American Hygiene Habits Getting Worse

Did you know that Americans’ kitchens actually harbored more germs in 2009 than in 2008. Despite the threat of H1N1 and other illnesses, Americans kitchen hygiene habits have gone downhill.

This from the Hygiene Council and their new international study released this week. Key findings include:

•The UK, Germany and Saudi Arabia all had cleaner kitchen sink faucets than the U.S.

•Kitchen surfaces (faucets and sponges) harbor more germs than bathroom surfaces – faucets and sponges are dramatically worse than the toilet flush handle and bathroom door handle. The U.S. fared very well globally in other parts of the home, but our kitchens are hotbeds for germs.

•Despite American home owners claiming to clean their kitchen sink faucets (specifically the handles) once per week, 60 percent of faucets analyzed failed the hygiene test – dramatically worse than 2008 when only 25 percent of kitchen faucets failed.

•The new study also found that 65 percent of Americans claim to clean or change their kitchen sponge or cloth every month or more , but 70 percent analyzed failed the hygiene test- only a 5 percent improvement over 2008, when 75 percent failed the hygiene test.

Of the eight countries participating in the 2009 global study, the United Kingdom, Germany, South Africa and Saudi Arabia all had cleaner kitchen sink faucets than the United States. While the United States fared better than much of the world in other rooms of the home, it continued to lose the battle against germs in the kitchen, one of the places where families spend the most time.

“Given the recent influenza A (H1N1) pandemic, it is more important than ever that Americans make hygiene a priority for their families. Parents’ intentions are good, but results can be dramatically improved by following simple, proper, hygiene routines to help protect their families from illness-causing germs,” said John Oxford, chairman of the Hygiene Council and Professor of Virology at St. Bartholomew’s & The Royal London Hospital, Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry.

The Council recommends that families follow these routines to help stop the spread of harmful germs:

•Hand Washing – Wash your hands frequently and regularly, especially after going to the bathroom, before and after preparing food, after changing a diaper, after touching animals and pets and if someone in your household is ill. It is important to use soap and water, scrub underneath your nails and the back of your hands and dry thoroughly with a paper towel.

•Surface Disinfection – According to global results from the study, more than 27 percent of home owners said they only clean their home to make it “look clean” and “smell nice.” However, study results showed that simply cleaning is not enough to kill germs. Commonly touched surfaces, such as the kitchen faucet, should be regularly sprayed down with a disinfectant, such as LYSOL® Disinfectant Spray. To reduce the chances of cross contamination, skip the sponges and instead clean kitchen surfaces with a disinfectant product before preparing food and immediately after surfaces have been in contact with raw foods, such as meat and poultry.

•Cough and Sneeze Etiquette – Practice good cough and sneeze etiquette to prevent spreading germs to others. Cough into your elbow, rather than your hands, and sneeze into a tissue to minimize hand contact transmission of germs. Immediately throw away used tissues and wash your hands.

“These simple, low cost activities can be quite effective in keeping families healthy,” says pediatrician Dr. Laura Jana, co-author of Heading Home with Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality and Food Fights. “While it’s easy to understand how parents might overlook all of the common places where their young children can come into contact with germs in the course of their hectic daily lives, consistently following these simple steps can help protect their families.”

I don’t know about you, but I’m going to give my kitchen a through cleaning! You know, just in case.