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Now I’m officially convinced. There’s a survey for everything. I just received this press release via email, and folks, it’s earth-shattering news… fewer cleaning supplies are being used in the down economy.

(Seriously, who thinks up this stuff?!)

Survey Reveals More Than One Quarter of Small Businesses Cut Back on Cleaning Amidst Down Economy

 Owners Stress Need for Effective, Time-Saving Solutions and Cleaning Guidance

CINCINNATI, Dec. 1, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — The Small Business Index deployed by Mr. Clean Professional™, a provider of small business cleaning solutions, and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) finds that more than one-quarter (29 percent) of small businesses have scaled back on workplace cleaning.  The Index was conducted to identify how the economy has affected small business cleaning standards, and revealed critical resource shortages faced by owners today.  

Despite that roughly one of every three owners (31 percent) recognized “cleanliness and appearance” as having the greatest impact on customer first impressions, a significant number have curtailed their cleaning processes.  Eliminating professional cleaning services and buying cheaper or generic products are the most common ways owners have cut back, while others now clean less often or buy fewer products.  Of those who have altered their cleaning practices, almost half (44 percent) report negative repercussions, such as rising customer and employee complaints and longer cleaning time when using cheaper products.

“Now more than ever, we recognize owners’ needs for solutions that work at the speed of small businesses today and for information that equips them with cleaning best practices,” said Pete Self, research and development manager, P&G Professional. “Mr. Clean Professional provides small business owners with both powerful cleaning solutions as well as a 24-7 information resource, helping restore owners’ confidence that their business’ appearance makes a great first impression every time.”

Small Businesses Demand Effective Solutions

Six out of ten small business owners (60 percent) said time is the biggest barrier to keeping their workplace, whether retail or professional, as clean as possible; meanwhile, less than one-sixth (14 percent) believes staffing is the major hurdle to cleanliness.  As a result, the vast majority of small businesses surveyed believe “effectiveness” is by far the most important factor when selecting cleaning products.  

To address the concerns of small business owners, Procter & Gamble Professional has launched Mr. Clean Professional, a commercial grade line of hard surface and floor products, including four disinfectants, specifically designed to clean with up to twice the speed and power of similar products.  The four disinfectants are effective against the 2009 H1N1 virus – a key factor for the nearly one of every two small business owners (47 percent) who indicate that the swine flu has affected their cleaning process, the majority of whom now look for disinfecting products when possible.

Owners Call for Cleaning Guidance

Additionally, when asked what cleaning resources would be most beneficial, approximately half of small business owners (49 percent) cited they need free resources and advice from trusted sources that help them get the cleaning job done.  

“Our membership research confirms that owners continue to face tough conditions, including plans to reduce employment over the next several months,” said Mark Garzone, senior vice president, marketing, NFIB.  “Solutions such as Mr. Clean Professional that save time in performing the critical task of cleaning as well as resources such as MrCleanProfessional.com that offer cleaning guidance are more critical than ever in equipping owners for success.”  

Survey Methodology

The P&G Professional/National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Index is based on a national survey of more than 1,100 small business owners registered with NFIB.  Small business owners representing a wide spectrum of industries and functional areas participated in the online survey, conducted by Kelton Research, between October 16 and 26, 2009.  Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation.

About Procter & Gamble

Four billion times a day, P&G (NYSE: PG) brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Gain®, Pringles®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Actonel®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun® and Fusion®.

The P&G community includes approximately 135,000 employees working in about 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.