American Cleaning Institute

Joining ACI affords you an opportunity to become part of an organization that believes in its purpose of serving 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. We are looking for people who value collaboration, who are committed to excellence, and who embrace personal and professional accountability.

We're all drawn to the clean we can "see." But we also know that just because something looks clean, doesn't mean it really is clean. Learn about the role disinfecting and sanitizing in preventing the spread of illness-causing germs. You can't see germs - like Salmonella, E. coli, or Influenza. But "pathogenic, " or disease-causing, germs can be alive and thriving on surfaces all around you - at home, at work and at school.

Cleaning products play an essential role in our daily lives. By safely and effectively removing soils, germs and other contaminants, they help us to stay healthy, care for our homes and possessions, and make our surroundings more pleasant. Where did cleaning come from? Evidence has been found that ancient Babylonians understood soap making as early as 2800 BC Archeologists have found soap-like material in historic clay cylinders from this time.

The ingredients in your cleaning products fall into several different categories, added to provide different characteristics and cleaning functions. Each product formula is a careful balance of various ingredients that will work best for what you are trying to clean. For more information about the specific ingredients in a cleaning product, visit the manufacturer's website or look for the product in SmartLabel. Surfactants provide most of the cleaning power in your cleaning products today, but other ingredients are also needed to make the best products possible.