Paola Pérez Rozo, Lubrizol Life Science, Beauty05.04.21
Home has always been a refuge and shelter from the outside world. This has never been truer than during the past year when, willingly or not, we’ve spent more time in our homes than ever before.
As we’ve sheltered at home from outside threats, we’ve become more aware of hygienic risks indoors on our clothing and hard surfaces. We’ve learned about the dangers microorganisms can pose and the importance of keeping our homes and belongings as sanitary as possible.
Consider the following:
Consumers will have four priority concerns this year and beyond, according to Lubrizol Life Science-Home.
They are:
Keeping Surfaces Clean
Consumers will express these priorities through greater emphasis on fabric care, surface care and dish care.
Fabric care: The fabrics we sleep on and the clothing we wear should comfort and protect us. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way consumers define cleaning. People want laundry detergents that, above all, go beyond soil removal to provide true hygienic cleaning during the laundry process. Powder detergent products that contain oxygen bleach systems can address this need as they can clean and sanitize fabrics and help maintain clean, odor free washing machines as well. The detergent also must be readily biodegradable and use ingredients of very low toxicity. Inclusion in the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Safer Choice program is a plus.
Dish care: Washing dishes, whether by hand or by machine, delivers a sense of accomplishment (as well as clean dishes). People want eco-friendly automatic dishwashing detergent that does not compromise on performance. It also must offer excellent hygiene and odor control with no corrosion of dishes. Detergents used for manual dishwashing must also protect the skin.
Surface care: Knowing the surfaces in their homes are sanitary gives people a sense of security and control. However, as eager as they are to clean and eliminate microorganisms, consumers do not want harsh chemicals in their products. Instead, they want naturally-derived and biodegradable ingredients, the production of which conserves water and energy. Good sprayability and vertical cling improve the product’s aesthetics, performance and convenience to the consumer.
In addition to meeting consumer performance requirements, home care products must be safe and compliant with industry and governmental standards where applicable. LLS Home product portfolio contains many offerings that are certified by the US EPA Safer Choice program and meet the agency’s strict criteria for use in disinfecting products.
Paola Pérez Rozo, strategic marketing manager, Global B2C, Lubrizol Life Science, Beauty; Email: Paola.perez@lubrizol.com
As we’ve sheltered at home from outside threats, we’ve become more aware of hygienic risks indoors on our clothing and hard surfaces. We’ve learned about the dangers microorganisms can pose and the importance of keeping our homes and belongings as sanitary as possible.
Consider the following:
- Google searches for “sterilization” grew more than 5,000% in 2020;
- Consumers in the US, UK and Germany are spending more than normal on health and hygiene; and
- 63% of Irish adults increased their use of disinfectant or other household cleaning products in response to COVID-19.
Consumers will have four priority concerns this year and beyond, according to Lubrizol Life Science-Home.
They are:
- Sustainability awareness with an emphasis on responsible consumption that protects the environment.
- Safety and security (physical and mental). People will continue to treat their homes as sanctuaries and invest more in making them hygienically clean.
- Holistic comfort. Home is where people can let down their guard and relax and they will put new effort into creating and preserving that feeling.
- A sense of hope. Cleaning gives people a sense of control and normalcy. It offers a new start and a sense of wellbeing.
Keeping Surfaces Clean
Consumers will express these priorities through greater emphasis on fabric care, surface care and dish care.
Fabric care: The fabrics we sleep on and the clothing we wear should comfort and protect us. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way consumers define cleaning. People want laundry detergents that, above all, go beyond soil removal to provide true hygienic cleaning during the laundry process. Powder detergent products that contain oxygen bleach systems can address this need as they can clean and sanitize fabrics and help maintain clean, odor free washing machines as well. The detergent also must be readily biodegradable and use ingredients of very low toxicity. Inclusion in the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Safer Choice program is a plus.
Dish care: Washing dishes, whether by hand or by machine, delivers a sense of accomplishment (as well as clean dishes). People want eco-friendly automatic dishwashing detergent that does not compromise on performance. It also must offer excellent hygiene and odor control with no corrosion of dishes. Detergents used for manual dishwashing must also protect the skin.
Surface care: Knowing the surfaces in their homes are sanitary gives people a sense of security and control. However, as eager as they are to clean and eliminate microorganisms, consumers do not want harsh chemicals in their products. Instead, they want naturally-derived and biodegradable ingredients, the production of which conserves water and energy. Good sprayability and vertical cling improve the product’s aesthetics, performance and convenience to the consumer.
In addition to meeting consumer performance requirements, home care products must be safe and compliant with industry and governmental standards where applicable. LLS Home product portfolio contains many offerings that are certified by the US EPA Safer Choice program and meet the agency’s strict criteria for use in disinfecting products.
Paola Pérez Rozo, strategic marketing manager, Global B2C, Lubrizol Life Science, Beauty; Email: Paola.perez@lubrizol.com