By now in 2026, modern warehouses are fast-paced, 24/7 logistics nerve centres, driven by a near constant demand for same-day or next-day goods. Whether it’s a large distribution centre or a SME, there’s often little room for disruption and intense pressure to deliver goods quickly and accurately. Any amount of planned or unplanned downtime is therefore bound to cause varying degrees of disruption, from On-Time In Full penalties, recovery costs, reputational damage and more.
Unfortunately, when downtime is discussed, people often focus on failing machinery or the need to replace worn components. But in warehouse environments, also plays a crucial role. If neglected, dust and loose materials will build up on machinery or high-level surfaces that can contribute to fire load, or products can get contaminated. Reactive cleaning also exacerbates the length and urgency of unplanned shutdowns. Treating cleaning as part of preventative maintenance, rather than emergency last minute housekeeping, helps managers stay afloat of any cleaning challenges which may arise.
Unplanned downtime statistics for Fast Moving Consumer Goods
SIEMENS’ 2024 The True Cost of Downtime Report shares some interesting statistics on the cost of unplanned downtime for industrial sectors. While the cost per downtime hour for Fast Moving Consumer Goods has remained relatively stable since 2019, with the average hour costing $36,000, it is the only sector where the number of unplanned downtime hours per plant has increased significantly. This may suggest a trepidation to invest in predictive maintenance, instead of persevering with a “run-to-failure” mindset. However, with many distribution centres operating according to “On Time, In Full” metrics, downtime is a luxury that simply cannot be afforded. It is therefore imperative that warehouses and logistical centres adopt a proactive rather than reactive mindset to remain one step ahead of unplanned downtime risks.
Causes of unplanned downtime in warehouses – from an industrial cleaning perspective
Unplanned downtime rarely comes out of nowhere. In many cases, it builds gradually – and emergencies happen when red flags aren’t resolved at the outset.
From a cleaning perspective, downtime can be caused by:
- Dust and loose materials accumulating on surfaces, including conveyor belts, motors or sensors. This could either result in weakened machinery or a failed audit (especially with sensitive goods like pharmaceuticals or food and beverage production)
- Dust and combustible particles building on high level surfaces such as wall panels, girders, purlins or lighting infrastructure. Not only does this increase the fire load, but it can cause non-compliance issues during an audit
- Spoiled products due to contamination from dust and debris
The fast-paced nature of supply chains can increase the appeal of a “run-to-failure” mindset, where cleaning and preventative tasks are delayed because production feels too busy to pause.
However, if issues are noted too late, for instance days before an audit, inspection or client visit, emergency reactive cleaning can cause more problems than necessary. It forces you to take action in a way that disrupts production, potentially causing parts of your facility to shut down. Emergency cleaning is also commonly more expensive than pre-planned projects.
How to schedule industrial cleaning without disrupting production
One of the biggest objections to proactive cleaning is: “we don’t have time to stop.”
But scheduling doesn’t necessarily mean shutting down the entire warehouse at once. A structured plan allows cleaning to work around operations, not against them. For example, cleaning could be scheduled during planned shutdowns, bank holidays, seasonal quiet periods, night shifts, or weekends. A successful approach often involves zone-based scheduling, identifying segmented areas and prioritising those that are high-risk. This is especially true for 24/7 facilities, as this method allows you to focus on one area at a time, allowing production to continue around the cleaning team.
At the end of the day, planned downtime is inevitable. The difference is whether you use it strategically. A mindset of advance planning and investment capitalises on the shutdowns you’re already having – it’s the golden ticket to staying in control of your operational productivity, as well as Health & Safety on site.
Concluding thoughts: proactive vs reactive cleaning
As shown in the infographic above, reactive cleaning responds after a problem appears – an accident, visible dirt before an audit, a fire clean up, etc. Planned cleaning prevents those problems from occurring in the first place and hence reduces the risk of those dreaded hours of unplanned downtime. Scheduled cleaning that’s planned around the specific needs of your facility puts you in control, allows operations to run more seamlessly, and reduces the stress that comes with last minute fixes. What’s more, working with an experienced who understands live operational environments ensures that access, phasing and safety controls are agreed in advance.
Plan properly now, and you’ll save time, money and operational headaches down the line.
About the author
Leonie Leeder is the Marketing Manager for Kingfisher Industrial Services Ltd, an industrial cleaning and painting company that helps manufacturers, warehouses and industrial facilities across the UK.
