Americans Don’t Wash Their Hands Enough

(www.livelywomen.com) — America just got a C- on the Soap and Detergent Association’s Clean Hands Report, which means that we’re not washing our hands enough or at the right times. But is this cause for concern, or just a sneaky attempt by the soap industry to scare us into using, and therefore buying, more soap and soap products?

Here are some of the findings of the 2008 survey, and some comparisons with historical numbers:

• 85% of participants say they wash their hands after making a bathroom trip. But in 2006’s survey, that percentage was 92.
• 46% of respondents say they spend 15 seconds or less washing their hands.
• 39% never or seldom wash hands after coughing or sneezing.
• 39% don’t always wash their hands before eating lunch. In 2006, that figure was 31%.
• 56% of participants knew that regular hand washing is seen as the best way to prevent colds and flu.

I have to be honest: The fact that only 56% of those surveyed knew that hand washing is a leading way to prevent illnesses makes me think that the survey is probably pretty worthwhile. If people don’t know basic hygiene like that, well, that’s a problem, and it indicates to me that there’s not enough hand washing going on.

How often do you wash your hands?

Contents © Copyright 2008 Kristen King

(image: SXC.hu)