MILWAUKEE, Wis. (Oct. 14, 2015) – When it comes to taking care of one’s health, cultures across the world may differ on many fronts, but the importance of good hand washing practices unites us all.

On October 15, millions of people worldwide are acknowledging to the significant value of hand washing with soap by participating in Global Handwashing Day.­ ­­

Established by the Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing (PPPHW), this celebration focuses on increasing awareness and understanding of the importance of hand washing with soap while emphasizing how this simple action is an effective and affordable way to counteract diseases and ultimately save lives across the globe.

­Global Handwashing Day’s mission is to encourage and support a global and local culture of hand washing with soap, highlight the state of hand washing around the world, and draw awareness to the health benefits of hand washing, particularly with soap.

Bradley Corporation, an international manufacturer of commercial hand washing products, conducts an annual Healthy Hand Washing Survey, to track attitudes and behaviors concerning hand washing. While 92 percent of Americans believe it’s important to wash their hands after using a public restroom, only 66 percent of Americans say they always wash up after using a public restroom. As for washing with soap, nearly 70 percent admit they’ve skipped the suds and just rinsed with water.

The survey also found that the majority of Americans come up short on how long they wash our hands. Nearly 60 percent of Americans wash their hands for just 15 seconds or less, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends washing with soap for at least 20 seconds to allow enough time to remove and rinse off germs.

“Universally, proper hand washing practices – whether it be at home, health care facilities, schools or community gatherings – are proven to help stave off germs that cause sickness,” says Jon Dommisse, director of global marketing and strategic development for Bradley Corporation. “In addition to cold and flu germs, hand washing with soap minimizes the transmission of other ailments seen on a global level like diarrhea, pneumonia and other contagious diseases.

“In the spirit of Global Handwashing Day, it’s incumbent on all of us in the building construction and facility maintenance industry to provide hand washing facilities – especially ones that are clean and well-maintained – to encourage thorough hand washing.”

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For more than 90 years, Bradley Corporation has designed and manufactured commercial washfountains, and today is the industry's exclusive source for plumbing fixtures, washroom accessories, restroom partitions, emergency fixtures and solid plastic lockers. Headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wis., Bradley serves the commercial, industrial, health care, recreation, education, and corrections markets worldwide. For more information, contact Bradley at 1-800-BRADLEY or www.bradleycorp.com.