from the editor
from the editor
Americans’ Self-Reported Cleaning Habits: Good News for the Healthcare Sector?
Nearly all surveyed American consumers( 97 %) think cleaning and hygiene are important for public health and the health of their communities according to survey data released in March by the American Cleaning Institute( ACI). Seventy-four percent of survey respondents say they have changed their cleaning habits to improve their health. Respondents also agreed that cleaning has a positive impact on both their physical health( 91 %) and their mental health( 84 %).
During National Cleaning Week( March 23-29, 2025), it’ s appropriate to consider how important it is to address consumer cleaning, since all healthcare professionals are also individuals with their own households to run and keep sanitary. In the years following COVID’ s focus on hygiene, it’ s no surprise that Americans may continue to retain improved habits.
According to the survey, the following cleaning and hygiene practices Americans report as prioritizing to stay healthy:
● 61 % washing hands
● 56 % cleaning toilet and shower
● 51 % disinfecting frequently touched surfaces
● 47 % doing laundry
It’ s a great time for infection preventionists( IPs) to make the connection between home-hygiene habits and those that are practiced in the healthcare environment as part of the larger infection prevention and control initiative. If healthcare personnel feel strongly about keeping their loved ones safe from infection, they’ ll think twice about wearing their contaminated scrubs home, and it could open up a dialogue about the need for the healthcare institution to address its policies around home-laundering of scrubs, for example. Or it could lead to a discussion about the differences between consumer microfiber products and healthcare-grade microfiber cleaning cloths used in the hospital and the criticality of proper mechanical cleaning technique. We hope these and other conversations are the next step toward making the connections for improved patient and healthcare worker safety.
Until next time, bust those bugs!
Kelly M. Pyrek Editor & Publisher Kelly @ healthcarehygienemagazine. com healthcarehygienemagazine
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Kelly M. Pyrek kelly @ healthcarehygienemagazine. com
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4 • www. healthcarehygienemagazine. com • mar-apr 2025