The American Cleaning Institute (ACI)

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Surfactants (yellow) cause water to lose surface tension, which is what keeps water separate from other materials Have you ever seen a bead of water sitting on a surface? This is because water has a property called surface tension. This tension causes water to form a bead on the surface of things like glass or fabric. You can see surface tension at work by placing a drop of water onto a counter top. The drop will hold its shape and will not spread. In order to clean the dirt on our clothes,…
What is Coronavirus According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some of which already circulate among humans and cause mild illness, like the common cold. COVID-19 has symptoms associated with respiratory illnesses, including fever, cough and shortness of breath. It spreads like other respiratory illnesses as well, primarily through person-to-person contact. Cleaning for Coronavirus…
The ingredients in your cleaning products fall into several different categories, added to provide different characteristics and cleaning functions. Each product formula is a careful balance of various ingredients that will work best for what you are trying to clean. For more information about the specific ingredients in a cleaning product, visit the manufacturer's website or look for the product in SmartLabel…
Q How Does Cleaning Affect Your Health? A. Personal hygiene and regular housecleaning are essential to good health and cleaning products can help. Frequent handwashing is key to preventing the spread of microorganisms (also known as microbes or germs) that cause many common illnesses. And regular cleaning of surfaces in the home removes dirt and food particles on which germs can grow.In addition, cleaning…
Understand the language of soaps and detergents. ALCOHOL: A class of organic compounds containing one or more hydroxyl groups. The alcohols used in light duty and liquid laundry detergents are isopropanol or ethanol (ethyl alcohol). These alcohols are used at low levels in liquid detergent formulations to control viscosity, to act as a solvent for other ingredients, and to provide resistance to low and freezing temperatures encountered in shipping, warehousing, and use. &…
What is Norovirus?According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. It is easily spread through direct contact with an infected person, consuming contaminated food or water, or touching contaminated surfaces and the virus can survive on those surfaces for days or weeks. Norovirus outbreaks are common and can affect people of all ages. Public health experts…
What is RSV? According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), RSV, or Respiratory syncytial virus, is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. It can be serious for some, causing bronchiolitis or pneumonia. Cleaning for RSV RSV spreads primarily through virus droplets, either through close contact with an infected person who is contagious or touching a surface with the virus on it. Prevention is particularly…
The use of the terms "natural" and "synthetic" to describe cleaning products has led to some confusion among consumers. The best advice is to avoid making assumptions about safety or performance based on a "natural" label alone. What do the terms "synthetic" and "natural" really mean…
What is Monkeypox? According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), monkeypox is a viral disease in the same family of viruses as the one that causes smallpox, although milder. It can be spread through close contact with a person with monkeypox or touching objects, fabrics, and surfaces that have been used by someone with monkeypox. There is currently an outbreak that has reached several countries and most U.S. states, which is being closely…
Experts agree that frequent handwashing is one of the first lines of defense against many illnesses. But no matter how many times you wash your hands, there are always some sneaky little germs lurking around to hitch a ride on your skin. They loiter on shopping cart handles, linger on light switches, lurk about the phone and even hang around on the remote controls. That's why disinfectants and disinfecting cleaners can be a helpful option…