Trusted cleaning products boost consumer confidence, survey finds

As businesses begin to reopen, transparency around cleaning procedures and products will be critical.

Surveys of frequent travelers and diners conducted by Procter & Gamble (P&G), parent company of Procter & Gamble Professional, found that 70 per cent of travelers and 58 per cent of diners would patronise a hotel or restaurant if they knew the business was using a manufacturer or brand of cleaning products they were familiar with and trusted.

In addition to concern about the types of cleaning products used, the surveys found frequent travelers and diners had increased cleanliness expectations about the establishments they plan to visit as businesses reopen following pandemic closures.

In May 2020, P&G Professional, the away from home division of Procter & Gamble, surveyed 850 frequent business and leisure travelers and 974 diners about how COVID-19 has impacted their expectations about future travel and dining experiences.

The surveys found more than 70 per cent of hotel guests and 80 per cent of diners believe COVID-19 will have a medium to large impact on their expectations, even as nearly 50 percent of each group plans to return to their routines within the next three months.

As businesses begin to reopen and welcome people back into their space, transparency around cleaning procedures and the products used can help guests feel more safe and confident and ultimately benefit a business’s bottom line.

Seventy percent of travelers and nearly 60 per cent (58 per cent) of diners respectively, said they would patronise a hospitality or foodservice establishment if they knew the business was using a manufacturer or brand of cleaning products they personally knew and trusted.

In addition, 55 per cent of travelers would be willing to pay more for a hotel room and one in three diners would be willing to pay more for a meal if they knew the business was using a personally recognisable and trusted brand of cleaning products.

Paul Edmondson, P&G Professional Americas commercial director, said it critical businesses achieve and maintain a high level of cleanliness and disinfection to help ensure the health and safety of employees and guests.

“Communicating the steps taken to achieve these new standards of clean is key to building trust with customers while rebuilding their business,” Edmondson said.

Among travelers surveyed: 

  • Bathroom cleanliness, odours, visible hair, and the condition of linens are top signals that a guest room is clean, or not
  • Bathroom surfaces, high-touch objects, contamination from previous guests, and presence of invisible pathogens are top concerns
  • Fifty-seven per cent expect more transparency around what hotels are doing to keep guests safe and rooms clean, both in-person and on the company website
  • Sixty-seven per cent expect to see more thorough and frequent cleaning and 61 percent expect to see more visible methods of cleaning, like pamphlets and signage
  • Cleanliness and housekeeping procedures were ranked as most the important attributes for hotel guests, surpassing both the price of the room and location of the hotel

Among diners surveyed:

  • Bathroom and kitchen cleanliness, spotless tables, chairs and surfaces and pleasant smells were the top signals that a restaurant is clean, or not
  • More than 70 per cent expect more thorough and frequent cleaning, saying bathrooms, buffets, tables, chairs and counters are the most important areas to clean
  • Diners support changes to staff procedures to ensure safety, testing sick employees before they return to work, and having employees wear masks and gloves
  • Cleanliness ranked as the second most important attribute for a diner’s experience behind only the quality and taste of food, however, seventy-four percent want to know how restaurants are cleaned and sanitised and what is being done to ensure food safety

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