May/June 2009 Home Economics Takes On a Whole • Home Economics Takes On a Whole New Meaning New Meaning Economic conditions stimulate change in cleaning behaviors Economic conditions stimulate change in cleaning • Sustainability Matters behaviors Consumers seeking more sustainability benefits in cleaning products According to a new survey from The Soap and • SDA On the Go Detergent Association (SDA – www.cleaning101.com), Reaching out through conferences and publications the economic downturn is having an effect on • Cleaning Matters® Honored consumers’ household cleaning habits and purchases. Electronic newsletter recognized for excellence in content and style In other words, home economics is taking on a whole • A Rite of Spring new meaning. Spring-cleaning strategies to reduce triggers for allergies and asthma SDA’s 2009 Spring Cleaning Survey shows 78 percent • The Handshake: An Important Business Ritual of respondents saying the current economic condition Use a firm handshake to get jobs, not germs has influenced their cleaning habits. Sixty percent say • Celebrating Teachers they’re doing more cleaning themselves instead of Creative ways to say thank you to a favorite teacher hiring a cleaning service. • Rug Routines Ways to put new life into your rugs after a long winter More than four in ten (44 percent) say they’re buying • Show Mom and Dad You Care less expensive cleaning products; one-third say they’re Imaginative gift ideas that won’t break the bank buying fewer cleaning products. Other respondents say economic factors influenced them to make their own cleaning products at home (22 percent) or clean less Enhancing health and quality of life frequently (17 percent). Maythrough is … education. • Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month “Consumers can get more bang for their buck by using Web: www.cleaning101.com ??? See A Rite of Spring article Email: [email protected] the right product for the right job and by using the right • National Bike Month amount of the product,” says Nancy Bock, Vice See Ask Nancy! article • World Asthma Day: May 3 President of Education at The Soap and Detergent See A Rite of Spring article Association. • Teacher Appreciation Week: May 4–8 See Celebrating Teachers article To help maximize their cleaning product purchases, • Mother’s Day: May 10 Bock offers consumers a few helpful hints: See Clean Ideas article more • Memorial Day: May 25 June is … Enhancing• National health Safety and Month quality of life throughSee Home education. Economics article Web:• Home www.cleaning101.com Safety Month ??? Email:See [email protected] Economics article 2 • Father’s Day: June 14 MAGELLAN 0 AW ARDS 0 COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN See Clean Ideas article COMPETITION 8 • First day of Summer: June 21 WINNER See Rug Routines article Enhancing health and quality of life • National Handshake Day: June 28 through education. See The Handshake article Web: www.cleaning101.com • SDA at summer conferences Email: [email protected] See News Flash: SDA On the Go article for dates and locations May/June 2009 Home Economics Takes On a Whole New Meaning (cont.) • Look for multi-purpose cleaners. They get the Spring Cleaning Is Still a Habit cleaning job done on a variety of surfaces. Just make Among 1,002 American adults surveyed by Echo sure you check the label to see what surfaces you can Research for SDA, 68 percent say they regularly spring and can’t clean. Supplement them with specialized clean. cleaners as needed. What qualities are most important when it comes to • Use the right amount – read the label. Consumers cleaning product purchases? Americans rank often believe that by using more of a product you’ll effectiveness (87 percent), cost (74 percent) and get the surface or fabric cleaner. That’s not always convenience (71 percent) as the top three factors, the case. With more concentrated products available followed by multi-purpose (67 percent) and time-saving today, you’ll find more cleaning power packed into benefits (64 percent). smaller doses. Reading the label helps ensure you’re Safety First using the right amount of product to get the job done “Safe, effective and proper use of cleaning products is effectively. what matters most to our industry,” says Bock. “SDA • Fill up on refillable products. Buying a refillable reminds consumers to read their product labels, use cleaning product represents a concrete example them as directed and store them properly. This goes a of sustainability in action. Many bulk sizes are long way toward ensuring your home stays clean and packaged with a corresponding smaller, refillable safe.” version of the product. If your choice doesn’t come More information on the safe, proper and beneficial use that way – and/or you want to keep the cleaner in of cleaning and disinfecting products is available on multiple locations – purchase a smaller size and SDA’s website at www.cleaning101.com. refill the container as necessary. That way, no matter where you use the product, it’ll be properly labeled in case of an emergency. Sustainability Matters