The American Cleaning Institute (ACI) launched Cleaning is CaringTM – a new campaign to communicate the value of cleaning in today’s society as a way to protect one another from the spread of illness and encourage consumers to maintain proper cleaning behaviors adopted during the pandemic.
ACI’s Cleaning is Caring initiative is a reflection of new data that demonstrates a significant shift in consumer perceptions of, and motivations behind, cleaning.
In fact, according to a new survey conducted on behalf of ACI, 70% of Americans view cleaning as a way to ensure the health and safety of themselves and their families, compared to only 30% of respondents who view cleaning as just a chore. Additionally, Americans cited the primary motivation to clean was to disinfect and kill germs, a significant shift from 2018 when only 7% of Americans reported cleaning as a way to prevent the spread of germs and illness.
At the centerpiece of the campaign is a new national public service announcement (PSA), which will serve as a primary vehicle to carry the Cleaning is Caring message. The PSA, which will be distributed nationally, provides a retrospective of 2020, demonstrating the role cleaning and cleaning products played during the pandemic and delivering a clear call-to-action to maintain cleaning behaviors learned during the last year.
“Cleaning is Caring sends a powerful message that cleaning should no longer be viewed as just a chore or to be taken for granted. As we witnessed during the pandemic, cleaning, hygiene, disinfecting and laundering products and practices are crucial to public health and well-being, showing care for each other and ultimately ensuring a healthy, safe and robust future for us all,” said Melissa Hockstad, ACI President & CEO. “As an industry, this narrative also represents our commitment to producing, manufacturing and distributing the trusted products Americans rely on. It is our promise to continue to embody the Cleaning is Caring message for consumers through every facet of our work.”
As part of Cleaning is Caring, ACI will continue to offer subject-matter expertise, tools, information and best practices as a resource for consumers throughout the ongoing pandemic, and long after the pandemic ends. It will also serve as a thematic umbrella for ACI programs and resources. To learn more about Cleaning is Caring, visit www.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.
These findings emerged from an Ipsos poll conducted February 16 – 17, 2021 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, the poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for all respondents.