Two recent polls from the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) find while Americans are using more cleaning products due to COVID-19, the majority do not consistently store cleaning products safely.
During National Safety Month, there is an unprecedented need to stay vigilant about safe habits as we clean and launder more frequently. ACI’s national safety campaign, Packets Up!, reminds parents and caregivers that health and safety go hand-in-hand – and proper use and storage of all cleaning supplies, including liquid laundry packets and other laundry detergents, will help prevent accidental exposures.
Recent ACI polling revealed cleaning and storage insights:
- 53 percent of people reported using cleaning products more frequently since COVID-19 outbreak*
- 60 percent of people reported storage practices that are not recognized as safe**
- For example, 47 percent of families with children age six or younger reported their liquid laundry packets are stored within reach and sight**
“We remind parents and caregivers to prioritize the safe handling and storage of everyday cleaning products, including popular items like liquid laundry packets,” said Brian Sansoni, ACI Senior Vice President, Communications. “By implementing safe storage practices throughout the home, Americans can make their homes cleaner and safer while helping to prevent accidental exposures.”
ACI shares some quick tips to help our homes stay ‘laundry safe’:
- Detergent, Not Décor: Always keep liquid laundry packets tightly secured in their original packaging, which is designed to be difficult for children to access. Never display packets in a glass jar or vase, where they could attract the attention of curious children.
- Do it Right – Up High and Out of Sight: Store liquid laundry packets in an overhead cabinet secured with a child safety lock. If you don’t have a cabinet available, place liquid laundry packets (in the original packaging) into a larger bin with other laundry and household products and put it up high where those at risk won’t be able to see it.
- Remind Yourself to be Safe: Order a free safety cling from PacketsUp.com and put it on your washer or laundry cabinet as a safe storage reminder.
* These findings are from an Ipsos (www.Ipsos.com) poll conducted between March 18-19, 2020. For this survey, a sample of 1,005 adults age 18+ 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.
** These findings are from the 2020 ACI Cleaning Survey, conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults, ages 18+, between February 10 and February 18, 2020, using an email invitation and an online survey. 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 for the sample.
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.