New survey results from the American Cleaning Institute show that while most parents give their child’s school positive marks for cleanliness, shared spaces where hygiene matters most like bathrooms and cafeterias remain top concerns. This underscores the essential role cleaning plays in creating school environments where students can learn, eat and gather with confidence. And as families prepare for a new school year, parents are paying attention to how clean and well cared for their children’s schools are.
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59% of parents give their children’s schools a grade of B or C when it comes to cleanliness, according to survey data released by the American Cleaning Institute.
While 39% of parents with children in school rated the school’s cleanliness level as excellent, most felt there was room for improvement. Among the areas of concern identified were:
- Bathrooms (50%)
- Cafeterias (34%)
- Classrooms (25%)
- Gyms and locker rooms (20%)
- Common areas (16%)
- Buses (15%)
“Cleanliness is not just a maintenance issue; it is part of the broader back-to-school checklist that helps reassure parents that schools are prepared to welcome students back,” said Kristin DiNicolantonio, ACI’s Senior Director, Stakeholder Communications. “Parents want to know that the places where their children learn, eat and play are being cared for. Strong cleaning and hygiene practices help support healthier school communities and keep students focused on learning.”
ACI encourages families and school communities to keep cleaning and hygiene top of mind throughout the school year by reinforcing handwashing, keeping frequently touched surfaces clean and using cleaning and disinfecting products as directed. Parents can reinforce proper handwashing at key moments, including before eating and after using the restroom, and include hand sanitizer in back-to-school supplies for older children.
Cleaning is a foundational part of a successful school year. School staff and parents can get more resources on supporting hand hygiene and cleaning best practices in their school system at HealthySchoolsHealthyPeople.org.
About the Survey
The ACI Parents survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 500 nationally representative U.S. parents ages 18+, between July 31st and August 6th, 2026, using an email invitation and an online survey. Data has been weighted to ensure an accurate representation of US parents, 18 and older.
Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. For the interviews conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 4.4 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.
American Cleaning Institute
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.
Healthy Schools, Healthy People
Healthy Schools, Healthy People (https://healthyschoolshealthypeople.org/) is a joint initiative between the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) dedicated to supporting school systems nationwide with tools to help reinforce hand hygiene and cleaning practices to prevent the spread of infectious disease and reduce related absenteeism.
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