UNSAFE AS HOUSES

BRITS are ignoring basic home hygiene. This is one of the shocking facts revealed in the Hygiene Council’s 2007 global survey which is released today.

Research shows that most public toilets are cleaner to eat off than kitchen work surfaces in British homes.

Research found that work surfaces in British homes used for preparing food were less hygienic than public toilets in a whopping 85 per cent of the cases!

In fact, the average kitchen surface had 10 times more bacteria than the toilet seat.

The survey funded by Dettol found that only three per cent of Brits believed the home to be the most likely source of infection, with hygiene advice for homes being generally ignored.

More than 10,000 people across 10 countries across the globe took part in the research that focused on basic hygiene principles

It found that the majority of Brits are not aware that they could encounter more bacteria in their homes than in public places.

The Hygiene Council’s report also found that only a third of Brits wash their hands properly after sneezing, handling pets, before eating, before handling food and after using the toilet.

The Hygiene Council’s panel of experts warns that not washing hands at appropriate times can have far reaching consequences.

They say recent research by the Center for Disease Control estimates an average school child misses approximately one week of school a year due to illness.

Yet hand sanitisers were shown to reduce illness-related absenteeism in school children by up to 49 per cent.

This is because hands are the primary carrier of various germs and pathogens, including E.coli and Salmonella.

But bacteria can also be found in unlikely places like light switches, door handles, the kitchen chopping board and other frequently touched surfaces – which makes them cleaner than the toilet seat!

The Hygiene Council says that good hygiene is directly linked to a reduction in the incidence of illness and infection.

And men are the worst offenders, with only 28 per cent sticking to home hygiene routines compared to 42 per cent of women, found the report, which was sponsored by Dettol.

Dr Lisa Ackerley, hygiene expert and member of the UK Hygiene Council, said: “Your home may not be as clean as you think it is. It’s not enough to simply remove the visible dirt you can see with the naked eye.

Researchers also tested baby high chairs in homes where there were children under three and found that all of those tested were unacceptably dirty.

Coliforms – which are bacteria that indicate a surface has been contaminated by faecal matter, raw meat, soil or unwashed vegetables – were found on a staggering 60 per cent of the trays.

Ironically, in all the homes tested, the floors were cleaner than the high chair trays – with 40 per cent of them clean enough to serve food on.

  “Bacteria and germs such as E.coli that cause illnesses with symptoms such as diarrhoea and vomiting can still present on a visibly clean surface. By using a quality antibacterial product you can be sure your surfaces are hygienically clean.”

“Home hygiene should be regarded as a scientific approach in its own right. Scientific evidence shows that simple and good hygiene practices can reduce the risk of illness and infection at home and in the community, so we must protect ourselves by putting these measures into practice,” commented Professor John Oxford, Chairman of the Hygiene Council and Professor of Virology at St Bartholomew’s and the Royal London Hospital, Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry.

The Hygiene Council has formed to help combat the growing incidence of the spread of infections, such as avian influenza or MRSA, by providing recommendations on good hygiene to help the public.

The council is made up of some of the world’s top experts in areas such as virology, microbiology and infectious disease.

DETTOL RESEARCH SUPPORTING HYGIENE COUNCIL REPORT FINDINGS

KEY STATISTICS

National

53% of people don’t wash their hands properly after sneezing or coughing

22% of people don’t wash their hand properly after handling animals or pets

33% of people think the kitchen is where the most germs can be found in the home

2% of people think dirty laundry is where the most germs can be found in the home

10% of people think personal clothing, i.e underwear, is most likely to have bacteria that could cause infections

7% of people think bed linen is most likely to have bacteria that could cause infections

East Anglia

22% of people don’t wash their hands properly after sneezing or coughing

19% of people don’t wash their hand properly after handling animals or pets

16% of people think the kitchen is where the most germs can be found in the home

2% of people think dirty laundry is where the most germs can be found in the home

5% of people think personal clothing, i.e underwear, is most likely to have bacteria that could cause infections

2% of people think bed linen is most likely to have bacteria that could cause infections

