FOR IMMEDIATE Release
Contact: Brian Sansoni,
The Soap and Detergent Association,
202-662-2517,
Bsansoni@cleaning101.com

Washington, DC, November 13, 2003 - The Soap and Detergent Association (SDA, www.cleaning101.com) awarded its inaugural Clean Homes… Healthy Families Program Award of Excellence to educators in New York and Georgia for their innovative programs to help local families and individuals understand the link between clean homes and good health.

SDA established the award with the National Extension Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS) to reward educators who employ SDA's educational materials to boost awareness of the proper use and storage of cleaning products. Program areas include, but are not limited to asthma education, laundry, dishwashing, hard surface cleaning or hand hygiene.

"All of the entrants are helping SDA educate the public on the benefits of a clean and healthy home," said SDA Vice President of Education Nancy Bock. "The award winners developed programs that meet the needs of their communities, and most importantly, significantly improve the lives of local residents."

The 2003 honorees include:

University of Georgia Cooperative Extension - Macon County, GA
Awarded for: Providing opportunities for limited resource families to understand the importance of a clean home through its "Tips and Tricks on Teaching Home Cleaning" training campaign. The program goal is to train Family Service Workers, who work with community members to help them better manage their lives, on general performance of cleaning tasks.

Cornell Cooperative Extension - Delaware County, NY
Awarded for: Their "Healthy Homes - Healthy Families - Healthier You" exhibit which educates residents about asthma and actions for decreasing symptoms by cleaning to control indoor triggers. Because Delaware County has higher than average adult asthma sufferers and smokers, the program helped low income, low literacy residents learn through home-based visits, hands-on activities and clearly illustrated handouts.

The award recipients were honored with a cash award of $500, a tabletop award and a write-up in SDA's Cleanliness Facts. For more information on the awardees, log on to http://www.neafcs.org/awards.asp?P=295. To learn more about the award criteria and eligibility, log on to http://www.neafcs.org/awards.asp?P=93.

Weblinks: SDA Household Cleaning Tips: http://www.cleaning101.com/house

SDA's Cleaning to Control Asthma and Allergies: http://www.cleaning101.com/asthma

The Soap and Detergent Association (http://www.cleaning101.com) is the non-profit trade association representing manufacturers of household, industrial, and institutional cleaning products; their ingredients; and finished packaging, and oleochemical producers. SDA members produce more than 90 percent of the cleaning products marketed in the U.S. The SDA is located at 1500 K Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005.