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D.C. School Gets High Marks for Hand Hygiene

But America as a Whole Only Gets a “C” on the
Clean Hands Report Card^SM

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 21, 2004 – Washington D.C.’s Margaret Murray Washington Career and Vocational High School was honored today for its strong curricular emphasis on hand hygiene during ceremonies marking National Clean Hands Week.

The D.C.-based Soap and Detergent Association (SDA) praised the school as it handed out its 2004 Clean Hands Report Card SM. The Report Card gives Americans a “C” for their hand hygiene habits. SDA, which has been educating the public about healthy and hygiene issues since 1926, offers a range of resources for parents, educators, and students at its website: www.cleaning101.com.

“While we know the students and faculty at the M.M. Washington School are outsmarting germs, SDA’s Clean Hands Report Card shows that Americans in general don’t wash their hands long enough, often enough or at the right times,” said Nancy Bock, SDA Vice President of Education. “As we celebrate Clean Hands Week, we need to remind everyone of one simple message: clean hands save lives.”

During a news conference at the school, Bock presented Principal Josie Paige with a certificate of appreciation, honoring the school’s “outstanding work in hygiene education to prepare today’s students for successful careers in health, education and culinary arts.” Dr. Gregg A. Pane, Director, D.C. Department of Health, also read a proclamation signed by D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams commending the school’s hygiene education efforts.

SDA produced its Report Card to raise awareness of National Clean Hands Week, a national health campaign that touts handwashing as the easiest path to staying healthy. The Report Card surveyed Americans on basic hand hygiene practices, such as washing before a meal, after using the bathroom, and after coughing or sneezing. The Report Card not only measured how often Americans wash daily, but for how long, and revealed perceptions of hand hygiene.

As students in the school’s culinary arts program demonstrated proper hand hygiene techniques, SDA dispensed advice on how to properly wash your hands.

• Wet your hands and apply liquid, bar or powder soap.
• Rub your hands together vigorously and scrub all surfaces.
• Continue for 20 seconds.
• Rinse well under running water.
• Dry your hands

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“Instant hand sanitizers, gels and foams are convenient and effective in killing germs. Additionally, disposable hand wipes offer a timesaving cleansing alternative for people with active lifestyles,” added SDA’s Bock.

The Dirt on Hand Hygiene

The Clean Hands Report Card SM was issued after SDA gathered the results of its latest National Cleaning Survey, which found:

• 43% surveyed seldom or never wash their hands after coughing or sneezing. One of the most common ways people catch colds is by rubbing their nose or eyes after touching someone or something contaminated with the cold virus.
• 32% don’t always wash before eating lunch. That means germs that were on the change, the door handle, and the elevator button might find their way onto the midday turkey sandwich.
• 54% of respondents don’t wash their hands long enough to effectively remove germs and dislodge dirt. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and SDA recommend washing with soap for at least 20 seconds.

According to the Report Card, 90% of Americans surveyed said they always washed their hands after using the bathroom, while eight percent said they frequently washed, and two percent said they seldom or never washed. There appears to be a major gap between what people say and what they do. A 2003 observational study by the American Society for Microbiology found as many as one-third of public restroom users did not wash their hands.

“More Americans should know that your health is literally in your hands,” said SDA’s Nancy Bock. She mentioned key instances when handwashing is critical.

• when preparing food
• before meals and snacks
• after using the restroom
• after touching animals
• when hands are dirty
• when you or someone around you is ill

SDA is part of t he Clean Hands Coalition (www.cleanhandscoalition.org), a national alliance of public and private partners working together to create and support coordinated, sustained initiatives to significantly improve health and save lives through clean hands. The Coalition designated the third week in September as National Clean Hands Week to educate the public about the benefits of good hand hygiene.

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The Clean Hands Report Card SM was based on a survey of 1013 American adults (504 men and 509 women). The independent consumer research study was completed in August 2004, on behalf of SDA, by International Communications Research (ICR). The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent.

The Soap and Detergent Association ( www.cleaning101.com ), the U.S. Home of the Cleaning Products Industry^SM, is the non-profit trade association representing manufacturers of household, industrial, and institutional cleaning products; their ingredients; and finished packaging; and oleochemical producers. SDA members produce more than 90 percent of the cleaning products marketed in the U.S. The SDA is located at 1500 K Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005.