OCS in 2025 is a multi-faceted, dynamic FM company delivering a slew of bespoke and standardised services, from hard services to car parking management to security, to 8,000 customers worldwide. Still, we are a company that started with a mop, a bucket, and a dream. Cleaning is the bedrock of our company, the foundation upon which our success has been built. From humble beginnings with a mop and a bucket, OCS has grown into a global facilities management leader, demonstrating that excellence in cleaning translates into excellence in every service we provide.
The Science of Cleaning: A Legacy of Innovation
So, it makes sense that in 1965, Mrs. Allen, a cleaning supervisor who by that time had already been working at OCS for 25 years, proclaimed, “Office cleaning is almost a science now.” Six decades ago, OCS was already demonstrating its understanding of how complex cleaning was and continues to be, even more so in our times of evolving technology and scientific breakthroughs.
This year, we celebrate our 125th anniversary—over a century of facilities evolution, of cleaning evolution. But beyond the progress in techniques, equipment, and products, one aspect remains unchanged: cleaning has long been a profession dominated by women, and yet it has not always received the respect it deserves. For Women’s History Month this March, we’re reflecting on the history and legacy of women who were pivotal in making OCS the business it is today.
Elma Milligan and Cassie O’Neil
Molly MacTaggart
The reality of cleaning work can be seen in the recollections of the wrongfully stereotyped “Mrs Mopps” of the past, such as Elma Mlilligan, Cassie O’Neil, and Margaret Taylor, who cleaned Glasgow’s offices before the city awoke. They worked in near silence, navigating dimly lit, empty offices before employees arrived to gleaming desks and emptied bins. Yet their hard work often went unnoticed—save for the occasional Christmas whisky from appreciative employers.
Breaking Stereotypes: Cleaning as a Respected Profession
Through the years, women like Molly MacTaggart continued this legacy, taking cleaning to a new level. Supervising major events such as the Bell’s Scottish Open Championships at Gleneagles and concerts at Hampden Park, Molly and her team worked tirelessly, often from dawn until late at night, ensuring everything remained spotless. Cleaning, in this sense, has always been a business of dedication, skill, and resilience.
Scottie, OCS’s first female contract manager, who we covered for this year’s International Women’s Day, echoed a sentiment still felt today: “The Mrs Mop types have long since gone, and today’s cleaners are better educated and of a better class. I think it’s about time this business lost its ‘not quite respectable’ image and was regarded as a business like any other.”
Yet, even today, the perception of cleaning as an undervalued profession persists. A 2021 study by the British Cleaning Council found that although the UK cleaning industry contributes over £55 billion to the economy, many workers still face a lack of recognition for their essential role. Ellie Heffernan, a current OCS cleaner working at Solihull College, who we spoke to last year for Thank Your Cleaner Day, reminds us of this:
“I think people should appreciate cleaners more. There’s a lot of hard work that goes into keeping places clean, and cleaners are often looked down upon. People often don’t realise how much work and skill goes into cleaning. It’s not just about mopping or dusting; it’s about using the right products and avoiding cross-contamination.”
As we celebrate our 125th anniversary, we must also take a moment to celebrate the people behind our success. The women who worked tirelessly before dawn. The supervisors who elevated cleaning to a professional discipline. The cleaners of today who ensure that hospitals, schools, offices, and public spaces remain safe and sanitary for all.
Cleaning is not just a job; it is an essential service that underpins the health, productivity, and well-being of our communities. And as we look to the future, one thing is certain: cleaning has always been, and will always be, a profession worthy of respect.
