Norwegian cleaning research: an overview and categorization

PurposeThis article aims to summarize Norwegian cleaning‐related research to give an overview of the knowledge held today and to categorize the approaches used.Design/methodology/approachThe research is based on an extensive literature search. Research contributions from 1814 until 2009 were studied, even though the main findings are from 1950. The different disciplines contributing to research are mapped and the contributions are categorized based on different research approaches, namely positivism, interpretivism, realism and idealism.FindingsNorwegian cleaning‐related research experienced a burst in publications from the 1990s.The majority of Norwegian cleaning‐related research has been positivistic, mostly based on realism. The least common approach used was interpretivism‐idealism and interviews were the most frequently used method in interpretivisitc contribution. The article indicates a need for further broadening in research methods.Research limitations/implicationsThrough categorizing existing knowledge the article will help when searching for information and thus stimulate more research as limited research exists within the field.Practical implicationsThe paper represents a summary of the knowledge status in cleaning with a Norwegian perspective. It is believed that the general picture also has international relevance.Social implicationsFew researchers have investigated cleaning work from the perspective of cleaning personnel. It should also be noted that there has been little focus on the usability of buildings for cleaning personnel.Originality/valueThis article may be the first historical overview of Norwegian cleaning‐related research.