American Cleaning Institute

What American Cleaning Institute does

The American Cleaning Institute (ACI) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association founded in 1926 (as The Soap and Detergent Association, rebranded in 2016) that represents the U.S. cleaning products industry. Headquartered in Washington, DC, ACI serves 160+ member companies spanning household, industrial, and institutional cleaning-product manufacturers, oleochemical producers, chemical distributors, and packaging suppliers. The organization operates with a small staff (11-50 employees) led by President and CEO Jennifer Abril and governed by a 25-member board drawn from member firms.

ACI's core product is a portfolio of science-based services and member resources rather than a single technology platform. Key offerings include the Cleaning Chemistry Catalog (an online database of human and environmental safety data on cleaning ingredients), the iSTREEM ingredient information tool, the Sustainable Feedstocks Initiative (a 2023-launched roadmap and life-cycle assessment database for transitioning from petroleum-based to plant-based raw materials), the Packets Up! liquid laundry packet safety campaign, Cold Water Saves, Healthy Schools Healthy People, and Cleaning Is Caring. ACI also hosts the annual ACI Convention in Orlando, the new Spark Summit leadership development event, and conducts Congressional fly-ins and EPA/FDA regulatory advocacy. Revenue is generated almost entirely through membership dues from its 160+ enterprise members (BASF, P&G, Dow, Evonik, Novonesis, Clorox and others), supplemented by event sponsorships; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is structured on a recurring/quote-based basis tied to company size and category.

Name

American Cleaning Institute

Legal name

American Cleaning Institute

Website

https://cleaninginstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

American Cleaning Institute is a non-profit trade association founded in 1926 that represents the U.S. cleaning products industry through 160+ member companies, providing regulatory advocacy, scientific research, sustainability programs, consumer education, and industry events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services

NAICS

Soap, Cleaning Compound, and Toilet Preparation Manufacturing (3256), Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561), Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing (325611)

SIC

Soap, Detergents, Cleang Preparations, Perfumes, Cosmetics (2840), Specialty Cleaning, Polishing And Sanitation Preparations (2842)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Institutional (I&I) Cleaning Chemicals (IMAEABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

General All-Purpose Cleaners (CRAJAMAA), All-Purpose Eco Cleaners (CRAJAOAA), Industrial & Manufacturing Facility Cleaning (IMAIADAB)

Keywords

• Cleaning products industry
• Trade association services
• Industry advocacy
• Regulatory compliance
• Scientific research

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: ACI generates revenue through membership dues from its 160-plus member companies, which include manufacturers of household, industrial, and institutional cleaning products, oleochemical producers, and chemical distributors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

The American Cleaning Institute is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association that represents the U.S. cleaning products industry value chain. It provides scientific research, regulatory advocacy, sustainability programs, ingredient safety databases, industry events, and consumer education on behalf of 160-plus member companies including manufacturers of household, industrial, and institutional cleaning products, oleochemical producers, and chemical distributors.

Product overview

The American Cleaning Institute (ACI) is a trade association serving the U.S. cleaning products industry, not a single product company. ACI operates a portfolio of educational resources, scientific databases, safety initiatives, and industry programs. Key offerings include the Cleaning Chemistry Catalog (an ingredient safety database), the Sustainable Feedstocks Initiative (sustainability transition program), iSTREEM (ingredient information tool), Cleaning Tips and Resources (consumer education), Packets Up! (laundry safety), Cold Water Saves (energy conservation), Healthy Schools Healthy People (hand hygiene), and Cleaning Is Caring (public wellness). ACI also hosts the annual ACI Convention and Spark Summit for industry networking and professional development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cleaning Chemistry Catalog An online database providing publicly available human and environmental safety data on ingredients used in household cleaning products, designed as a resource for the cleaning products industry and researchers.
• Sustainable Feedstocks Initiative An initiative providing a roadmap and life cycle assessment database to help cleaning product companies transition from petroleum-based raw materials to sustainable plant-based alternatives.
• iSTREEM A scientific tool and database for accessing information on ingredients used in cleaning products.
• Cleaning Tips and Resources Educational content providing cleaning guidance for home, school, and work, including stain removal guides, laundry safety tips, and room-by-room cleaning instructions.
• Packets Up! A liquid laundry packet safety awareness program focused on proper storage of cleaning products to prevent accidents in homes with children.
• Cold Water Saves An outreach initiative encouraging consumers to wash laundry in cold water to save energy and reduce environmental impact.
• Healthy Schools, Healthy People A program encouraging students to improve hand hygiene habits to help prevent the spread of infectious disease and reduce absenteeism.
• Cleaning Is Caring An educational initiative highlighting the vital role cleaning plays in daily life for safety and health.
• ACI Convention and Annual Meeting Annual networking events for the cleaning products industry including the ACI Convention held in Orlando, Florida each January.
• Spark Summit A two-day professional development summit designed for rising leaders in the cleaning products industry, addressing EPA priorities, sustainability, extended producer responsibility, procurement, and consumer-driven innovation.

