Cleaning in factories is a source of up to 20 work interruptions per day, extra employee stress and significant waste, even though it could be solved.

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 05. 21. 11:40

Up to 20 stops per shift – that’s how many times a machine operator has to leave their work just to reach the cleaning wipes. And three quarters of them take more wipes than necessary. This is revealed by Tork research, which also highlights that this is not only a waste of time, but also a source of wasted inventory, stress and dissatisfaction. With the company’s motion loss calculator, every factory can calculate how much they can save with more efficient cleaning solutions.

Production efficiency does not only depend on machines and work processes – often the biggest losses are caused by those details that do not seem critical at first glance. Such as the use and availability of wiping and cleaning equipment in production plants. According to Tork’s research among machine operators, a significant proportion of workers are forced to interrupt their work at least 20 times a day to go and get the right cleaning agent, wipes or throw away used ones.

Hundred-dollar losses: calculator helps companies assess the scale of waste

“Wipes and cleaning are not just about maintaining order – these small processes can have a serious impact on the productivity and efficiency of the entire plant. Small stops associated with cleaning processes can mean serious, hundred-dollar losses, the processes are not sufficiently efficient,”

– said Géza Nagy, Commercial Director of the Professional Hygiene division of Essity Hungary.

Tork – the brand offering professional hygiene solutions from Essity – has also developed a digital tool based on decades of experience in industrial cleaning to show how much loss can depend on whether cleaning wipes are “available” to workers. The company’s Motion Loss Calculator is an easy-to-use interface that helps identify and reduce losses resulting from motion and inventory waste.