The Right Way to Wash Hands
By Happi Staff | 03.31.20
Despite COVID-19, consumers are still doing it wrong.
Hand washing is more important than ever, but Americans can still use a refresher on how to clean up properly. A new poll conducted on behalf of the American Cleaning Institute (ACI) finds that despite widespread adoption of increased cleaning and disinfecting practices in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, just over half (58%) of Americans are mindful of washing their hands for at least 20 seconds, and one in 10 have not made any changes to their hand hygiene practices.
The survey, conducted by Ipsos for ACI (cleaninginstitute.org), asked respondents what changes, if any, they have made to their hand hygiene practices since learning about the COVID-19 outbreak. The survey was conducted to pinpoint current gaps in consumer cleaning for disease prevention and respond with effective guidance.
Seventy-eight percent of respondents said they washed their hands with soap and water more frequently, while 46% were using hand sanitizers more often.
“In the midst of the coronavirus crisis, it’s an important time to re-emphasize proper handwashing habits, including washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds,” said Melissa Hockstad, president & CEO, ACI.
“ACI has created a new video that highlights proper hand hygiene and cleaning practices we can use to combat the spread of the coronavirus.”
The video is posted on ACI Coronavirus and Cleaning webpage, cleaninginstitute.org/coronavirus.
Soap, Sanitizer, Wipes Top List of Products Americans Are Using More
When asked what hygiene or cleaning products they have used more of since learning about the novel coronavirus, Americans said:
- 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%
“It’s important for all of us to purchase these products as needed and use them properly and safely,” said Hockstad. “Soap, sanitizer and cleaning product manufacturers and their chemical and packaging suppliers are working tirelessly to get these products to market and to the institutions where there is the most critical need.”
The results described are the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between March 18-19, 2020. For this survey, a sample of 1,005 adults age 18+ from the continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii was interviewed online in English. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, both waves of the poll have a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for all respondents.
