Home cleaning boom over Covid-19 concerns

More than half (52%) of people in the UK are more concerned about the cleanliness of their homes since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 57% of us cleaning more than we did before – averaging an additional 63 minutes each week.

This is according to new research from British cleaning product manufacturer, Hydrachem. It produces Cert, a household cleaner that destroys the SARS-CoV-2 virus - which causes COVID-19 – in just 60 seconds. Launched last week to phenomenal demand, Cert’s tablet has the same formula, strength and level of disinfection as the main one manufactured by Hydrachem for use by the NHS, and has the strength of disinfectant, together with a detergent, recommended by Public Health England.

Despite this greater focus on hygiene, there remains some confusion and scepticism around many household cleaning products. Indeed, 42% of people think that the existing products on the market are misleading, or overclaim their efficacy against the virus, while more than a third (38%) are unsure if the products they currently use can kill it.

Robin Rough, managing director of Hydrachem, says: “Our research shows that people are understandably very concerned about keeping COVID-19 out of their homes - and are cleaning more as a result.

“But there’s a lot of confusion as to which products are actually effective against COVID-19. If a product doesn’t clearly state on its packaging that it destroys COVID-19, all that people can do is check directly with the manufacturer, which might not be very easy and could be quite time consuming.”

Cert. complies with Public Health England’s guidelines on how to disinfect hard surfaces to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Public Health England states you should use: “a combined detergent disinfectant solution at a dilution of 1,000 parts per million available chlorine (ppm av.cl.).”

“That’s Cert. precisely,” Mr Rough explains. “In its pre-dosed tablet form of combined detergent and disinfectant Cert. delivers the correct concentration and dosage, as recommended by Public Health England, and provides you with hospital-grade hygiene both at home and work.”

The research additionally shows that 39% of us are being more diligent when guests are around, wiping down any areas or surfaces they come into contact with after they leave.

As well as Cert’s effectiveness against COVID-19, its tablet form and almost indefinitely re-useable spray bottle provides an over 90% saving in plastic by weight when compared to similar products in single use plastic bottles - and an over 95% saving in comparable transported weight, significantly reducing carbon emissions. Furthermore Cert.’s tube and label are made from the same material, that is widely recyclable throughout the UK.