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HOW PEOPLE ARE USING HAND SANITISERS

Hand sanitiser has become a normal part of our everyday lives – it’s readily available in our workplaces, shops, restaurants, and anywhere else we go these days. And while hand sanitiser is an important part of good hand hygiene as well as convenient when we’re out and about, it should not completely replace washing our hands with soap and water.

Hand sanitiser has become a normal part of our everyday lives – it’s readily available in our workplaces, shops, restaurants, and anywhere else we go these days. And while hand sanitiser is an important part of good hand hygiene as well as convenient when we’re out and about, it should not completely replace washing our hands with soap and water. Why? Because handwashing is still better than hand sanitisers at getting rid of certain types of germs and at cleaning your hands when they are visibly dirty, greasy, or covered with chemicals.

Here, we present some results from a national survey of over 1,500 Australian adults conducted in September 2020*, to highlight how and why people are using hand sanitisers outside of their homes, and what’s important when they’re choosing a hand sanitiser to protect themselves and their family.

*Harris Interactive. Health of the Nation Australia, September 2020. Commissioned by Reckitt Benckiser.

The Reach Of Hand Sanitiser

When it comes to acceptance of hand sanitiser as a regular part of everyday life, Australians are pretty on-the-ball.

51

Use hand sanitiser everyday

51 mobile

Use hand sanitiser everyday

94

Have previously used hand sanitiser

94 mobile

Have previously used hand sanitiser

Reasons For Sanitising Hands

It seems we’re an altruistic bunch – when asked why they used hand sanitiser, the top response from participants was to minimise the spread of germs.

reasons for - icon 1

Minimise spread of harmful germs

reasons for - icon 2

Protect self from harmful germs

reasons for - icon 3

Worry about transmission of harmful germs

reasons for graph

When Do People Normally Sanitise Their Hands?

When people are out and about, there are some common situations when people normally sanitise their hands. Here are the top locations where participants felt the need to protect against germs.

After going to the bathroom

when do 1

Before eating

when do 2

After using public transport

when do 3

After handling money

when do 4

After going to the bathroom

when do people 1 mobile

Before eating

when do people 2 mobile

After using public transport

when do people 3 mobile

After handling money

when do people 4 mobile

Picking Your Hand Sanitiser

When it comes to buying hand sanitiser, a high number of participants were satisfied with the products available out there.

picking your - graph

picking green

80% Easily available to purchase

picking your - yellow

76% Range of affordable products

picking your - maroon

76% Range of formats to suit needs

picking your - pink

74% Available from trusted brands

Proportion of participants who strongly or slightly agreed with each perception of products available in the market to sanitise hands outside of the home.

Product Features Important For Hand Sanitisers

Participants were asked to rate a number of different attributes that matter to them when they’re choosing a hand sanitiser. Unsurprisingly, the product’s effectiveness for killing germs and bacteria was the top-rated attribute.

product features graph

rated effectiveness for killing germs as extremely or very important

Other high-rating attributes, particularly for women, include a product’s suitability and convenience for everyday use.

graph 1

graph 1

78 mobile
73 mobile
73 mobile
73 maroon mobile
70 pink mobile

Interestingly, product attributes that were lower ranked overall, such as the smell and appearance, were more likely to be considered important to participants aged 18 to 34 years.

graph 2

graph 2 mobile

45 mobile
44 blue
39 yellow
36 maroon
35 mobile

Proportion of participants who rated an attribute as extremely or very important when selecting a product to clean/sanitise hands.

So as we can see, hand sanitiser has become a vital part of our daily lives here in Australia, as we aim to protect ourselves and others from germs – especially when we’re on the go and away from home. For on-the-go hand hygiene, trust Dettol’s range of antibacterial Instant Hand Sanitisers to kill 99.9% of germs, for convenient hand sanitisation without the need for soap or water.

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