Survey: The brand of cleaning products a business uses matters to consumers

A majority of consumers would patronize a restaurant/food establishment if they know and trust the cleaning brands being used — and some would even be willing to pay more.

That’s according to a survey of diners by P&G Professional (the away from home division of Procter & Gamble), which revealed that, even as restrictions lift across the country, COVID-19 is still top of mind for consumers and it will be critical for businesses to reassure their customers that it is safe to return.  Communicating that the space is cleaned and disinfected by brands they know and trust will help instill consumer confidence, the study said, ultimately benefit a business’s bottom line.

Nearly six in 10 (58%) diners said they would patronize a hospitality or foodservice establishment if they knew the business was using a manufacturer or brand of cleaning products they personally knew and trusted. And one in three said they would be willing to pay more for a meal if they knew the business was using a personally recognizable and trusted brand.

  In other survey highlights:

• Cleanliness ranked as the second most important attribute for a diner’s experience behind only the quality and taste of food.
• Seventy-four percent want to know how restaurants are cleaned and sanitized and what is being done to ensure food safety;
• 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% of respondents expect more thorough and frequent cleaning, saying bathrooms, buffets, tables, chairs and counters are the most important areas to clean; and,
• Diners support changes to staff procedures to ensure safety, testing sick employees before they return to work, and having employees wear masks and gloves.

The survey also revealed that P&G Professional is the professional-grade cleaning manufacturer with the highest awareness and trust by respondents, with nearly 50% saying they have extreme trust in P&G Professional to clean a facility most effectively vs. 38%  of the next leading competitor.

“Now more than ever, it is critical that businesses achieve and maintain a high level of cleanliness and disinfection to help ensure the health and safety of employees and guests," said Paul Edmondson, commerical director, Americas, P&G Professional. "Communicating the steps taken to achieve these new standards of clean is key to building trust with customers while rebuilding their business.”

P&G Professional has launched the CleanPLUS Experience to aide businesses in their recovery by offering resources and materials to help build trust with guests. Businesses who sign up for the CleanPLUS Experience will have access to co-branded digital and printed materials that showcase trusted name brands such as Dawn Professional, Microban 24 Professional, Safeguard, Spic and Span, and Comet to help give customers and guests confidence in the clean.