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New Febreze Fabric Antimicrobial Helps American’s Kill Bacteria Living On Their Soft Surfaces

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A recent Febreze survey reveals a significant gap in Americans' sanitization habits regarding soft surfaces in their homes. While 73% of respondents regularly sanitize hard surfaces, nearly 25% have never cleaned soft surfaces like sofas or rugs. Research indicates these surfaces can harbor more bacteria than toilets, highlighting the need for improved cleaning practices. Febreze aims to address this issue with its new Fabric Antimicrobial spray, which eliminates 99.9% of bacteria and helps prevent mold growth. The product is available at major retailers for $8.00.

Positive
  • Launch of Febreze Fabric Antimicrobial, a new product designed to kill 99.9% of bacteria.
  • Addresses a significant gap in the market for cleaning soft surfaces, potentially leading to higher sales.
Negative
  • Survey indicates that many consumers neglect to sanitize soft surfaces, showing a lack of awareness about hygiene which could impact product adoption.

Febreze survey reveals American’s aren’t sanitizing the soft surfaces in their home

CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Here’s the hard truth about soft surfaces: our homes are one of the most active areas of our lives, with people—and bacteria—coming and going frequently. A new survey from Febreze reveals that although 73% of Americans say they sanitize hard surfaces like their toilet regularly, about 1 in 4 admit they have never sanitized the soft surfaces in their homes, like their sofas or rugs.

New Febreze Fabric Antimicrobial (Photo: Business Wire)

New Febreze Fabric Antimicrobial (Photo: Business Wire)

That may be because Americans believe that hard surfaces like their toilet seat (45%) host the most bacteria. But research shows that bacteria also grow on the often-forgotten, hard-to-clean, soft surfaces. In fact, according to Meghan May, Professor of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, fabric surfaces that accumulate dust have substantially higher microbial burdens than hard surfaces that can be wiped down. What’s more, studies have shown that bacteria can be transferred to upholstery and fabric cushions, and then back to people.1,2

“We know sanitizing hard surfaces is part of everyone’s cleaning routines, but we found people are missing a large portion of their regularly used surfaces, their soft surfaces,” said Angelica Matthews, Senior Brand Director at Febreze. “In fact, according to our recent survey, more than half of Americans claim their sofa is the central piece of furniture in their homes, however 47% say they sanitize it less than once a month or have never sanitized it at all.

Enter Febreze’s newest fabric refresher, Febreze Fabric Antimicrobial, a multi-purpose fabric spray that kills 99.9% of bacteria3, eliminates odors, and prevents the growth of mold and mildew on soft surfaces4.

“It’s no secret that kids, pets, and parents are bringing a lot of bacteria into their homes daily,” said Morgan Brashear, Senior Scientist at Febreze. “Research shows that large numbers of bacteria can live on the bottom of shoes, averaging 421,000 colony forming units (CFU)/cm sq5 – more than 2,000 times more bacteria per square centimeter than on your toilet seat6. Yet over half of Americans leave their shoes on when they enter their home, and over 70% place shoes – along with bags and clothes they’ve worn outside - on their couch. These bacteria can also produce unwanted bad odors. Febreze created the new Febreze Fabric Antimicrobial to address both concerns – sanitization and odor elimination- at the same time in one simple product.”

To use Febreze Fabric Antimicrobial, clean soiled soft surfaces. Then, spray the surface evenly until it’s wet, keeping the fabric visibly wet for five minutes. Let dry completely before use. For mold or mildew prevention, repeat every fourteen days or more often if new growth appears.

Febreze Fabric Antimicrobial can be found online or at major retailers nationwide with an MSRP of $8.00.

ABOUT THE SURVEY
The Febreze Fabric Antimicrobial Survey was conducted on behalf of Febreze in partnership with a trusted third-party vendor, among a sample of n=1,008 Americans. The sample is nationally representative as it relates to age, gender, region and race/ethnicity. The 15-minute online survey was conducted between August 27-30, 2021. The margin of error (MOE) for the total sample is +/- 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.

ABOUT FEBREZE
In 1998, Procter & Gamble (P&G) gave households a breath of fresh air with the launch of Febreze®, known today as the preeminent brand for providing a fresh, clean scent and eliminating odors from fabrics and the air. Febreze® features a line of products with freshness capabilities that range from ridding of pet odors and tackling sweat stink to decorating the home with scent and freshening on the go. Febreze® continues to be one of the fastest growing brands in P&G’s portfolio of household brands and bring innovative products to market.

ABOUT PROCTER & GAMBLE
P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit https://www.pg.com/ for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands.

1 Neely, A.N. (2014). Persistence of microorganisms on common hospital surfaces. Infection Control Resource, 4(4).

2 Noskin G.A., Bednarz, P., Suriano, T., Reiner, S., Peterson, L.R. (2000). Persistent contamination of fabric covered furniture by vancomycin-resistant enterococci: implications for upholstery selection in hospitals. American Journal of Infection Control. 28(4):311-3. https://doi.org/10.1067/mic.2000.108129

3 Effective against Enterobacter aerogenes and Staphylococcus aureus

4 Effective against Aspergillus niger and Penicillium variable

5 Maxwell, S., & Gerba, C. P. (2008). Rockport Shoe Study (pp. 1–9). Tucson, Arizona.

6 Rusin, P., Orosz-Coughlin, P. & Gerba, C. (1998). Reduction of faecal coliform, coliform and heterotrophic plate count bacteria in the household kitchen and bathroom by disinfection with hypochlorite cleaners. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 85, 819-828.

Press:

Procter & Gamble

Lindsey Mithoefer, 513-885-3114

mithoefer.ln@pg.com

or

M Booth

Rachel Koggan, 973-464-6469

rachelk@mbooth.com

Source: Procter & Gamble

FAQ

What did the Febreze survey reveal about Americans' sanitation habits regarding soft surfaces?

The Febreze survey showed that while 73% of Americans regularly sanitize hard surfaces, nearly 25% have never sanitized soft surfaces like sofas or rugs.

What is Febreze Fabric Antimicrobial and how does it work?

Febreze Fabric Antimicrobial is a multi-purpose fabric spray that kills 99.9% of bacteria, eliminates odors, and prevents mold growth on soft surfaces.

How much does Febreze Fabric Antimicrobial cost?

The MSRP for Febreze Fabric Antimicrobial is $8.00.

When was the Febreze survey conducted?

The survey was conducted between August 27-30, 2021, among a sample of 1,008 Americans.

Which company manufactures Febreze?

Febreze is manufactured by Procter & Gamble, which is publicly traded under the ticker PG.

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Household & Personal Products
Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics
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United States of America
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