British Cleaning Council Expands on New Global Handwashing Standards

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16 October 2025

The British Cleaning Council says that new World Health Organisation Global Handwashing Standards must be combined with higher standards of cleaning in public spaces to be most effective.

Released on Global Handwashing Day on 15 October, the new standard frames hand hygiene in community settings as a crucial public health measure and introduces core requirements, including minimum hand washing materials.

World Health Organisation (WHO) data indicates that hand hygiene is one of the most cost-effective health investments, reducing diarrhoea by 30 per cent and acute respiratory infections by 17 per cent.

“Improved hand washing nationally will undoubtedly help limit the spread of sickness,” said British Cleaning Council (BCC) Chair Jim Melvin. “But that needs to be combined with higher cleaning standards to be most effective.

The BCC has built on the standards with its own guide to developing cleaning and hygiene policies for public spaces: “Strategic Framework for Achieving Cleanliness and Hygiene in Public Environments”.

The framework instructs managers on how to deliver targeted hygiene policies to suit their specific business environment. It is hoped that this will empower businesses to identify the sites and surfaces where the probability of contamination is highest and implement suitable procedures accordingly.

Delia Cannings, author of the guide and Immediate Past Chair of the BCC, said: “A regulated standard is the way forward to provide a structured route to consistency in cleaning standards across a range of environments and public spaces.

“Enabling organisations to develop their own policies using the framework guidelines will potentially contribute to the creation of a resilient UK whilst reassuring the public regarding environmental cleanliness. A national standard must be considered as the bedrock for health and wellbeing.”

For a free copy of the Strategic Framework for Achieving Cleanliness and Hygiene in Public Environments, email the BCC via Compsec@britishcleaningcouncil.org

Picture: a close-up image showing someone washing their hands under a tap. Image Credit: Unsplash

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 16 October 2025

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