Survey: Consumer Confidence in Cleaning Products Remains High During Pandemic

• Survey Results Were Presented at ACI & Good Housekeeping’s Discover Cleaning: Inside & Out Virtual Summit

• Nearly Half of Americans Will Clean and Disinfect More This Flu Season

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new national survey reveals 86 percent of Americans are confident in their cleaning products to help protect against coronavirus. This new consumer cleaning and hygiene research was presented as part of the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) and Good Housekeeping’s first-ever joint virtual summit, Discover Cleaning – Inside & Out.

The survey, conducted in September 2020, was designed to tap consumer perceptions and actions around cleaning and disinfecting practices as it relates to the pandemic. With the continued spread of COVID-19 and the coming cold and flu season, Americans are cleaning more than ever before. Nearly half of survey respondents (46 percent) say they will clean and disinfect more this flu season because of the cleaning, disinfecting and hygiene information put into practice due to the pandemic.

“Consumers are confirming their trust in our products to meet their daily needs during the pandemic,” said Melissa Hockstad, ACI President & CEO. “Throughout the past several months, the manufacturers of cleaning products and the chemistries that make them effective have worked around the clock to meet the unprecedented demand for these products, from frontline healthcare providers to millions of homes across the nation.

“As an industry, we are committed to continue meeting the demands of consumers and deliver the products that keep them and their families safe. We are also committed to engaging in transparent and meaningful dialogue around all aspects of cleaning, like we are doing here at the Discover Cleaning Summit.”

The Discover Cleaning summit convened cleaning experts, researchers, manufacturers and the industry’s leading voices to discuss pressing topics such as ingredient transparency and the science and safety behind cleaning and hygiene products.

Key Research Insights:

• 86 percent of Americans are confident in the ability of their cleaning products to protect against COVID-19.
• This confidence is particularly high among older adults (90 percent of those ages 55+ vs. 81 percent among those ages 18-34).
• Most Americans (92 percent) say they use disinfectants on surfaces in their homes.
• When thinking of life post-pandemic, more than half (56 percent) plan to continue wiping down surfaces more often and using disinfecting products such wipes and sprays.

These are the findings from an Ipsos poll conducted September 10-11, 2020 on behalf of the American Cleaning Institute. For the survey, a sample of 1,005 adults ages 18 and over from the continental U.S., Alaska and Hawaii was interviewed online in English. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, both waves of the poll have a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for all respondents.

The American Cleaning Institute® (ACI – www.cleaninginstitute.org) is the Home of the U.S. Cleaning Products Industry® and represents the $60 billion U.S. cleaning product supply chain. ACI members include the manufacturers and formulators of soaps, detergents, and general cleaning products used in household, commercial, industrial and institutional settings; companies that supply ingredients and finished packaging for these products; and chemical distributors. ACI serves the growth and innovation of the U.S. cleaning products industry by advancing the health and quality of life of people and protecting our planet. ACI achieves this through a continuous commitment to sound science and being a credible voice for the cleaning products industry.