Survey by GP PRO reveals critical role of visible hand hygiene in consumer trust

A national survey conducted by GP PRO, a division of Georgia-Pacific and a leading provider of advanced dispensing solutions for commercial facilities, reveals how consumer perceptions of hand hygiene directly affect their confidence in public environments, especially restaurants, hospitals, and healthcare services.

According to the research, 84% of consumers rate their own hand hygiene as excellent or good, both at home and in public. However, many still acknowledge areas for improvement, including washing longer (43%), more frequently (42%), more thoroughly (39%), or incorporating hand sanitizer more often (40%).

The survey underscores that proper hand drying is just as essential as handwashing. More than half of respondents (54%) consider drying a critical part of staying clean. Importantly for the tissue industry, 47% of consumers prefer paper towels, compared to just 29% who favor air dryers – highlighting the continued demand for paper-based solutions in public washrooms.

Visible hand hygiene routines are vital for consumer comfort and trust. For example, 74% of people feel comfortable in restaurants when they observe proper hygiene practices such as handwashing and glove use. At the dentist, this number rises to 78%. However, confidence drops significantly in hospitals when gloves are used without prior handwashing – only 29% report feeling comfortable in such scenarios.

The study also examined attitudes toward healthcare workers’ hygiene. Consumers expect nurses to perform 20 to 30 handwashing or sanitizing events per shift, and many frontline workers report nearly matching this number: 28% of nurses say they wash their hands 11 to 20 times per shift, most frequently using soap and paper towels.

“At GP PRO, we’re committed to learning directly from the people we serve”, said Ronnie Phillips, Ph.D., senior director of washroom innovation at GP PRO. “This research highlights just how vital visible, thorough hand hygiene practices are – not just for health, but for building trust”.

The survey, conducted in partnership with the research platform SUZY and based on responses from over 1,000 consumers aged 21 to 70, also shows high usage of hand hygiene products in daily life. 57% of respondents use hand sanitizer up to five times a day, while 62% wash with soap and water six or more times daily.

For manufacturers, distributors and facility managers, these findings reinforce the importance of providing accessible, effective, and visible hygiene solutions. Paper towel dispensers remain a strategic component in building consumer confidence and supporting public health initiatives.