For a long time, “good hygiene” in hospitality and public spaces meant something fairly simple and very visible. Tables were wiped down between guests, floors were mopped at the end of service, bathrooms were checked regularly, and kitchens were cleaned thoroughly before closing. If those boxes were ticked, it felt reasonable to say the job was done.

 

And to be clear, none of that has stopped being important. Surface hygiene remains essential, and no responsible operator would suggest otherwise. However, as 2026 gets underway, there is a growing recognition across hospitality, facilities management, and the wider cleaning industry that focusing only on what we can see no longer tells the whole story. Increasingly, the risks that matter most are sitting in places we don’t instinctively look at, and the biggest of those is the air we all share.

 

 

Every winter follows a familiar pattern. Flu, RSV, norovirus, seasonal colds and long-lasting coughs begin to circulate, venues remain busy, staff absence rises, and rotas start to stretch. Guest confidence can wobble, particularly when illness feels widespread, and operators are left trying to balance service standards with teams that are already under pressure.

 

Health authorities and cleaning professionals are now increasingly aligned on one key issue: airborne transmission plays a significant role in how these illnesses spread. According to UK public health data, respiratory illnesses remain one of the leading causes of workplace absence, accounting for around 40% of sickness-related absences during the winter months. Hospitality and service sectors are often hit hardest, not because teams are careless, but because the work involves close contact, long shifts, and enclosed environments where people share the same air for extended periods.

 

The reality is that even when surfaces are spotless, risk can continue to build if air is not circulating properly or being filtered effectively.

 

 

Hospitality environments bring together many of the factors that make airborne transmission more likely. There is typically high footfall throughout the day, long dwell times for guests and staff, warm indoor temperatures, and kitchens that generate heat, grease, moisture and airborne particles as part of normal operation. Staff often work long shifts in these conditions, especially during peak trading periods.

 

During winter months, when doors and windows remain closed and fresh air intake drops, these conditions can intensify. When ventilation and filtration systems are not performing as they should, the effects are rarely dramatic at first. Instead, they show up gradually, with air that feels heavy, odours that linger longer than expected, kitchens that become uncomfortably hot, and teams who feel more fatigued as the shift goes on. As illness starts to move through a team, the knock-on effects are immediate, creating rota gaps, reducing service capacity, and adding stress at precisely the time when calm and consistency matter most.

 

In recent years, many operators have quite rightly increased cleaning frequency and tightened hygiene routines, particularly around high-touch points such as menus, door handles, card machines and shared equipment. Those measures are still important and should remain part of any good hygiene strategy. However, they are not a silver bullet.

 

Many of the viruses responsible for winter illness spread primarily through airborne particles, especially in indoor spaces with limited fresh air exchange. Research has consistently shown that poor ventilation can significantly increase transmission risk, even in environments that appear visibly clean. As a result, industry conversations are shifting away from cleaning alone and towards a broader view of environmental hygiene, which includes how air enters a space, how stale air exits, and what is being filtered, trapped or recirculated along the way.

 

This is where ventilation, extraction and filtration systems quietly play a much bigger role than they are often given credit for.

 

 

Good air quality in hospitality settings is not about luxury or aesthetics. It has a very practical impact on how well a venue functions, particularly during busy service periods. Properly maintained extraction systems and clean filters help to reduce airborne particles and contaminants, prevent the build-up of grease and moisture in kitchens, maintain consistent airflow during peak service, and minimise stagnant areas where air does not circulate effectively.

 

When these systems are doing their job, spaces cope better with pressure. Kitchens stay cooler, odours are controlled more effectively, and staff can work in conditions that are less physically draining over the course of a long shift.

 

 

It is easy to talk about air quality in technical or operational terms, but its impact is deeply human. Poor air quality has been linked to headaches, fatigue, reduced concentration and increased perceived stress, all of which affect performance and wellbeing. In a sector already facing well-documented recruitment and retention challenges, working conditions play a major role in whether people choose to stay.

 

Clean, well-ventilated environments do more than reduce health risks. They support morale, improve day-to-day comfort, and help teams feel that their working environment has been properly considered, which matters more than ever in 2026.

 

 

Filters are rarely front of mind for operators, largely because they sit out of sight and do their job quietly when they are working properly. Over time, however, filters naturally accumulate grease, dust and particles. As this build-up increases, airflow becomes restricted, systems have to work harder and use more energy, extraction efficiency drops, and heat and contaminants linger in the space.

 

Because this degradation happens gradually, it often goes unnoticed until costs rise, comfort declines, or a system begins to struggle under peak demand. Preventative filter maintenance is one of the least visible but most effective ways to protect both people and operations, helping to avoid reactive callouts, unnecessary energy use and avoidable hygiene risks.

 

 

As expectations around hygiene and wellbeing continue to evolve, many operators are adopting a more preventative approach. This includes regular inspection and replacement of filters, ensuring filtration matches the specific environment, whether front of house or heavy-use kitchen areas, and treating air quality as a core part of hygiene planning rather than an afterthought.

 

This shift is not about adding complexity or workload. It is about reducing friction, removing avoidable risks, and supporting the systems that keep venues running smoothly.

 

 

Public expectations around hygiene have changed permanently. Guests may not ask directly about ventilation systems or filters, but they do notice when spaces feel uncomfortable, stuffy or unwelcoming. Clean air builds confidence quietly, even when it goes unseen.

 

As 2026 unfolds, the venues that perform best are likely to be those that understand hygiene as a whole system, encompassing surfaces, air, people and processes. Clean air is no longer a secondary consideration. It has become part of modern hospitality, supporting health, resilience and day-to-day performance in a sector that cannot afford unnecessary strain.