Business View Civil and Municipal | April 2021

15 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL APRIL 2021 • Consumers Maintain Higher Use of Hand Sanitizers, Disinfectants One Year Later • Survey Provides Insights on Potential Shifts in Cleaning Behaviors for the Future A year after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, cleaning practices are still front-and-center for a strong majority of mericans, according to survey data released by the American Cleaning Institute (ACI). A national online consumer survey conducted by Ipsos on behalf of ACI show that 85 percent of respondents are very or somewhat likely to maintain the same level of cleaning practices initially adopted in March 2020, even when the pandemic has passed. Proper cleaning and disinfecting practices are proven to help protect against the spread of germs and viruses, according to ACI. In today’s current climate, as schools and communities across the country begin to reopen and new variants of the virus continue to spread, the cleaning and hygiene habits adopted at the onset of the pandemic will continue to play a crucial role in helping prevent the spread of illness. Results from ACI’s national survey shed light on how and why Americans plan to continue their cleaning and disinfecting behaviors. Key findings include: • Cleaning Products Usage Continues: Of the adopted cleaning, disinfecting and hygiene habits, Americans report an increase in use of the following products since the pandemic began in March 2020: hand sanitizer (72% vs. 59%), disinfectant wipes (55% vs. 44%) and spray disinfectant (42% vs. 36%). • Heightened Hand Hygiene: More than 75% of respondents plan to continue to wash their hands frequently with soap and water and 57% report plans to continue using hand sanitizer frequently in the future. • The Reason to Clean: 73% of Americans cite protecting their own health and wellness, and 62% cite protecting that of others, as reasons to continue their COVID-19 cleaning habits. “The survey results and trends highlighted are encouraging for broader adoption and potential long-term behavioral changes in ACI SURVEY: 85% OF AMERICANS TO KEEP UP CLEANING PRACTICES AFTER COVID OPENING L INES