ACI Launches Updated Small Business Cleaning Guide

Consumers Agree That Cleanliness Matters

• As cold and flu season approaches, 81% of Americans are concerned about cleanliness in offices and retail businesses.
• American Cleaning Institute Offers Updated Free Resource to Help Keep Employees, Customers Healthy and Safe

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The American Cleaning Institute (ACI), the trade association for the cleaning product supply chain, announces the launch of “Clean Means Business: A Guide for Healthy Workspaces,” a free toolkit providing updated cleaning guidance and resources for small businesses.

With the shopping season underway and a triple threat of flu, COVID-19, and RSV circulating, it’s more important than ever for retail stores and other businesses to put health and safety front and center once again. Consumers agree, with 81% of survey respondents noting they were somewhat or very concerned about the cleanliness in offices and retail businesses they visit.

Guidance in the toolkit is adapted from public health recommendations for businesses to ensure a safe and healthy environment through effective cleaning and disinfecting best practices. Resources include:

• Employer Checklist: This checklist has step-by-step guidance on optimizing a workplace cleaning routine.
• “Dirty Dozen” Handout: Focus disinfecting efforts on these frequently-touched surfaces.
• Handwashing Poster: Everyone can use a reminder about hand hygiene best practices.
• Disinfecting Guide: Make sure disinfectants are being used properly in order to effectively kill germs.

“During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, important improvements were made in cleanliness procedures, particularly by retailers,” said Melissa Hockstad, ACI President & CEO. “That focus is still needed and appreciated by consumers, especially as we head into cold and flu season. The hand sanitizer dispensers that now sit unrefilled at many store entrances are not going unnoticed.”

The Clean Means Business Toolkit marks the latest evolution in ACI’s business cleanliness resources, building on the success of its Healthy Returns toolkit, launched in 2021 as business were focused on safely reopening. In addition, ACI offers tailored resources and recommendations for a variety of audiences including parents, college students, childcare providers, and more as part of its Cleaning Is Caring initiative.

Learn more at https://cleaninginstitute.org/CleaningIsCaring.

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.

Methodological Notes:

The ACI Holiday Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,016 nationally representative adults ages 18+, between November 6th and November 12th, 2023, using an email invitation and an online survey. Data has been weighted to ensure an accurate representation of nationally representative adults ages 18+. Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. For the interviews conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.