Keeping clean and hygienic

THE importance of keeping hands clean and hygienic is often a lesson targeted at children, however, it seems that UK adults have also been busy scrubbing up their hand washing routine.

New research from Mintel reveals that over a third (35 per cent) of adults are washing their hands more frequently than they were three years ago, rising to 42 per cent of mothers with children under 16.

Further showing that consumers are lathering up more often, the proportion of Brits buying liquid hand soap at least once a month has risen from 56 per cent in 2013 to 62 per cent in 2014.

Whilst overall Brits are more likely to purchase liquid soap than bar soap (71 per cent of Brits buying bar soap compared to 87 per cent choosing liquid), it seems that the genders are divided when choosing how to keep clean.

The vast majority (91 per cent) of UK women buy liquid hand soap, compared to 83 per cent of men, whilst men are more likely to buy bar soap with three quarters (75 per cent) buying this variety compared to 68 per cent of women.

Showing that consumers are also choosing to fight germs on the go, today over half (58 per cent) of Brits purchase hand sanitiser gel, with a third (33 per cent) buying hand sanitiser gel once a month or more.

It seems that young consumers are even more enthusiastic over keeping hands spic and span with three-quarters (75 per cent) of 16- 24s purchasing hand sanitiser gel and one in 10 (11 per cent) buying it once a week or more.

Charlotte Libby, Senior Beauty Analyst at Mintel, said: “With health scares making headlines around the world throughout 2014, the spread of disease has raised awareness of how hand hygiene plays a part in preventing infection, causing an increase in the frequency of consumers washing their hands.

The large majority of young Brits purchasing hand sanitiser shows that, despite preconceptions, this group have a particularly cautious attitude towards spreading germs.