The way we have been cleaning during this pandemic is worth keeping. That’s a big part of the message in a new campaigned unveiled today by The American Cleaning Institute (ACI). 
 
ACI’s new “Cleaning is Caring” campaign is designed 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.  
 
The initiative is a reflection of new data that demonstrates a significant shift in consumer perceptions of, and motivations behind, cleaning.  
 
According to a new survey conducted in February 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.  
 
Those are important shifts, insists Brian Sansoni, who is senior vice president, communication, outreach and membership at ACI, which represents the $60 billion US cleaning product supply chain ranging from the manufacturers and formulators of soaps, detergents, and general cleaning products used in household, commercial, industrial and institutional settings to the companies that supply ingredients and packaging. 
 
“The past year has been extraordinary on so many levels. Behaviors have shifted; lifestyles have changed…..Cleaning has taken on whole new meaning,” Sansoni told Happi in a phone interview.
 
“Cleaning is caring; it isn’t just a chore,” he said. 
 
Simple acts like hand washing, doing laundry, or having hand sanitizer and soap in the dispensers in the restroom at work show that you care —about yourself, your family, colleagues, customers and patients and your community, he insisted.
 
At the center 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 past 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,” Melissa Hockstad, ACI president and CEO, said in a statement released today. 
 
Since the pandemic began, more than half (57%) of Americans clean and disinfect to show they care for themselves and those around them, said ACI. In addition, nearly half of all Americans (42%) viewed cleaning for their mental health and wellness as more important in 2020.
 
As part of the campaign, 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. “Cleaning is Caring” will also serve as a thematic umbrella for ACI programs and resources, according to the Washington, DC-based association.
 
“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,” added Hockstad.