London

55% of people don’t wash their hands properly after sneezing or coughing

14% of people don’t wash their hand properly after handling animals or pets

31% of people think the kitchen is where the most germs can be found in the home

2% of people think dirty laundry is where the most germs can be found in the home

11% of people think personal clothing, i.e underwear, is most likely to have bacteria that could cause infections

7% of people think bed linen is most likely to have bacteria that could cause infections

East Midlands

40% of people don’t wash their hands properly after sneezing or coughing

33% of people don’t wash their hand properly after handling animals or pets

43% of people think the kitchen is where the most germs can be found in the home

1% of people think dirty laundry is where the most germs can be found in the home

9% of people think personal clothing, i.e underwear, is most likely to have bacteria that could cause infections

4% of people think bed linen is most likely to have bacteria that could cause infections

West Midlands

60% of people don’t wash their hands properly after sneezing or coughing

20% of people don’t wash their hand properly after handling animals or pets

36% of people think the kitchen is where the most germs can be found in the home

6% of people think dirty laundry is where the most germs can be found in the home

9% of people think personal clothing, i.e underwear, is most likely to have bacteria that could cause infections

3% of people think bed linen is most likely to have bacteria that could cause infections

North East

59% of people don’t wash their hands properly after sneezing or coughing

22% of people don’t wash their hand properly after handling animals or pets

26% of people think the kitchen is where the most germs can be found in the home

3% of people think dirty laundry is where the most germs can be found in the home

12% of people think personal clothing, i.e underwear, is most likely to have bacteria that could cause infections

9% of people think bed linen is most likely to have bacteria that could cause infections

North West

43% of people don’t wash their hands properly after sneezing or coughing

13% of people don’t wash their hand properly after handling animals or pets

35% of people think the kitchen is where the most germs can be found in the home

1% of people think dirty laundry is where the most germs can be found in the home

12% of people think personal clothing, i.e underwear, is most likely to have bacteria that could cause infections

16% of people think bed linen is most likely to have bacteria that could cause infections Northern Ireland

Scotland

46% of people don’t wash their hands properly after sneezing or coughing

30% of people don’t wash their hand properly after handling animals or pets

23% of people think the kitchen is where the most germs can be found in the home

21% of people think personal clothing, i.e underwear, is most likely to have bacteria that could cause infections

8% of people think bed linen is most likely to have bacteria that could cause infections

South East

56% of people don’t wash their hands properly after sneezing or coughing

25% of people don’t wash their hand properly after handling animals or pets

30% of people think the kitchen is where the most germs can be found in the home

2% of people think dirty laundry is where the most germs can be found in the home

11% of people think personal clothing, i.e underwear, is most likely to have bacteria that could cause infections

5% of people think bed linen is most likely to have bacteria that could cause infections

South West

56% of people don’t wash their hands properly after sneezing or coughing

25% of people don’t wash their hand properly after handling animals or pets

37% of people think the kitchen is where the most germs can be found in the home

3% of people think dirty laundry is where the most germs can be found in the home

5% of people think personal clothing, i.e underwear, is most likely to have bacteria that could cause infections

10% of people think bed linen is most likely to have bacteria that could cause infections

Wales

55% of people don’t wash their hands properly after sneezing or coughing

19% of people don’t wash their hand properly after handling animals or pets

40% of people think the kitchen is where the most germs can be found in the home

5% of people think dirty laundry is where the most germs can be found in the home

15% of people think personal clothing, i.e underwear, is most likely to have bacteria that could cause infections

4% of people think bed linen is most likely to have bacteria that could cause infections

Yorkshire and Humberside

59% of people don’t wash their hands properly after sneezing or coughing

22% of people don’t wash their hand properly after handling animals or pets

32% of people think the kitchen is where the most germs can be found in the home

1% of people think dirty laundry is where the most germs can be found in the home

9% of people think personal clothing, i.e underwear, is most likely to have bacteria that could cause infections

3% of people think bed linen is most likely to have bacteria that could cause infections

(16/5/07)