--- title: National Handwashing Awareness Week description: Find out when National Handwashing Awareness Week is, what it’s all about, who should celebrate it and get hand hygiene educational resources to use this week here! image: https://marvel-b1-cdn.bc0a.com/f00000000188974/www.meritech.com/hubfs/HandwashingDayResources_transparentbkrd-1.png --- [ Skip navigation menu ](https://www.meritech.com/blog/national-handwashing-awareness-week#content) [![meritech-logo-tagline](https://www.meritech.com/hs-fs/hubfs/lafferty-website-2026/global-assets/meritech-logo-tagline.png?width=200&height=74&name=meritech-logo-tagline.png) ](https://www.meritech.com/) - [ Hygiene Systems ](https://www.meritech.com/products/hygiene-solutions) Show submenu for Hygiene Systems - [ Automated Hand Hygiene ](https://www.meritech.com/products/hand-sanitation-stations) - [ Boot Scrubbers and Footwear Sanitation ](https://www.meritech.com/products/boot-scrubbers) - [ Industries ](https://www.meritech.com/markets) Show submenu for Industries - [ Food Processing & Manufacturing ](https://www.meritech.com/markets/food-processing) - [ Healthcare ](https://www.meritech.com/markets/healthcare_medical) - [ Hospitality ](https://www.meritech.com/markets/travel_leisure) - [ Education ](https://www.meritech.com/markets/education) - [ Gyms and Public Facilities ](https://www.meritech.com/markets/gyms-and-public-facilities-meritech) - [ Cleanroom and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing ](https://www.meritech.com/markets/pharmaceutical-cleanroom) - [ Grocery ](https://www.meritech.com/markets/grocery) - [ Municipality and Correction Facilities ](https://www.meritech.com/markets/municipality-and-correction-facilities-meritech) - [ Why Us ](https://www.meritech.com/why-meritech) - [ Support ](https://www.meritech.com/services/technical-support) Show submenu for Support - [ Resources ](https://www.meritech.com/resources) - [ Blog ](https://www.meritech.com/blog) - [ Technical Support ](https://www.meritech.com/services/technical-support) - [ Success Stories ](https://www.meritech.com/meritech-cleantech-testimonials) [ Contact ](https://www.meritech.com/contact/) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. ** Toggle main navigation - [ Hygiene Systems ](https://www.meritech.com/products/hygiene-solutions) Show submenu for Hygiene Systems - [ Automated Hand Hygiene ](https://www.meritech.com/products/hand-sanitation-stations) - [ Boot Scrubbers and Footwear Sanitation ](https://www.meritech.com/products/boot-scrubbers) - [ Industries ](https://www.meritech.com/markets) Show submenu for Industries - [ Food Processing & Manufacturing ](https://www.meritech.com/markets/food-processing) - [ Healthcare ](https://www.meritech.com/markets/healthcare_medical) - [ Hospitality ](https://www.meritech.com/markets/travel_leisure) - [ Education ](https://www.meritech.com/markets/education) - [ Gyms and Public Facilities ](https://www.meritech.com/markets/gyms-and-public-facilities-meritech) - [ Cleanroom and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing ](https://www.meritech.com/markets/pharmaceutical-cleanroom) - [ Grocery ](https://www.meritech.com/markets/grocery) - [ Municipality and Correction Facilities ](https://www.meritech.com/markets/municipality-and-correction-facilities-meritech) - [ Why Us ](https://www.meritech.com/why-meritech) - [ Support ](https://www.meritech.com/services/technical-support) Show submenu for Support - [ Resources ](https://www.meritech.com/resources) - [ Blog ](https://www.meritech.com/blog) - [ Technical Support ](https://www.meritech.com/services/technical-support) - [ Success Stories ](https://www.meritech.com/meritech-cleantech-testimonials) [ Contact ](https://www.meritech.com/contact/) Post Tags - [CleanTech® Handwashing Stations](https://www.meritech.com/blog/tag/cleantech-handwashing-stations) - [Hand Hygiene Resources](https://www.meritech.com/blog/tag/hand-hygiene-resources) # National Handwashing Awareness Week [Meritech](https://www.meritech.com/blog/author/meritech) Nov 25, 2020 5 min read ![](https://marvel-b1-cdn.bc0a.com/f00000000188974/www.meritech.com/hubfs/HandwashingDayResources_transparentbkrd-1.png) Following the proper handwashing steps is the best way to prevent the spread of germs, especially during cold and flu season. Unfortunately, over [95% of American’s don’t wash their hands correctly](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/95-percent-of-people-wash-their-hands-improperly-are-you-one-of-them/)! National Handwashing Awareness week helps raise awareness of the proper handwashing steps and the benefits of practicing good hand hygiene, but what and when is it? ## When is National Handwashing Awareness Week? National Handwashing Awareness Week takes place December 1st through the 7th. This week is at the start of what is known as the peak of cold and flu season in the United States, which is between December and February. At this time of the year when the risk of cold and flu germs spreading is at its highest, hand hygiene is of utmost importance.  ## What is National Handwashing Awareness Week? National Handwashing Awareness Week is all about empowering Americans to follow handwashing best practices. During this week hand hygiene educational resources are promoted by the [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/index.html), [National Public Health Information Coalition](https://nphic.org/news/featured-topics/519-national-handwashing-awareness-week-december-1-7) and other public health organizations.  ## Who is National Handwashing Awareness Week for? While National Handwashing Awareness Week is geared toward consumers, it is important that organization’s use this week to raise awareness of the importance of handwashing among their team as well. This is especially true in several industries where handwashing is critical such as:  - [Food Processing](https://www.meritech.com/markets/food-processing) - [Healthcare & Medical](https://www.meritech.com/markets/healthcare_medical) - [Cleanroom & Pharma](https://www.meritech.com/markets/cleanroom) - [Food Service & Retail](https://www.meritech.com/markets/food-service_retail) - [Travel & Hospitality](https://www.meritech.com/markets/travel_leisure) - [Childcare & Education](https://www.meritech.com/markets/education) - [Entertainment & Recreation](https://www.meritech.com/markets/entertainment-recreation) - [Cannabis](https://www.meritech.com/markets/cannabis) ## Resources for National Handwashing Awareness Week December 1st through the 7th is the perfect time to teach or reinforce handwashing awareness among your team. Use this week to train and retrain employees on the proper handwashing steps or reinforce the importance of handwashing with our handwashing activity kit!   ### Teaching and retraining on proper handwashing steps  Training your team on the proper handwashing steps shouldn’t be just during new employee onboarding. Reinforce good hand hygiene behaviors among your team during annual or semi-annual retraining events or with visual cues like posters and guides. Use National Handwashing Awareness Week as a time to retrain employees on the proper handwashing steps to help prevent the spread of germs and reinforce these steps by displaying new handwashing posters and guides above sinks at your business.  [Download Free Handwashing Posters and Guides Here!](https://www.meritech.com/resources/downloadable-resources)   ### Handwashing games and activities Handwashing training doesn’t have to be boring! During National Handwashing Awareness Week, reinforce good hand hygiene behaviors with your team using fun activities like hygiene bingo, handwashing Mad-Libs and more:  [Download our Handwashing Day Activity Kit Here!](https://www.meritech.com/global-handwashing-day) ![HandwashingDayResources_transparentbkrd-1](https://marvel-b1-cdn.bc0a.com/f00000000188974/www.meritech.com/hubfs/HandwashingDayResources_transparentbkrd-1.png)   ## Automated handwashing stations make hand hygiene easy ![CleantechMulti_2019Website_1200x800](https://marvel-b1-cdn.bc0a.com/f00000000188974/www.meritech.com/hubfs/PRODUCTS/CleantechMulti_2019Website_1200x800.png)While teaching and reinforcing the proper handwashing steps is always going to be important, the easiest and most effective way to ensure good hand hygiene is with automation. Our CleanTech® Automated Handwashing Stations take the effort and variability of manual handwashing behaviors out of the equation entirely to ensure that more than 99.9% of dangerous pathogens are removed every single hand wash.  [**Which CleanTech Automated Handwashing Station is right for you?**](https://www.meritech.com/cleantech-product-selection-quiz) ### Get The Latest Posts in Your Inbox ## Related Posts - ![](https://marvel-b1-cdn.bc0a.com/f00000000188974/www.meritech.com/hubfs/HandwashingDayResources_transparentbkrd.png) [Hand Hygiene Resources](https://www.meritech.com/blog/tag/hand-hygiene-resources) ### [ Celebrate Global Handwashing Day with Fun Ways to Promote Hand Hygiene ](https://www.meritech.com/blog/celebrate-global-handwashing-day-with-hand-hygiene-education) Washing your hands properly is the most effective way of preventing illness and the spreading of germs. October 15th, ... Read more - ![](https://www.meritech.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Hand%20Washing%20Steps%20with%20hygiene%20expert%20Paul%20Barnhill.png?width=500&height=375&name=Hand%20Washing%20Steps%20with%20hygiene%20expert%20Paul%20Barnhill.png) [Hand Hygiene Resources](https://www.meritech.com/blog/tag/hand-hygiene-resources) ### [ Hand Washing Steps with hygiene expert Paul Barnhill ](https://www.meritech.com/blog/video/how-to-wash-your-hands-properly-a-step-by-step-handwashing-guide-with-hygiene-expert-paul-barnhill) Watch expert Paul Barnhill explain proper hand washing technique in the video above. With COVID-19 taking the world by ... Read more - ![](https://www.meritech.com/hs-fs/hubfs/_International%20Infection%20Prevention%20Week%20How%20to%20Prevent%20Infection%20with%20Handwashing.png?width=500&height=375&name=_International%20Infection%20Prevention%20Week%20How%20to%20Prevent%20Infection%20with%20Handwashing.png) [Hand Hygiene Resources](https://www.meritech.com/blog/tag/hand-hygiene-resources) ### [ International Infection Prevention Week: How to Prevent Infection with Handwashing ](https://www.meritech.com/blog/international-infection-prevention-week-how-to-prevent-infection-with-handwashing) October 15th to the 21st is International Infection Prevention Week! Established in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan, ... 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