ACI Report Details Cleaning Product Industry’s Response to COVID-19

Cleaning products have been vital in preventing the spread of infection. During the first few months of the coronavirus pandemic, store shelves were empty of cleaning products including hand sanitizers, disinfectant sprays, and surface and floor cleaning solutions.

This cleaning product shortage in the U.S. was due to an overnight high demand from health care and front-line sectors. Cleaning product companies had to ramp up production and were running 24/7 to keep up with demand. However, some supply chains were stretched thin as other industries experienced limited and reduced production capacity due to the pandemic’s restrictions. The American Cleaning Institute (ACI) released a new report, “Rising to an Unprecedented Challenge: The cleaning products industry’s response to COVID-19,” detailing how the cleaning products industry responded to the coronavirus pandemic.

The report outlines how industry leaders responded to: the national hand sanitizer shortage, caring for colleagues and the community, front-line responders, making public spaces safer for communities, preventing the transmission of infections in hospitals, and sharing critical information.

According to ACI report, the cleaning industry responses included:

• Donations valued at US$709 million to hospitals, nursing homes, food banks, childcare facilities, nonprofits, and other organizations worldwide
• Donations of 10 million units of products and personal protective equipment (PPE)
• 23% average increase in production volume by manufacturers of cleaning and sanitizing products
• Additional capacity within the supply chain to support production of over 427,000 gallons of hand sanitizer globally.