P&G unveils Febreze Fabric Antimicrobial after survey finds US consumers don’t sanitize soft surfaces

28 Oct 2021 --- A survey from Procter & Gamble (P&G)’s Febreze has found that one in four US consumers never sanitize the soft surfaces in their homes, like their sofas or rugs. The study coincides with the launch of P&G’s Febreze Fabric Antimicrobial, a multi-purpose fabric spray that can kill 99.9% of bacteria, eliminate odors and prevent the growth of mold and mildew on soft surfaces.

“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,” notes 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.”

Worse than a toilet?
The survey also found that although 73% of Americans say they sanitize hard surfaces like their toilet regularly, soft surfaces are neglected entirely. That may be because Americans believe that hard surfaces like their toilet seat (45%) host the most bacteria.

But the research found that bacteria also grow on the often-forgotten, hard-to-clean, soft surfaces. 

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, previous studies have shown that bacteria can be transferred to upholstery and fabric cushions and then back to people. 

“It’s no secret that kids, pets, and parents are bringing a lot of bacteria into their homes daily,” details 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 seat.” 

“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.”

Tackling bad bacteria
According to Brashear, these bacteria can also produce unwanted bad odors. Febreze created the Febreze Fabric Antimicrobial to address both concerns – sanitization and odor elimination – at the same time in one simple product.”

To use Febreze Fabric Antimicrobial, consumers need to clean soiled soft surfaces and then spray the surface evenly until it’s wet, keeping the fabric visibly wet for five minutes. 

The company advises to let surfaces dry completely before use. For mold or mildew prevention, consumers are instructed to repeat every fourteen days or more often if new growth appears.

In similar moves, Febreze recently introduced Febreze Unstopables Touch Fabric Spray to reinvent the way people refresh their homes by giving them “a long-lasting scent with every touch.”  

The Febreze Unstopables Touch Fabric Spray is a new entry within the fabric refresher category that combines odor elimination with breakthrough touch-activated scent technology, the company supports. 

Febreze Touch stores scent in fabrics, releasing a burst of freshness with every touch, up to 100 times.

“We know that soft surfaces provide the perfect long-term home for odors, which is why so many people use fabric refresher products to tackle bad smells,” says Angelica Matthews, senior brand director at Febreze. 

By Kristiana Lalou