At Home

Today’s household cleaning products are designed to make the task easier, quicker, and more enjoyable – lightening the load of domestic chores and taking less time.

In our homes, the regular washing of clothes and bed linen reduces the dust and dirt that can cause allergies and removes the food participles that can encourage mice and insects. In specific areas such as kitchens, bathrooms and toilets, routine cleaning and disinfection when needed reduces the levels of fungi which can grow in damp places and prevents the spread of harmful microbes which can cause infection and disease.

Keeping our homes clean and ensuring our wellbeing

Household care products are designed for use in the home and fall into five sectors:

1. Laundry care products such as the detergents, fabric softeners, carpet cleaners and laundry aids that we all have in our homes; 
2. Surface care products, including toilet care, multi-purpose products for bathrooms, kitchens, ovens, floors and windows as well as more specific products such as scourers, descalers and in-cistern devices; 
3. Dishwashing products used both for washing by hand and in machines; 
4. Maintenance products in the home covering everything from air fresheners, furniture and shoe polishes through to insecticides; 
5. Bleaches which are chlorine-based products designed for general domestic disinfecting purposes – from floors and toilets through to laundry.

European citizens value cleanliness and hygiene at home

The industry’s research with consumers across Europe continues to highlight how the general public recognise the benefits of a clean home, of preventing infection to stay healthy and the benefits of products to maintain their homes and workplaces in a safe, efficient and effective manner.

The latest survey found that 89% of EU citizens agree that cleaning and hygiene in the home is important as it helps them and the people they live with to avoid becoming unwell or getting an infectious disease. 88% of people said that having a clean home gave them peace of mind and 83% said that living in a clean home was a mark of respect for friends and family.

The research also probes the evolution of habits in washing cleaning and sustainability. It shows that Europeans value hygiene and are listening to advice on efficient, sustainable cleaning – dishwasher ownership has grown, washing at lower temperatures has grown too and people are increasingly storing their laundry detergents safely, away from children.

In line with changes in perception and our growing awareness of the importance of hygiene over the last three decades, guidance on hygiene practices in the home and in everyday life has been reviewed to ensure that it is appropriate for the issues we face today. A new concept has been developed to infection prevention which is based on risk management – this has come to be known as Targeted Hygiene.