also considered the fact that the training is supportive of people who face illiteracy, ADHD, and concentration challenges.”

What clinched the win for FacilityApps, according to Zudonyi, is that judges were convinced that the solution “could be an asset to the people.”

In an interview with WFBSC Exchange, he elaborates on the prize-winning attributes that Zudonyi says helped cinch the coveted Innovation Award.

‘Language Independent’

Imagine, as the owner or manager of a commercial cleaning business, that you draw from a diverse pool of prospective staffers who call different countries home and may be fluent only in their native tongue.

Imagine the complexities of navigating those language barriers as you introduce new hires to the safe and proper way to do their job (including mixing chemicals and working at height, for example), which is often entry-level work where they lack previous experience.

Now imagine being able to onboard multinational, multilingual employees in the language they understand best.

Jan/san operations, facility managers, and even health organizations with their own cleaning teams don’t have to imagine — the technology is here and changing the game for users. FacilityApps outfits learners with high-tech goggles/headsets that deliver both written and audible communication in the user’s preferred language — which is typically different from the instructor’s. “The trainer can talk in his or her language and, at the same time, it is automatically translated via AI (artificial intelligence) to the language of the cleaner,” explains Tuip. That includes 18 different dialects so far, although Tuip says the company aspires to support every language there is.

Welcome On Board

The trainings, plucked from an expanding selection of ready-to-go modules, start with the fundamentals and build from there. The most basic lessons, according to Tuip (pictured), typically support onboarding of a worker — often one new to a country — into an entry-level cleaning job. “You want to explain what cleaning is: how to clean and how to do so ergonomically,” he suggests, and cover additional background knowledge before delving into more detailed learning. Through its data-driven stamps, the app also helps trainers recognize a learner’s need for reinforcement and zoom in on the area of challenge — which, along with periodic retrainings and continuous learning, may alleviate staff turnover.

Get in the Game

While multilingual capabilities and potential recruit-and-retain impacts are big selling points for the VR platform, the gamification component is notable for getting workers invested and interested in their training. That’s particularly true, Tuip agrees, for workers who lack the attention span and/or social skills to thrive in traditional group training environments, where they may feel overstimulated, uncomfortable, or otherwise unequipped to perform well. VR also helps more workers from different backgrounds, such as neurodiverse populations, get a foot in the door, by creating a way for them to succeed as well. “With gaming,” Tuip ventures, “they get more relaxed. They can better control their emotion. What you see is that by training, earning points, finishing certain tasks, and going to a higher level or the next module, they also build confidence. They master new skills.”

More About VR Training

FacilityApps is eager to share even more details about its VR platform, which continues to evolve. There’s a lot to tell, according to Tuip: how clients can customize modules to reflect the very specific work they do, with future capabilities possibly using digital photos to immerse trainees in a replica of their work environment; how the software is a viable solution for national and international cleaners as well as for businesses of all sizes; and how future versions could incorporate social elements that coach learners on how to interact with the people they are likely to encounter while on the job.