- This National Safety Month, ACI Warns Against Social Media Trends That Prioritize Aesthetics Over Safe Storage
In recognition of National Safety Month, ACI is reinforcing its #StoreNotDecor initiative to help families recognize and avoid unsafe storage trends that are popular and prevalent on social media platforms. According to ACI’s recent survey conducted by Wakefield Research, more than one in three (35%) of adults admit to keeping liquid laundry packets within reach or sight of children, creating preventable risks in the home.
With 52% of adults admitting they have stored or considered storing laundry products in decorative containers rather than original packaging, ACI is sounding the alarm on aesthetic trends that may compromise child safety.
“As we continue to see aesthetic laundry room content trend across social media platforms, it’s critical that safety remains front and center,” said Brian Sansoni, ACI Senior Vice President of Communications and Outreach. “Through our #StoreNotDecor initiative, we’re helping families recognize when popular design choices may compromise safety – offering simple, practical ways to keep children protected from accidental exposure while still ensuring a visually appealing space.”
“As an ER doctor (and mom of 3, including a toddler), I see firsthand how accidents can happen in the blink of an eye and how our littlest ones are pros at turning simple home items (from cleaning products to step-stools) into a hazard,” said Darria Long, MD, MBA, Yale and Harvard-trained emergency physician. “National Safety Month is the perfect time to double-check our homes - including how and where we store laundry products - to better protect our children from accidental exposure.”
To learn more about laundry room safety and for resources to help prevent accidental liquid laundry packet exposures, explore the tools below:
- Home Safety Guide: A comprehensive checklist for parents and caregivers to identify and correct common household storage risks.
- Laundromat Flyer: A printable resource with reminders for safely transporting and storing laundry products when doing laundry outside the home.
- Child Activity Sheet: A kid-friendly worksheet that helps teach young children about safe habits and product awareness in the home.
- Free Safety Cling: Request a free cling to place on your cabinet or washer, reinforcing the importance of safe storage every day.
To learn more about laundry safety and the ACI Packet’s Up initiative, visit PacketsUp.com.
The American Cleaning Institute® (ACI – www.cleaninginstitute.org) is the Home of the U.S. Cleaning Products Industry® and represents the $60 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.