Consumers seeking more sustainability benefits in cleaning products Consumers are increasingly seeking sustainability- “For instance, more products than ever reflect related benefits in their cleaning products, according to manufacturer innovations in product sustainability, survey data from The Soap and Detergent Association including concentrated and refillable products that use (SDA). less water and packaging and High Efficiency detergents designed for washers that use less energy Statistics from SDA’s 2009 Spring Cleaning survey and less water.” show that 61 percent of American adults say they’re looking for sustainability-related product benefits, Consumers can view a snapshot of how the cleaning- compared with just 38 percent in 2008. products industry is doing business sustainably by visiting SDA’s Sustainability Central, at “Fortunately, today’s household cleaning products are www.cleaning101.com/sustainability. meeting the needs of a variety of consumers, no matter what they’re looking for in the product,” says Nancy Bock, Vice President of Education at The Soap and Detergent Association. Highlights CleanClean IdeasIdeas May/June 2009 News Flash Cleaning Questions? SDA On the Go Reaching out through conferences and publications The education efforts of The Soap and Detergent Here’s where you’ll find us: Association are directed at understanding the issues and June 25–28: American Association of Family and needs of consumer communicators and educators, and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) addressing them by providing materials that encourage 100th Annual Conference & Expo the safe, effective and responsible use of household Knoxville, TN cleaning products. www.afcs.org Product Fact Sheets are one component of this June 25–28: National Association of School Nurses initiative. The newest in this series of publications is (NASN) “Dish Care,” which concentrates on hand dishwashing 41st Annual Conference soaps and detergents. To obtain a copy, visit Boston, MA www.cleaning101.com/dishwash. www.nasn.org Partnerships with other organizations are another July 1–6: National Education Association (NEA) important component of this effort. This summer, SDA 147th Annual Meeting is reaching out to members of several organizations San Diego, CA by participating as an exhibitor at key national www.nea.org conferences. If you belong to one of these groups and are planning on attending their event, be sure to stop by July 12–16: Family, Career and Community the SDA booth. There you can meet with the SDA staff Leaders of America (FCCLA) and learn more about our new materials. Check the 2009 National Leadership Conference conference websites for details regarding special focus Nashville, TN groups, presentations and awards. www.fcclainc.org Sept. 15–18: National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (NEAFC) Annual Session & Exhibits Birmingham, AL www.neafcs.org Highlights CleanClean IdeasIdeas May/June 2009 News Flash Cleaning Questions? Cleaning Matters® Honored Electronic newsletter recognized for excellence in content and style Cleaning Matters® was recently honored with the 2008 Magellan Silver Award, a communication campaign 2 competition sponsored by the League of American MAGELLAN 0 Communication Professionals (LACP). The Magellan AWARDS 0 COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN Awards are an important part of LACP’s goal of COMPETITION 8 recognizing those organizations who demonstrate exemplary communications capabilities. WINNER Cleaning Matters® is one of the most popular vehicles When commenting on the award for Cleaning Matters®, used by The Soap and Detergent Association to LACP’s president said, “We find this work to be communicate with a broad audience of educators and superb. The first impression presented by the newsletter consumers. Its goal is to provide easily accessible is excellent, while the message clarity and audience and timely information about cleaning related to good focus are excellent and superb, respectively.” We health, the safe and effective use of cleaning products, welcome your input for maintaining this award-winning and the environmental safety of cleaning products. Over newsletter as a valuable tool for you. Email ideas or the years, it has evolved from a printed newsletter that comments for cleaning articles and questions for Nancy was mailed to subscribers to an electronic (HTML and to [email protected]. PDF) format delivered via email. May/June 2009 May/June 2009 A Rite of Spring Spring-cleaning strategies to reduce triggers for allergies and asthma Spring cleaning is now in full bloom – and it’s a Dust It Off particularly important rite for anyone who suffers from The goal is to reduce dust, not distribute it into the air. asthma. In the U.S., that number is more than 22 If the person doing the cleaning suffers from asthma, he million, and nearly six million of them are children. or she should keep the house well-ventilated while Asthma attacks are triggered by tiny airborne particles cleaning or ask someone else to vacuum while he or she called allergens.