Raising the Standard of Public Handwashing
Because Clean Hands should never be a privilege
A movement for dignity, design, and health
Public handwashing is a series of compromises we have grown to accept as we strive for clean hands. This initiative is a significant step toward improving human health through better hand hygiene practices.
While our social videos featuring the clean hands man may be entertaining, the reality is quite serious. The sickness we carry on our hands costs our society billions of dollars each year—let’s work together to fix that with our handwashing initiative and promote touch-free solutions!
Introducing the 2026 Clean Hands Index
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Gain credible, third-party visibility
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Participate in an industry-wide benchmark
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Align products with real human behavior and public health needs
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Help raise the global standard of public handwashing
Sponsors help make the Index possible—while gaining a trusted platform for leadership, insight, and impact.
The Facts:
Touching Our Faces
We touch our faces over 50 times per hour, and up to 69 times for the “T-zone” (eyes, nose, mouth, and chin).* As a hand hygiene advocate, I emphasize the importance of maintaining clean hands, especially when engaging in a handwashing initiative. To further promote health, consider using touch-free options whenever possible.
Handwashing Habit
Handwashing is crucial in promoting hand hygiene, as it can prevent up to 80% of infectious disease spread. As a hand hygiene advocate, I emphasize the importance of clean hands in our daily routines. Initiatives focusing on handwashing, including touch free options, are essential to ensure everyone maintains clean hands to protect their health.
20 Seconds
Washing your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds can reduce colds by 21% and diarrhea by 40%. As a hand hygiene advocate, promoting clean hands is crucial for health. Initiatives like touch free handwashing can further enhance these benefits.
Soap Not Sanitizer
93% of hand washers, including many clean hands advocates, prefer soap and water over hand sanitizer in their handwashing initiative.
Improved Habits
69% of people report washing hands after bathroom use, highlighting the importance of clean hands in promoting health. As a hand hygiene advocate, I encourage everyone to participate in handwashing initiatives to ensure we all maintain clean hands. Adopting touch-free solutions can further enhance our efforts for better hand hygiene.
Better Habits
20% of people sometimes choose not to wash in public due to various conditions, which can hinder their hand hygiene. As a hand hygiene advocate, I believe that promoting clean hands is essential for everyone’s health. Initiatives focusing on handwashing and touch-free options can encourage more individuals to maintain clean hands, including the clean hands man who sets a positive example.
* National Institute of Health – 2020 report on the importance of clean hands in preventing infections.
** National Foundation for Infectious Diseases – 2025 State of Handwashing Report, highlighting the handwashing initiative and the role of hand hygiene advocates in promoting touch-free methods for ensuring clean hands.
About Clean Hands Man
I’ve washed my hands on six continents—and I’ve seen firsthand how often we compromise on something as fundamental as hand hygiene. In almost every setting, from airports to luxury hotels, five-star restaurants, hospitals, and schools, we accept standards that fall short of ensuring clean hands for everyone. As a hand hygiene advocate, my mission is to change that. I believe we have the knowledge, the talent, and the technology to raise the global standard of handwashing—through initiatives that promote touch-free solutions—and in doing so, to build healthier communities everywhere.
Today, my work is focused on shining a light on this issue, sparking conversations, and developing solutions. I look forward to hearing from you if you and your company are part of this solution.
Is Your Company Part of the Solution?
As a hand hygiene advocate, promoting clean hands is crucial, and these brands play a pivotal role in supporting handwashing initiatives and providing touch-free solutions to enhance public health.
- 3M
- Aike
- Airdri
- Alsco
- American Standard
- American Dryer
- Amway
- Asia Pulp & Paper
- Biodrier
- Blanco
- Bobrick
- Bradley
- Carysil
- Cascades
- Cintas
- Colgate-Palmolive
- Dan Dryer
- Delta
- Diptyque
- Dyson
- Essity
- Excel
- First Quality
- Franke
- Geberit
- Georgia-Pacific
- Gerber
- Godrej
- GoJo
- GROHE
- Hengan
- Henkel
- Himalaya
- Hokwang
- International Paper
- ITC
- Jacuzzi
- Jaquar
- Johnson & Johnson
- KAO
- Kimberly Clark
- Kingkonree
- Kohler
- Kraus
- Kruger
- Lion
- Lucart
- Mediclinics
- Method
- Metsa
- Mitsubishi Electric
- Moel
- Moen
- Palmer
- Panasonic
- Plussen
- Proctor & Gamble
- Reckitt
- Roca
- Rohl
- SC Johnson
- Siemens
- Sloan
- Soho Commercial
- Sofidel
- Stern
- TOTO
- Unilever
- Wepa
- World Dryer
If you see your name on this list (or even if you don’t), what is your company doing to promote clean hands and enhance hand hygiene? How are you making improvements in handwashing initiatives affordable and accessible for all public locations, especially with touch free solutions?
Have questions or want to discuss? Reach out to us at info@cleanhandsman.com.
Basic Requirements of Good Handwashing:
Touch-Free Faucet
Imagine a touch-free faucet that allows you to operate it without any physical contact, mounted at a sink designed for those who prioritize clean hands. This innovative solution supports hand hygiene advocates and their handwashing initiatives, ensuring you can wash thoroughly while maintaining the cleanliness of the sink.
Reliable Touch-free Soap Dispenser
It’s essential to have a consistent power source to avoid battery failures, especially for those who are hand hygiene advocates promoting clean hands. Also, consider the soap type—Is foam soap always the best choice for maintaining clean hands in a touch free handwashing initiative?
Warm Water
To achieve truly clean hands, it’s important to use soap’s scrubbing agents with warm water. Faucets should provide a steady stream of warm water for at least 20 seconds, which is essential for effective handwashing. This is a critical aspect for hand hygiene advocates, especially since many current touch-free models do not meet this requirement. Supporting a handwashing initiative is vital for promoting clean hands among everyone.
Proper Drying
While cheap paper towels may seem effective, investing in a single high-quality towel might be more beneficial, as it could replace five low-quality ones. As a hand hygiene advocate, I recommend considering touch-free options like automatic hand dryers. However, many of these dryers simply blow water and can recirculate airborne pathogens from the same germ-laden air source, making effective handwashing initiatives even more crucial for achieving clean hands.
Touch-Free Exit
Exiting a restroom without touching a door handle is critical for maintaining clean hands. Many individuals use paper towels to open doors, hoping there’s a trash can nearby. However, when only air dryers are available, you’re often left touching the same filthy handles that everyone else has used. Innovations like the StepNpull foot door opener or the SanitGrasp touch-free handle are great solutions for a clean hands man, but ideally, open walkways contribute significantly to a handwashing initiative and promote better hand hygiene. As a hand hygiene advocate, I encourage practicing these methods to reduce germ transfer.
