Eighty-six percent of Americans are confident in the ability of their cleaning products to protect against COVID-19

Washington, DC, September 18, 2020 — Eighty six percent of Americans are confident in the ability of their cleaning products to protect against COVID-19, up significantly compared to 82% who said the same thing in March 2020. The American Cleaning Institute/Ipsos poll finds that when it comes to hand hygiene, two thirds are currently washing their hands with soap and water more frequently compared to before the spread of COVID-19 - and another 62% report using hand sanitizer more often. Though hand washing has decreased substantially compared to results seen in March, the use of hand sanitizer has increased by more than ten percentage points. In light of the pandemic, almost half of adults surveyed plan to clean and disinfect even more this coming flu season – especially young adults and parents.

Detailed Findings

Most Americans have adjusted their hand hygiene practices since the spread of COVID-19 – including roughly two thirds who say that they are washing their hands with soap and water (64%) and using hand sanitizer (62%) more frequently. Only 10% say that they have not made any changes to their hand hygiene practices.

• Compared to a similar survey asked in March 2020, the proportion who report washing their hands more often has declined significantly (78% in March 2020). However, the use of hand sanitizer is up considerably (46% in March).
• Additionally, half (51%) say that they are more mindful about washing their hands for at least twenty seconds (down considerably compared to 58% in March).
• When it comes to specific hygiene/cleaning products, Americans are most likely to be using hand sanitizer more now than they were before the spread of COVID-19 (72%) – and this has gone up significantly since March 2020 (59%).
• Six in ten (62%) also report using hand soap more now than before the spread of the coronavirus (vs. 69% in March). At least two in five also report using multi-purpose disinfectant wipes (48% vs. 44% in March), paper towels (43% vs. 35% in March) and multi-purpose spray disinfectants (40% vs. 36%).
• The use of toilet/bathroom cleaner (30%) and bleach (23%) has also increased over the past few months (23% and 19% in March 2020, respectively), with at least a quarter saying that they use these products more now than they did pre-pandemic. On the other hand, one in ten are not using any of these products more.

Nearly half (46%) say that they will clean and disinfect more this coming flu season because of what they’ve learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, especially adults under the age of 55 (53%), those in the top income bracket (53% of those with a HHI of $100,000 or more), and parents with children under the age of 18 living at home (64%).

• In contrast, 35% will continue their new routine since the pandemic started and 18% will maintain their pre-pandemic cleaning routine.
• Thinking of life post-pandemic, more than two thirds plan to continue washing their hands more frequently (68%) once COVID-19 is over, and the majority also plan to continue wiping down surfaces more often (56%) and using disinfecting products such as sprays and wipes (52%). Two in five also say that they plan to continue wearing a mask (39%) once COVID-19 is over.

Confidence in cleaning products is high, with 86% trusting that their cleaning products will protect against the spread of virus (compared to 82% in March). Confidence in business cleanliness is also high, with 65% saying they think businesses are cleaning enough, versus 29% who think that they are not and very few (6%) who say they are cleaning too much.

• Confidence in cleaning products is particularly high among older adults (90% of those ages 55+ vs. 81% of those ages 18-34). Those over the age of 55 are also significantly more likely feel as though businesses are generally cleaning enough (72% vs. 59% of those ages 18-34).
• When it comes to businesses, schools and other public locations, just over half feel these are maintaining an adequate level of cleanliness in preparation for cold and flu season (51% vs. 30% who say they are not and 19% who haven’t thought about it).
• The vast majority expect businesses to take steps in order to maintain a safe environment, primarily ensuring frequent wipe-downs of surfaces (77%) and providing hand sanitizer for customers (73%). More than half also expect businesses to provide disinfecting wipes for customers (55%) and have signage displaying cleanliness measures and regulations (53%). Only five percent do not expect businesses to undertake any of these cleaning and disinfection measures.

Effectiveness is top rated when it comes to important qualities to consider when choosing a cleaning product (74%). Cost (48%) and multi-purpose function (43%) come in next, though at a distance.

• Most Americans (92%) say they use disinfectants on surfaces in their homes (compared to 8% who say that they don’t use such products). When using disinfectants in their home, a third (31%) spray and then wipe immediately – up considerably compared to the proportion who said the same thing in March (26%). Another 17% make a quick pass with a disinfectant wipe and 15% spray and leave until air dried.
• One in four (23%) keep the surface wet with disinfectant wipes for as long as recommended on the label.
• When asked what prevents them from maintaining proper hand hygiene/cleaning and disinfecting practices, Americans are most likely to cite concerns about chemicals in products (21%) and lack of access to products (20%). At least one in ten also say skepticism (14%) and/or lack of time (11%) are stopping them from maintaining proper hand hygiene and cleaning practices. However, nearly half (48%) say that they have not experienced any of these barriers.

These are the findings from an Ipsos poll conducted September 10 - 11, 2020 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 poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for all respondents.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Chris Deeney
Senior Vice President, US
Public Affairs
[email protected]

Ashley Belanger
Contractor, US
Public Affairs
[email protected]

Marie-Pierre Lemay
Director, US
Public Affairs
[email protected]

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