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— Bijoy Ghosh

Mr Chander Mohan Sethi (left), Chairman and Managing Director, Reckitt Benckiser (India) Ltd, and Dr L.V.K. Moorthy, President, Indian Medical Association, at the release of a book on practical recommendations to improve hygiene standards, in Chennai on Tuesday.

Our Bureau

Chennai, Sept. 9 Think you are safest at home, insulated from an assault of germs from the dirty streets outside?

Well, think again because a study conducted earlier this year by the Global Hygiene Council, a panel of doctors, and supported by Dettol, the brand from the Reckitt Benckiser stable, has concluded that 78 per cent of frequently touched surfaces in homes are found to be heavily contaminated.

Presenting the results of the survey here, Mr Chander Mohan Sethi, Chairman and Managing Director of Reckitt Benckiser (India) Ltd, along with a doctor, said the results of the studies conducted bring out the reality of hygiene standards amongst people from across socio-economic strata.

“The majority of the public is not aware of the importance of simple hygiene practices like hand washing.”

The results of the in-home swabbing study showed that the kitchen cloth was top in the contamination list followed by the kitchen cooking surface, the kitchen sink and kitchen taps, which had high levels of bacteria. Even 70 per cent of the fridges surveyed showed high levels of contamination.

Based on the results of the in-home swabbing study, the council recommended that consumers made it a habit to wash hands regularly, disinfect commonly touched surfaces in homes and take extra care in the kitchen when handling food to prevent cross contamination.

“Dettol comes in because we not only believe in this, it is also public health, and if we are able to provide the consumer with the knowledge and with the product and if they understand that if they were to take some fundamental actions they can avoid falling ill,” said Mr Sethi.

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