Scotch-Brite™ and Phylagen Introduce the First Consumer Home Cleanliness Test Kit

ST. PAUL, Minn., Sept. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- 3M's (NYSE: MMM) Scotch-Brite™ Brand and Phylagen, a San Francisco-based biotech company specializing in optimizing indoor microbial life, have brought science-based data to home cleaning with the introduction of Scotch-Brite™ Clean Scan, the world's first consumer home cleaning efficacy test. Starting today, technology previously only available in commercial settings is now available for home use. Clean Scan checks for microbial levels in the common areas of the home (kitchen and bathroom), providing lab-analyzed and personalized reports to help people better understand the cleanliness of their homes.  

The Scotch-Brite™ Brand is well known for its trusted and effective cleaning tools and now is taking it a step further with a new solution for testing your clean. Until now, we haven't really known if our cleaning efforts are working. Clean Scan provides a view of what is on the surfaces in our home and confirms we're cleaning effectively to remove harmful bacteria and viruses like the flu from our homes. It is clear cleaning is more important to Americans than ever before. On TikTok alone, there are more than 18.6B views on #cleantok content!

Across 100 American homes, Scotch-Brite™ Brand and Phylagen data found that¹:

• Approximately a third of the homes we tested had indicators of human fecal matter in the kitchen or bathroom.
• Of the homes with human fecal matter, 9% found it only in their kitchens, not their bathrooms, before cleaning.
• Approximately 50% of households still had human fecal matter present after cleaning.
• Americans who are regularly cleaning their homes more than 2x a week are keeping their indoor spaces (kitchens and bathrooms) measurably cleaner² than those who only clean once a week or less. In other words, the extra efforts are paying off!
• Homes with children under five years old are no dirtier than those without children.

How it works
By sampling bathroom and kitchen surfaces with Scotch-Brite™ Clean Scan swabs before and after cleaning, users will receive indicators about the cleanliness of their home and the effectiveness of their cleaning routine.  The Clean Scan lab will analyze the swab samples to measure the presence and levels of several microbes. Customers will receive their results within three days after the lab receives the kit.

Scotch-Brite™ Clean Scan tests for select microbial levels in the common areas of homes (kitchen and bathroom), including:

• Total Bacterial Quantity (used to assess overall bacterial removal before and after cleaning)
• Aspergillus Quantity (common mold)
• Listeria (foodborne pathogen)
• Dermatophytic Fungi (class of microbes known to cause skin and nail infections in humans and animals)
• CrAssphage (a virus that infects bacteria in the human gut and can indicate fecal contamination)
• SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)
• Influenza A/B (flu)

"The Scotch-Brite™ brand has a long history of innovative cleaning tools that help consumers power through messes to get the job done, and we are excited to offer this new solution to test cleaning effectiveness," said Beth Edinger, president, 3M Home Care Division. "Collaborating with Phylagen accelerates our ability to help consumers keep their homes clean and healthy with science-based solutions."

"At Phylagen, we're on a mission to help people better understand the microbial life around us, including in our homes," said Dr. Jessica Green, founder and CEO, Phylagen. "Through our collaboration with Scotch-Brite, we're able to bring this type of microbial data and insight to consumers for the first time ever, using technology that was once only available to scientists within a lab setting."

For this pilot launch, a limited quantity is available now on Amazon for $249 – find it here.

About 3M
At 3M, we apply science in collaborative ways to improve lives daily as our employees connect with customers all around the world. Learn more about 3M's creative solutions to global challenges at www.3M.com or on Twitter @3M or @3MNews.

About Scotch-Brite™
For over 60 years, the Scotch-Brite™ Brand has been bringing cleaning expertise and innovative solutions to help you power through tough messes and enjoy the feeling of clean. With our ever-expanding line of products, we are a trusted leader in cleaning and a staple in households worldwide.  Learn more at scotch-brite.com.

About Phylagen
Phylagen is a biotechnology company analyzing and optimizing the indoor microbiome - the ecosystem of viruses, bacteria and fungi that inhabit the places we live, work and play. Led by Dr. Jessica Green, a founder in the field of indoor microbiology, Phylagen's team of internationally recognized scientists combine microbial genomics and data analytics to solve complex problems like pandemic management and environmental health and safety. Phylagen has been recognized by the World Economic Forum as a Technology Pioneer.

¹ Based on in-home testing conducted May 2021 by Phylagen and 3M across 100 American Homes.
² Using Aspergillus as an indicator

SOURCE 3M

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