The Nation's Filthiest Habits Revealed

LONDON, August 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Millions of us could be risking our health because of poor hygiene in the home, according to research released today.

The study asked Brits about a range of hygiene habits and a third admitted they don't always wash their hands after going to the toilet, almost half leave the same sheets on their bed for weeks, while half use the same dish cloths and sponges over and over again until they could almost walk out of the kitchen.

One in ten don't wash their towels weekly, the same number don't clean their teeth twice a day, only half (53%) shower and bathe once a day.

The carpet cleaning experts, Rug Doctor swabbed the shoes of a cross section of age groups and demographics around the UK to discover what lurks on the sole of our footwear and the results are truly shocking.

High numbers of bacteria from the pneumonia and E Coli families were found up and down the UK, as well as vomit-inducing toxins, traces of animal and human gut and faecal bacteria.

As well as bacteria, the swabs also contained human and pet hair, dust mites, pollen and traces of skin, but with 40% of us wearing footwear inside, less than one in five of us cleaning the bottom of our shoes - the chances are millions could be living amongst this filth.

Particularly as 40% believe their carpets are completely clean after vacuuming which is a myth.  So could you be at risk of illness because of bad hygiene habits at home?  

Dr Pixie McKenna from Embarrassing Bodies: "Rug Doctor's work to assess the nation's hygiene habits has thrown up shocking stats, particularly how little care people take to remove bacteria and grime within their homes. Dangerous bugs like pneumonia and E Coli are being brought into our homes on the soles of our shoes, and are then trampled into the carpets….in fact, 41% of people say they still don't intend to remove their footwear at the door, even though Rug Doctor has revealed the nasties lurking in their carpets."

They also discovered:

• 28% has had a pet be sick on the flooring
• 24% have had a pet leave their mess
• 30% have had a baby or someone else be sick on their carpet
• 22% admit to having had sex on the floor

For more information, contact:
Ruth Adams
+44(0)121-456-5600
rugdocrtor@bright-consultancy.co.uk
RuthA@bright-consultancy.co.uk

SOURCE Rug Doctor