PRESS RELEASE: Wet Ones
Written: Tuesday 27th October, 2009
HANDS OFF
People who live in Bristol were yesterday (mon) named and shamed as the most unhygienic in Britain.
Those living in the south west city go the longest without washing their hands - with some failing to turn on the tap for nearly 38 HOURS straight.
That's the equivalent of dodging the tap for nearly THREE whole days they're awake.
Bristolians also spend the least amount of time scrubbing their hands clean - just nine seconds before wiping them on their trousers legs.
And they're less likely to wash they're digits after going to the toilet, when they're in a hurry or because they simply don't look grubby.
Second in the 'Dirty Mitts' league was Edinburgh - where people avoid washing their hands for 37 hours and 12 minutes, followed by Norwich citizens with 33 and a half hours, in third.
The fourth biggest soap dodgers were Wolverhampton, with Belfast completing the top five.
A spokesperson for Wet Ones, which carried out the poll of 4,000 Brits, said: ''We were very surprised by the results of the survey, which suggests that there's a huge amount of education required in the UK about the importance of hand hygiene.
''We shouldn't let our busy lifestyles compromise our health and hygiene - it only takes a few seconds to wash your hands, even when you're out and about.
''National Hand Hygiene Awareness week has been launched to help and advise people on how, when and why they should be cleaning their hands to keep them germ free.''
The survey quizzed 16-65 year olds on their hand-washing attitudes and habits.
While Bristol faired badly, York were hailed as the clean-hand capital most frequently - within 19 hours, with nearly eight in 10 always using soap.
The majority of those living in the historic North Yorkshire city clean their mitts before dinner, after a cough or a sneeze, and are least likely to quickly rinse them even if they're in a rush.
The survey revealed a number of worrying hand-washing habits, or lack of them.
A quarter of Brits don't wash their hands after using the toilet at home, and one in five have the mentality if their hands don't look dirty, then they're probably not.
Another two thirds (64 per cent) fail to clean their mitts after coughing or sneezing.
Fewer than half (46 per cent) scrub their hands clean before dinner, only a quarter do so after playing in the park with their kids.
More than four in 10 blokes don't even clean their mitts after car maintenance or DIY.
GMTV's Dr Hilary Jones, who's backing the campaign, yesterday said: ''It's shocking that people go for such long periods of time without cleaning their hands.
''Hand Hygiene is the most effective way to stop the spreading of germs.
''People should regularly clean their hands before eating and after going to the toilet to prevent against germs and viruses, and the fact that some people are leaving it up to 38 hours is astonishing.
''The average desk work surface harbours over 20,000 microbes - that's 400 times more than on a loo seat.
''And Swabs taken from tube and bus seats in London found they contained on average three million bacteria of up to 70 different types, including tuberculosis.''
Professor Lindsey Davies, National Director of Pandemic Flu Preparedness at the Department of Health said: ''Helping to stop the spread of flu is easy - covering your nose and mouth with tissues when you cough and sneeze, throwing the tissue away and cleaning your hands really helps prevent the virus spreading.''
Research conducted by global market research company www.onepoll.com
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