CleanTec Industry News

United States. According to the Healthy™ Handwashing Survey, Americans implement handwashing "as needed." For example, 74% wash their hands more frequently or more thoroughly in response to seasonal virus outbreaks and 54% increase their handwashing activity when sick, according to the Bradley Company.

In addition, 77% make sure to wash when on a road trip or at an airport and 67% wash more when a trip is approaching.
The use of public toilets is another occasion to wash your hands. Respondents said they foam 89% of the time after using a public facility. Most of those who skipped the cleaning step cited a lack of soap or paper towels, while others claimed that non-functioning sinks hampered their efforts. Interestingly, 29% of men said they didn't feel the need to wash their hands after using a public restroom.

"Washing your hands regularly throughout the day helps eliminate germs and viruses that can cause disease," says medical microbiologist Michael P. McCann, Ph.D., professor and chair of biology at Saint Joseph's University. "Hand hygiene is a simple and easy thing to do and should not be overlooked."

Survey conducted over 15 years
Bradley, a company that makes bathroom screens and accessories, ran its first Healthy Handwashing Survey in 2009, when the H1N1 virus (also known as swine flu) was raging in the country. Back then, only 45% of Americans said they had improved their hand hygiene in response to seasonal virus outbreaks.

Over the years, Bradley has continued to ask more than 1000 adults about their handwashing habits, their concerns about seasonal viruses, and the state of public restrooms.

As expected, diligence in handwashing reached all-time highs in 2020 and 2021 as Covid-19 spread. Since then, the frequency has returned to pre-pandemic times. Specifically, in the spring of 2020, Americans washed their hands an average of 10.5 times a day, compared to an average of six times a day before Covid.

"No matter the season or what's on the road, handwashing should be a priority every day," says Jon Dommisse, Bradley's vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "It's especially important for parents to instill in their children the ongoing habit of washing their hands before and after eating, after using the bathroom, after sneezing and at other times of the day."

According to the survey results, most parents take steps to encourage their children to wash. 63% ask them to wash their hands, 39% buy fun soaps and 30% incorporate it into their routine.

However, parents are realistic about following their children's handwashing.

Only one in four believe that their children always wash their hands when they ask them to. Many parents assume their children are taking a shortcut because that's what they did. 63% of adults admit that when they were young they simply let the water run instead of washing.
Public Restrooms Examined

In addition to handwashing habits, the annual survey delved into the state of public restrooms.

The findings found that it is a mixture. While a good portion of Americans (43%) believe that the condition of public restrooms has improved over the past 15 years, 35% say they have not noticed any change one way or the other.

As for bad news, the majority (68%) report that they have had a particularly unpleasant experience in a public restroom due to the facilities. The main complaints are clogged or unflushed toilets, old, dirty or unkempt appearance, and unpleasant odors.
To combat those negative problems, Americans would like bathrooms to be cleaner and better stocked, have touchless fixtures throughout, and offer a good supply of paper towels, even if there were hand dryers.

Bradley's annual Healthy Handwashing Survey asked 1003 U.S. adults Jan. 4-9, 2024, about their handwashing habits, concerns about seasonal viruses, and their use of public restrooms. The participants were from all over the country and were fairly evenly split between women (51%) and men (48%). 1% of respondents selected another.