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Study Finds Most Americans Fail in Hand Hygiene

Despite increased attention on the importance of handwashing, a new survey from the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) found that more than one-third of Americans are still not practicing proper hand hygiene.

The survey of 1,005 adults revealed that just over half (58%) of them make sure they scrub their hands for at least 20 seconds, and one in 10 admit they have not made any changes to their handwashing practices.

A majority (78%) of respondents said they are washing their hands more frequently with soap and water since the coronavirus pandemic began while almost half (46%) are using hand sanitizer more often.

When asked what hygiene or cleaning products they have used more often since the pandemic, the respondents replied:

• Hand soap – 69%
• Hand sanitizer – 59%
• Multi-purpose disinfectant wipes – 44%
• Multi-purpose spray disinfectant – 36%
• Paper towels – 35%
• Toilet or bathroom cleaner – 23%
• Bleach – 9%
• None of these products – 12%