Quantifiable outcome

• The cleaning products industry contributes $57.4 billion to the U.S. economy and supports 66,600 jobs.

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2026ACI and AAFP collaborated to introduce comprehensive cleaning guidance for new families, including a new cleaning landing page on FamilyDoctor.org launched in May 2026.
• SafeKidscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACI partnered with SafeKids for a satellite media tour during National Safety Month (June 2026) to raise awareness about storing laundry products safely (#PacketsUp campaign).
• LysolminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLysol launched a social campaign for its Lysol Air Sanitizer featuring Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi. While not directly an ACI partnership, Lysol is an ACI member company actively participating in industry marketing initiatives.
• Wakefield ResearchminorOthersACI conducted consumer surveys through Wakefield Research among 1,000 U.S. adults for National Laundry Day and National Cleaning Week surveys in 2026.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products (A.I.S.E.): European trade association for the soaps, detergents, and maintenance products industry. Functionally analogous to ACI but serving the European market, providing a useful international comparable for ACI's advocacy and sustainability program structure.
• Soap and Detergent Association of Canada (SDAC): Canadian counterpart trade association for the soap, detergent, and cleaning products industry. Closely analogous in mission and operating model to ACI, though smaller and geographically focused on Canada.

Broad incumbents

• American Chemistry Council (ACC): Larger trade association representing the broader U.S. chemical manufacturing industry, including chemical inputs to cleaning products (surfactants, oleochemicals). Overlaps with ACI on TSCA advocacy, sustainability, and regulatory engagement with EPA.
• National Association of Manufacturers (NAM): Largest U.S. manufacturing trade association with broad advocacy across all manufacturing sectors. Comparable in scale of advocacy operations, Congressional fly-ins, and DC-based regulatory engagement, with overlap on TSCA and EPA issues relevant to ACI members.
• Consumer Brands Association (CBA): Trade association for consumer-packaged goods manufacturers, including cleaning product companies. Comparable in operating model (membership dues, DC-based advocacy, industry events) and shares some member companies with ACI.

Emerging players

• Cleaning Products Working Group (part of HCPA historically): Industry working groups within broader trade associations that focus specifically on cleaning product categories, comparable to ACI's committee structure around surfactant science, sustainability, and consumer safety.

Direct peers

• Personal Care Products Council (PCPC): Trade association representing cosmetics and personal care product manufacturers. Highly comparable operating model (science-based advocacy, ingredient safety databases, consumer education) with overlapping regulatory and sustainability themes relevant to ACI members.
• Household & Commercial Products Association (HCPA): Trade association representing manufacturers of household, commercial, industrial, and institutional cleaning and chemical specialty products. Most direct peer to ACI with overlapping membership (e.g., P&G, Clorox) and similar advocacy, science, and sustainability program offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CleanInstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/AmericanCleaningInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-cleaning-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/americancleaninginstitute
• Pinterestpinterest.com/americancleaninginstitute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about American Cleaning Institute