ISSA Campaign Emphasizes the Importance of Cleaning Industry in Pandemic

This week, ISSA launched an advocacy campaign entitled “Cleaning Industry IS Essential.” The purpose of the campaign is to urge elected officials across the United States— including state legislators, governors, members of Congress, and the White House—to recognize the cleaning industry supply chain as essential, providing products and services that are indispensable in the effort to combat the spread of COVID-19.

ISSA members play a vital role in protecting the public health through the manufacture of cleaning equipment, cleaning products, sanitizers, and disinfectants, as well as by providing contract cleaning services to hospitals, residential care facilities, schools, and institutional buildings across the country. Many ISSA members produce hospital grade disinfectants that are registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for use against emerging pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Governments throughout the U.S. are understandably taking drastic steps in some instances to combat the rapid transmission of COVID-19, including shutting down businesses deemed non-essential. As elected officials contemplate any shelter in place orders, ISSA respectfully requests these officials specifically deem the production and transport of cleaning products and commercial cleaning and janitorial services as essential operations that should continue during any mass closures. In less than one day, more than 5,000 messages to 1,513 elected officials in 47 states were sent urging them to recognize the cleaning industry as essential.

“We thank our members for the robust response thus far to this campaign and for all they’re doing to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic,” said John Nothdurft, ISSA Director of Government Affairs. “If you haven’t already done so, please take 60 seconds to send this important message and encourage your customers, employees, and vendors to do so as well.”

Urge Your Elected Officials to Designate the Cleaning Industry as Essential

ISSA is working diligently to support the full spectrum of the cleaning industry, the U.S. and the world during the COVID-19 emergency. We launched the Coronavirus Government Response Update to keep ISSA members up to date on fast-moving government affairs related to the pandemic. ISSA also is offering a free webinar from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. CT on March 25 as part of National Cleaning Week (March 21-28, 2020) on how governments in the U.S. are responding to COVID-19 as these actions impact the cleaning industry. 

For questions regarding ISSA’s response to the COVID-19 emergency, please contact John Nothdurft at [email protected].