Cold and flu season is taking a major toll on Americans’ daily lives. A new survey from the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) finds that 91% of respondents say these illnesses cause significant disruption. Parents report feeling the disruption across nearly every part of family life, including:
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261020827764/en/
91% of Americans say cold and flu cause a significant disruption to their daily lives, according to a new survey released by American Cleaning Institute and American Academy of Family Physicians.
- 61% experiencing missed work or school,
- 55% reporting impacts to after-school activities, and
- 52% dealing with disrupted sleep schedules.
The findings arrive as the country heads into another closely watched respiratory-virus season. The previous two cold and flu seasons produced an estimated 1.1 million combined hospitalizations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC; CDC), and the CDC projects this winter’s peak hospitalizations from flu and other respiratory illnesses could rival last season, when flu alone accounted for roughly 390,000 hospitalizations.
Against this backdrop, Americans recognize that cleaning matters: 86% agree it is essential to preventing illness and protecting their health or ensuring healthy public spaces and workplaces. Yet the survey reveals a gap between awareness and action. Only one in four Americans adjusts their cleaning habits proactively throughout the season. Meanwhile, 28% wait until someone in their home is already sick, which may be too late to help prevent transmission.
“Disruptions from illness can upend daily routines, and cleaning is one of the simplest ways to help stay healthy,” said Jessica Ek, Associate Vice President, Strategic Communications at the American Cleaning Institute. “Americans recognize that cleaning is essential for healthy homes and communities, relying on trusted cleaning products to protect their families during cold and flu season.”
“Every fall, I see one sick patient followed days later by a spouse or child with the same illness,” said Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD, MS, board-certified family physician and founder of Clinicians Who Care. “Germs can remain on the surfaces families touch throughout the day, making it easier for illness to move through a household. Routine cleaning and regular handwashing are practical steps families can take to help protect one another.”
To help families put cleaning science into practice, the ACI & AAFP Cleaning Hub on familydoctor.org offers practical steps on creating a clean, safe, and healthy home.
For more science-backed cleaning strategies to help protect your household this cold and flu season, visit cleaninginstitute.org.
ABOUT THE SURVEY
The ACI Cold & Flu Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18+, between September 25th and October 1st, 2026, using an email invitation and an online survey. The data has been weighted to ensure an accurate representation of nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18+.
Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. For the interviews conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN CLEANING INSTITUTE
The American Cleaning Institute® (ACI – www.cleaninginstitute.org) is the Home of the U.S. Cleaning Products Industry® and represents the $88.5 billion U.S. cleaning product supply chain. ACI members include the manufacturers and formulators of soaps, detergents, and general cleaning products used in household, commercial, industrial and institutional settings; companies that supply ingredients and finished packaging for these products; and chemical distributors. ACI serves the growth and innovation of the U.S. cleaning products industry by advancing the health and quality of life of people and protecting our planet. ACI achieves this through a continuous commitment to sound science and being a credible voice for the cleaning products industry.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261020827764/en/
Media gallery
