We serve as a trusted resource for the latest news and helpful information related to skin health and surface hygiene advancements. GOJO microbiologists, scientists,
nurses and other professionals post regularly
and we also get the views of outside experts and
thought leaders in the field. It’s all part of the
GOJO Purpose, Saving Lives and Making Lives Better Through Well-Being Solutions.
Celebrating Global Handwashing Day and the Moments When Hygiene Matters Most
10/15/2021
By Elizabeth Scott, Ph.D.
Associate Dean and Professor, Simmons University
Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the International Forum on Home Hygiene
Today is Global Handwashing Day – an annual global advocacy day to recognize the importance of handwashing with soap as an easy, effective, and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives. With the increased attention on clean hands during the pandemic, it is a good time to review best hygiene practices for both hand hygiene and surface hygiene, as they are linked together.
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The Role of IoT in Hand Hygiene Dispensers
8/31/2021
By Tamara Cross
Total Solutions Director, IoT Product Category
Hand sanitizer and soap dispensers have become ubiquitous. When you walk into a hospital, restaurant, airport, stadium, mall, or office building, hand sanitizer is welcoming you with an invitation to clean your hands as you transition into the facility. In fact, 84% of people expect hand sanitizer to be offered in public places. Business owners and facility operators began offering hand sanitizer to help make their patrons, employees, and guests feel safe while they’re visiting.
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Interactive Hand Hygiene Experiments for K-12 Students
8/10/2021
By Dawn Yeomans, Ph.D.
Research Principal, GOJO Industries
Schools are germy settings. As students go about their day at school, they touch shared objects like computer mice, water fountains, gym equipment, or the lunch checkout keypad, which contains thousands of germs. Some of those germs will hang out on their hands and can be introduced into their bodies when they touch their eyes, nose, and mouth.
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Healthy Hands for a Healthy School Year
7/27/2021
By David Miller
Marketing Director – Omnichannel, GOJO Industries
As we enter the back half of summer break, many families and teachers are looking ahead to the fall and the approach of another school year. Planning often begins with back-to-school shopping to stock up on items they’ll need to complete the school year successfully. This year, many shopping lists will include items to help prioritize healthy habits in the classroom – particularly since public health experts are concerned there may be an increased number of germs circulating this winter. With many children returning to in-person learning for the first time in a long time, help ease their adjustment and set them up for successful school year by reinforcing healthy habits, like hand hygiene.
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Aren’t All Hand Soaps Essentially the Same?
7/20/2021
By Dawn Yeomans, Ph.D.
Research Principal, GOJO Industries
The short answer is a confusing “yes and no.” We’ve all had the experience of using a soap that didn’t lather properly or that left our skin feeling tight and dry. This is because the soap formulation itself – as well as the practice related to dispensing the formulation – matter, for how the soap performs and feels during use, its germ and dirt removal efficacy, and how the soap leaves skin feeling after use. Here’s a little science to help understand why something as simple as soap can perform so differently and what to look out for when choosing a hand soap for your school district or college campus.
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Tips for Getting the Cleanest Hands in Schools
6/28/2021
By Dawn Yeomans, Ph.D.
Research Principal, GOJO Industries
Keeping hands clean is one of the best ways to reduce germs that may cause illness in all settings, but particularly for schools. When germs such as those that cause flu, stomach bugs, and the common cold get onto hands and are not removed, they can be transmitted from person to person, causing outbreaks of infections. Germs from contaminated hands can also be transferred to surfaces and other objects, thus spreading the infection further. As germy settings, schools need the right tools, products, and guidance to promote effective and consistent hand hygiene practices among students and staff.
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Dry Hands? Don’t Blame Your Hand Sanitizer
6/7/2021
By Kristen Green
Clinical Scientist, GOJO Industries
Your hands are valuable tools. Like any instrument, there is maintenance and upkeep required to ensure proper functioning. This pandemic has made everyone focus more on cleaning their hands – and that is excellent – but because of all that extra cleaning, some may be experiencing dry, cracked hands and blaming it on their hand sanitizer. However, there are many causes and solutions to dry hands.
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Packing Up for Summer Travel Season
5/24/2021
By Kristen Green
Clinical Scientist, GOJO Industries
Memorial Day weekend traditionally marks the start of summer travel season. After many long months stuck at home, unable to visit family and friends, we are all dreaming of vacations, extended weekends away from home, or short road trips to visit loved ones. With recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that it is safe to travel domestically if you've been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, some of those dreams are coming true. However, the CDC currently still advises delaying travel if you are not fully vaccinated.
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Let’s Celebrate World Hand Hygiene Day
4/30/2021
By Jim Arbogast, Ph.D.
Hygiene Sciences and Public Health Advancements Vice President, GOJO Industries
Every year on May 5th, hospitals around the globe join the World Health Organization (WHO) to celebrate World Hand Hygiene Day and raise awareness for the importance of hand hygiene. Public health organizations around the globe join this celebration, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Health Canada.
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The Effect Mitigating COVID-19 Transmission Through Cleaning and Sanitation Is Having on Foodborne Disease Outbreaks
3/29/2021
By Hal King, Ph.D.
Managing Partner, Active Food Safety and Founder/CEO of Public Health Innovations
Also By Chip Manuel, Ph.D.
Food Safety Science Advisor, GOJO Industries
The COVID-19 pandemic that first hit the United States in 2020 has been the largest public health crisis in more than 100 years, leading to millions of deaths globally and altering the global economy for years to come. As just one example of the far-reaching negative impacts of this virus, it has devastated the restaurant and foodservice industry in the United States and has changed the food industry’s global supply chain for years to come. Restaurant and foodservice loss of sales alone was reported by the National Restaurant Association to surpass $185 billion between March and August of 2020. Now as the pandemic has entered its second full year, there is hope that pharmaceutical interventions (i.e., vaccines and antiviral drugs) will significantly reduce the impact the pandemic has on lives and the economy.
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