A  global study from UL (Underwriters Laboratories) reveals that consumer distrust of household chemical manufacturers is as strong as the manufacturers' belief that they are delivering safe, reliable and innovative products. It is believed that the consumer wariness revealed in the study will influence industrial cleaning practices in healthcare, schools, and other public buildings.

The study, "Navigating the Product Mindset," explores the connections and contradictions between perceptions of consumers and manufacturers on issues of safety, innovation, performance, and sustainability.

"When 65 percent of consumers believe the cleaning products of today are no better than those of five years ago, those perceptions are going to spill over into industrial cleaning," said Mark Rossolo, director of public affairs for UL Environment. "With consumers becoming more knowledgeable about products used at home, they are bringing that knowledge to the buildings where they work, to the schools where they send their kids, and to healthcare facilities. And they're asking facility managers and other decision makers about the impacts of industrial cleaning products."

Science-based sustainable product certifications help facility and procurement managers provide objective, verifiable and meaningful data about the products they're using in public and commercial buildings. This can provide assurance — not only to institutional purchasers, but also to product end-users and consumers — that a cleaning product's environmental health claims are trustworthy and credible. And that, in turn, helps bridge the gap between consumer distrust and industry perceptions.

Some key insights from the study include:
• Household chemical manufacturers rank themselves at or ahead of the curve in product reliability, product safety, and product innovation; yet, consumers remain most concerned about product safety and believe products have not improved over the last five years.
• Nearly two-thirds of consumers surveyed do not believe manufacturers thoroughly test products before they arrive on store shelves.
• On average, 73 percent of consumers do not believe that household chemical manufacturers have taken adequate steps to ensure that environmentally friendly manufacturing procedures are followed.
• Household chemical manufacturers say it's their responsibility to communicate safety information to consumers. And 90 percent list product safety among the top three factors impacting their ability to effectively compete. Yet, 64 percent of consumers say product safety information is difficult to locate.
• Household chemical manufacturers agree that consumers are becoming more empowered. For example, 81 percent agree that consumers are becoming more aware and better educated about products in general and 77 percent agree that consumers are demanding more eco-friendly products at the same cost as non-eco-friendly products.