New ACI Survey Reveals Hygiene Gaps That Put Families at Risk During Cold & Flu Season

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WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As Americans brace for yet another cold and flu season, a new survey by the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) reveals 79% of U.S. households miss key opportunities to reduce the spread of illness through proactive cleaning, leaving them at risk.

While 72% of Americans say they change their cleaning habits in some form during cold and flu season, just 22% proactively adjust routines for the entire season - a drop from 27% in 2024, according to the survey conducted by Wakefield Research for ACI. Even more alarming, 46% admit to unhygienic behaviors when sick, including not washing or sanitizing hands after coughing/sneezing (22%) and reusing bedsheets after recovering (19%).

“As cold and flu season brings a surge in illness, along with an increase in COVID-19 and RSV, we all play a role in reducing the spread of germs through smart targeted cleaning and hygiene practices,” said Brian Sansoni, ACI Senior Vice President of Communications and Outreach. “ACI’s survey shows that cleaning smart can help keep us all safe and healthy.”

Which cleaning and hygiene habits are Americans overlooking? The survey results point to several gaps:

• 81% forget at least one area when cleaning, with high-touch spots like light switches (45%), doorknobs (39%), and vents (39%) among the most missed – some of the dirtiest areas of the home.
• Seasonal habits remain unbalanced, with 58% deep cleaning in spring, but only 27% doing so in winter - the season when colds and the flu spread most easily.

“As both a doctor and a mom of small children, I know how easily one person’s cold can turn into a whole household’s problem,” said Maryal Concepcion, MD, FAAFP, a board-certified family physician in rural Calaveras County, California. “The reality is that simple habits—like wiping down doorknobs, light switches and phones, and washing our hands more often—can go a long way toward keeping our families healthier and avoiding days lost to illness.”

Learn more about how to protect your household this cold and flu season with ACI’s science-backed tools and cleaning strategies at www.cleaninginstitute.org/cleaning-levels.

About the Survey

The ACI Cold & Flu Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18+, between August 26th and September 2nd, 2025, using an email invitation and an online survey. The data has been weighted to ensure an accurate representation of nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18+.

Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. For the interviews conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.

American Cleaning Institute

The American Cleaning Institute^® (ACI – www.cleaninginstitute.org) is the Home of the U.S. Cleaning Products Industry^® and represents the $60 billion U.S. cleaning product supply chain. ACI members include the manufacturers and formulators of soaps, detergents, and general cleaning products used in household, commercial, industrial and institutional settings; companies that supply ingredients and finished packaging for these products; and chemical distributors. ACI serves the growth and innovation of the U.S. cleaning products industry by advancing the health and quality of life of people and protecting our planet. ACI achieves this through a continuous commitment to sound science and being a credible voice for the cleaning products industry.