WASHINGTON — In recognition of National Safety Month, the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) is reinforcing its message to storage laundry detergents safely, including when in use at laundromats.
It’s countering recent social media trends depicting the storage of colorful liquid laundry packets not in their original packaging but in clear jars or containers. Unsafe storage practices were portrayed nearly 800,000 times over a four-year period, mostly on Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest, ACI says.
According to ACI’s recent survey conducted by Wakefield Research, 52% of adults admit to having stored or considered storing laundry products in decorative containers rather than original packaging, and more than one in three (35%) of adults admit to keeping liquid laundry packets within reach or sight of children, creating preventable risks.
“As we continue to see aesthetic laundry room content trend across social media platforms, it’s critical that safety remains front and center,” says Brian Sansoni, ACI senior vice president of communications and outreach. “Through our #StoreNotDecor initiative, we’re helping families recognize when popular design choices may compromise safety.”
“As an ER doctor (and mom of three, including a toddler), I see firsthand how accidents can happen in the blink of an eye and how our littlest ones are pros at turning simple home items … into a hazard,” says Darria Long, MD, MBA, Yale and Harvard-trained emergency physician. “National Safety Month is the perfect time to double-check … how and where we store laundry products to better protect our children from accidental exposure.”
For laundromat owners who wish to share the safety message, ACI offers a printable Laundromat Flyer with reminders in English and Spanish for safely transporting and storing laundry products when doing laundry outside the home.
There’s also a Free Safety Cling (available in either English or Spanish) to place on washers. It can be ordered here: https://www.cleaninginstitute.org/liquidlaundrypacketsafety.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Bruce Beggs at [email protected].
