GadflyBuzz: The Fight Against COVID-19

19 May 2021

The Fight Against COVID-19:

Home Care Edition

Since the onset and spread of COVID-19, coronavirus-fighting home cleaners have gained a prime spot in our at-home COVID-19 protection kits. Home cleaners with anti-coronavirus claims became to homecare what hand sanitizers became to skincare.

Home cleaners have made claims against specific microbes even before the COVID-19 pandemic. We studied the market positioning of these products by analyzing product claims and price data of over 200 home cleaners that make anti-microbial claims against specific microbes. These products usually make claims against more than one microbe. The bar chart below lists the typical microbes targeted by these anti-microbial claims. E.coli is addressed the most, followed by the Flu virus (H1N1) and Salmonella. More than 75% of these home cleaners are multi-purpose cleaners. These are followed by floor cleaners and toilet cleaners which together make up 15% of all the products. Claims against coronavirus are mostly made by multi-purpose cleaners.

The inset Product Price Analysis chart shows the number of products (or product density) at different price points. Low-priced products (towards the left) especially make anti-Listeria and anti-E.coli claims. There are few high-priced products (towards the right) that make claims against the H1N1 virus. Although the products that make claims against coronavirus make up less than 5% of all the products, they demand high prices. The long pretty pink high-priced tail of these anti-coronavirus products is evident from the inset chart. And there are more anti-coronavirus products at high price points than any of the others.

WHAT'S THE LATEST?

EPA's List N Tool helps find surface cleaners that can disinfect against COVID-19
The latest Science Brief from the CDC states that 'current evidence strongly suggests transmission from contaminated surfaces does not contribute substantially to new COVID-19 infections...Transmission through surfaces can be prevented by practicing good hygiene and cleaning.'
There is a rising need for green household cleaners that are effective against coronaviruses [1], [2]
Novozymes developed a new probiotic cleaning product, Microvia™ Pro, as a sustainable alternative to traditional surface cleaners
Long-lasting disinfectants: P&G's new antibacterial cleaner, Microban 24, keeps surfaces protected for 24 hours; UAMS-UA research yields long-lasting disinfectant spray for surfaces

WHY THE BUZZ?

Need to clean and disinfect different types of surfaces when someone at home is tested positive for COVID-19
Need for disinfection in high touch surfaces at home especially after visitors

CHALLENGES?

Lack of long term effectiveness can lead to excessive usage of disinfectants leading to harmful chemical exposure [1], [2]
EPA approvals can be time-consuming and expensive as more products test to prove efficacy against coronavirus
Lack of sufficient innovation and testing to meet consumer demand for eco-friendly disinfectants that can fight coronavirus

WHAT TO WATCH FOR?

Anti-coronavirus disinfectants that can keep surfaces protected for longer duration
Innovations in green cleaning technologies for effectiveness against coronavirus
Innovations, in response to excessive cleaning, to maintain a not-too-clean indoor microbiome that does not weaken the body's immune system
Decrease in prices of products that make anti-coronavirus claims as more products get tested for efficacy and as coronavirus strains become prevalent