2026 Clean Hands Index

Independent Benchmarking of Public Handwashing

The Clean Hands Index functions as an autonomous benchmark, bridging the gap between user desire, technical specifications, building management, architectural vision, and actual performance outcomes in the field.

The 2026 Clean Hands Index was completed using three methods:

  1. Five Surveys
  2. One year of Field Research
  3. Interviews
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Industry surveys completed
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Public survey participants
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Developed countries providing data
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Industry professionals surveyed
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Interviews completed
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Public handwashing evaluations completed
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Individual locations evaluated
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Independent benchmark

Key Findings

75%

75% say better handwashing facilities increase their likelihood of returning to a business.

68%

68% of the public want a touch-free experience from start to finish.

60%

60% wash longer when warm water is available.

75%

75% of people avoid touching restroom exit doors after washing their hands.

7.1%

7.1% of evaluated facilities delivered all five hygienic handwashing criteria

What Makes a Clean Hands Certified Wash?

What We Learned by Category

The Industry Agrees

Why This Matters

Core Thesis

The 2026 Clean Hands Index reveals that public handwashing is not failing because people do not care. It is failing because the built environment does not reliably support the behavior people are expected to perform.

  • The public says handwashing matters.
  • Facility teams say better systems would help.
  • Manufacturers say availability and reliability drive compliance.
  • Plumbing professionals say real-world performance often breaks down after installation.
  • Architects and designers say hygiene features are valued but frequently compromised by budget, construction decisions, and inconsistent standards.

The central finding is blunt:

“Public handwashing is treated like a fixture purchase, but it performs like a system”

That system includes soap, water, temperature, drying, exit design, maintenance, refill routines, specifications, installation, user behavior, and public perception. When one link fails, the handwashing experience fails.

The Solution

Clean Hands Certified has been developed as a bridge between the moving parts of public handwashing and the public to establish and verify a common performance standard and to give the public a voice for the first time. 

Five criteria have been established for facilities to become certified and give the public what they have been requesting while increasing trust with the facility owner.