Americans Backsliding on Handwashing Habits

More than half (57%) of Americans are washing their hands six or more times a day, according to the annual Healthy Handwashing Survey^TM conducted in January by Bradley Corp., a manufacturer of handwashing technologies. Last year’s survey, conducted in April, found 78% of surveyed Americans were washing their hands six times or more daily. This drop in frequency suggests that as the coronavirus pandemic drags on, people are becoming lax with their hygiene habits.

For instance, 53% of respondents surveyed this year report they are washing their hands after returning from a trip outside their home, compared to 67% surveyed last year. Only 38% of 2021 survey respondents are reminding their family members to wash their hands, compared to 54% last year. In April 2020, 77% of survey respondents reported scrubbing their hands for 20 seconds or longer, compared to 67% this January.

Despite their wavering handwashing habits, 81% of 2021 survey respondents say they are concerned about contracting COVID-19. Handwashing numbers are still higher in January than they were pre-pandemic, with only 37% of survey respondents reporting that washed their hands six times or more in the 2019 survey.

For the first time in the survey’s 12-year history, men expressed more handwashing diligence aaathan women. For instance, 69% of men have continued to wash their hands more frequently or thoroughly since the pandemic first began, compared to 57% of women. This may be due to men having no where to go but up due to their previously lackadaisical approach to handwashing. More than half of both men (59%) and women (51%) plan to keep up their handwashing routines after the pandemic ends.

“In our previous surveys, women have always led the way with their handwashing actions,” said Jon Dommisse, director of strategy and corporate development for Bradley Corp. “It’s encouraging to see that more men are incorporating more thorough and frequent handwashing into their daily routine because it is one of the easiest ways to prevent the spread of germs and illness.”