We serve as a trusted resource for the latest news and helpful information related to skin health and surface hygiene advancements. GOJO microbiologists, scientists,
nurses and other professionals post regularly
and we also get the views of outside experts and
thought leaders in the field. It’s all part of the
GOJO Purpose, Saving Lives and Making Lives Better Through Well-Being Solutions.
Proven Risks of Refillable Soap Dispensers
5/24/2023
By Jim Arbogast, Ph.D.
Hygiene Sciences and Public Health Advancements Vice President, GOJO Industries
When you wash your hands, you expect them to be clean afterwards. Unfortunately, there is a common style of hand soap dispenser that has a high potential to leave your hands germier than before you started. At GOJO, we refer to this style of dispenser as a “refillable bulk” soap dispenser. Instead of having a sealed refill inside the dispenser that gets swapped out when it’s empty, this style of dispenser has an easy opening that someone pours soap into (for example, a hinged lid with a large bottle of soap to top it off). You’ve probably seen them in your daily outings – in public restrooms at rest stops, restaurants, and even schools. There are many different designs, but all have the same inherent risks.
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New Study Shows Sanitizer May Help Get Kids’ Hands Cleaner
2/24/2023
By Dawn Yeomans, Ph.D.
Research Principal, GOJO Industries
Schools are full of germs. With large numbers of children in close contact with each other, sharing supplies or equipment, campuses often become germ breeding grounds. If you think about all the different objects and surfaces that kids touch daily, handwashing is, without a doubt, one of the easiest and most important ways to help reduce germs that may cause illness in schools.
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Helping to Engineer a Future of STEM Professionals in Our Own Backyard
1/24/2023
By Dawn Yeomans, Ph.D.
Research Principal, GOJO Industries
For many of us, January is a time of self-reflection, new beginnings, and a renewed focus on personal growth. January is also National Mentoring Month, a time to think about how we can look outward to help others develop their potential and foster our communities to flourish. As a third-generation Family Enterprise, GOJO is committed to strengthening its local community through continued collaboration and cooperation. Our co-founders, Jerry and Goldie Lippman, instilled this vision when they founded GOJO – with a mission to find a better hand-cleaning solution to promote the well-being of factory workers in their hometown of Akron, Ohio.
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Fun Facts and Tips to Encourage Handwashing in Schools
1/19/2023
By Dawn Yeomans, Ph.D.
Research Principal, GOJO Industries
As students return to classrooms after winter break – bringing their germs with them – it's a good time to refresh our hand hygiene technique. But, after living through a pandemic for three years, many kids may be tired of hearing about it and really sick of DOING it! In fact, a recent study by the Global Hygiene Council showed that globally, almost half of 5-10-year-olds (42%) are not always washing their hands with soap at school. This is a serious issue since handwashing with soap and water is one of the best ways to reduce germs that may cause illness.
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Using Social and Behavioral Science to Make Better Decisions About Dispenser Placement
11/2/2022
By Carol Wilson, Ph.D.
Social & Behavioral Sciences Senior Scientist, GOJO Industries
My colleague and I recently visited a Big Ten university to evaluate the placement of their hand sanitizer dispensers. Dispensers lined both sides of hallways in the typical classroom building we visited, stationed outside the door to each lecture hall, classroom, and lab. The facilities director worried that providing hand sanitizer outside every doorway seemed excessive, yet he wanted to provide a safe, germ-free learning environment for students and faculty. Redistributing an overabundance of dispensers to additional campus locations might be possible, but whether and how to make those decisions without impairing health and well-being wasn’t clear. His question for us was evident – How many dispensers do I need in a given location to create a safe and healthy educational space?
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When to Use Soap vs. Hand Sanitizer
8/11/2020
By Jim Arbogast, Ph.D.
Hygiene Sciences and Public Health Advancements Vice President, GOJO Industries
Hand hygiene has been a primary tool in keeping the public healthy during this pandemic. Americans are washing their hands more frequently and for longer. Keeping your hands clean is one of the best ways to remove germs from your hands, but the overuse of some soaps and water can lead to dry and damaged skin. It’s important to not only keep your skin clean, but also healthy. So, when should you wash your hands and when should you sanitize them?
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Formulation Counts: Not All Hand Sanitizer is the Same
7/28/2020
By Chuck Crawford, Ph.D.
Chief Innovation Officer, GOJO Industries
This pandemic has transformed how we think about hand hygiene – both our handwashing and hand sanitizing practices. In 1988, our Family Enterprise, GOJO, invented PURELL® Hand Sanitizer, creating a new way for employees, patrons, students, teachers, and everyone else to clean their hands away from the sink to help reduce germs that can cause illness.
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Debunking 7 Common Myths About Hand Sanitizer
7/14/2020
By Jim Arbogast, Ph.D.
Hygiene Sciences and Public Health Advancements Vice President, GOJO Industries
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers play a role in reducing germs on your hands that may cause illness. In fact, practicing good hand hygiene – handwashing with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when hands are not visibly soiled – is one of the most effective ways to kill germs that may cause disease.
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3 Reasons Why Ethyl Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers are More Effective
5/13/2020
By Jim Arbogast, Ph.D.
Hygiene Sciences and Public Health Advancements Vice President, GOJO Industries
Nearly all PURELL® hand sanitizing products are ethyl alcohol-based for one very simple reason: alcohol is the most proven effective germ-killing agent for use on skin. So it’s no wonder that when the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urges frequent handwashing, the internationally-respected health organization adds that, “If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.”1,2
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How Can You Keep Your Hands Healthy During the Winter Months?
2/19/2019
By Srini Venkatesh
Former Chief Science Officer & Vice President, GOJO Industries
During the winter months it is important to keep your hands healthy. The skin on your hands is an excellent protective barrier and nature has designed it to be the first line of defense against infection causing germs. The outermost layer on the skin, the stratum corneum, fends off the germs and keeps the skin hydrated. Since cold air carries less water vapor, your hands can get chapped and the protective function of the skin may be compromised. So what can you do to keep your skin from drying out in the cold weather?
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