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.
Dry Hands? Don’t Blame Your Hand Sanitizer
6/7/2021
By Kristen Green
Clinical Scientist, GOJO Industries
Your hands are valuable tools. Like any instrument, there is maintenance and upkeep required to ensure proper functioning. This pandemic has made everyone focus more on cleaning their hands – and that is excellent – but because of all that extra cleaning, some may be experiencing dry, cracked hands and blaming it on their hand sanitizer. However, there are many causes and solutions to dry hands.
Read more »
Is Your School’s Hand Sanitizer Safe? Is It Being Used?
6/1/2021
By Dawn Yeomans, Ph.D.
Research Principal, GOJO Industries
Also By Amanda Kaye
Market Development Director, GOJO Industries
Is your school sitting on a glut of hand sanitizer purchased at the height of the pandemic? If you answered “yes” to this question, you are not alone. Most school districts have stocks of hand sanitizer, so believe they’re covered for a safe return to in-person learning. This may be true, however many of the products that schools stocked up on during the pandemic are not safe or effective. Additionally, many schools are “topping off containers” of alcohol-based hand sanitizer, which according to the CDC, poses a potential safety risk, such as inadvertent contamination or reduced efficacy due to alcohol evaporation.
Read more »
Packing Up for Summer Travel Season
5/24/2021
By Kristen Green
Clinical Scientist, GOJO Industries
Memorial Day weekend traditionally marks the start of summer travel season. After many long months stuck at home, unable to visit family and friends, we are all dreaming of vacations, extended weekends away from home, or short road trips to visit loved ones. With recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that it is safe to travel domestically if you've been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, some of those dreams are coming true. However, the CDC currently still advises delaying travel if you are not fully vaccinated.
Read more »
Do’s and Don’ts for a Worry-Free Clean
5/18/2021
By Chip Manuel, Ph.D.
Food Safety Science Advisor, GOJO Industries
Cleaning and sanitation have played an increased role in our everyday lives during the pandemic. Regular disinfection of high-touch surfaces is a simple and proactive way to help prevent the transmission of pathogens on surfaces to hands. However, the dramatic increase in the use of sanitation products, including cleaners, sanitizers, and disinfectants, also leads to an increased risk of misuse, potentially resulting in serious injury or even death. In fact, according to the National Poison Data System, there has been a 30 percent increase in disinfectant exposure cases reported to the 55 U.S. Poison Control Centers through May 2, 2021, compared to the same time period in 2019.
Read more »
An Introduction to Guest Experience: What Does It Mean Now?
5/10/2021
By Chip Manuel, Ph.D.
Food Safety Science Advisor, GOJO Industries
COVID-19 has changed the world, and with it the concept of “guest experience” has evolved. What does it mean now? Clean is king. While good food and atmosphere used to be the primary concerns of guests, and the main factors that impacted their overall experience, guests have now adopted a heightened awareness and focus on hygiene, cleanliness, and safety above all. Finding ways to create, display, and promote a safe environment may be the only way to make potential guests and customers feel secure and ensure repeat business. Current and prospective employees are looking for this security, too. This is what “guest experience” has come to mean.
Read more »
Reopen & Stay Open: The Vital Role of Surface Disinfection in Schools
5/3/2021
By Dawn Yeomans, Ph.D.
Research Principal, GOJO Industries
Should we wear one mask or layer two? Should we maintain a social distance of 3 feet or 6 feet? Is quarantining needed for 10 days or 14 days? Let’s face it, this pandemic is unprecedented, and over the last year we have been learning about what hygiene practices we need to take in our schools – and in our communities – to prevent the continued spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19. While recommendations have evolved throughout the course of the pandemic, the overall guidance has been consistent – multiple mitigation strategies should be taken to help schools open and remain open safely during the pandemic. The focus of this article is on the importance of surface disinfection in schools.
Read more »
Let’s Celebrate World Hand Hygiene Day
4/30/2021
By Jim Arbogast, Ph.D.
Hygiene Sciences and Public Health Advancements Vice President, GOJO Industries
Every year on May 5th, hospitals around the globe join the World Health Organization (WHO) to celebrate World Hand Hygiene Day and raise awareness for the importance of hand hygiene. Public health organizations around the globe join this celebration, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Health Canada.
Read more »
What’s the Difference Between Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting?
4/29/2021
By Chip Manuel, Ph.D.
Food Safety Science Advisor, GOJO Industries
As we live through this pandemic, the use of cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting products on surfaces are more common than ever. The recent CDC guidance about the relatively low risk of being infected by SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) by contaminated surfaces or objects (fomites) led to some confusing news headlines. It’s important to remember that regular touchpoint disinfection is a simple, proactive measure shown to reduce potential fomite transmission of other significant pathogens, such as norovirus. Also, people with COVID-19 can be contagious yet not show symptoms for many days, and increased frequency of touchpoint disinfection helps mitigate this asymptomatic risk.
Read more »
Embedding Sustainability Drives Climate Impact
4/16/2021
By Dylan Beach
Sustainability Senior Manager, GOJO Industries
This year, as we celebrate the 51st Earth Day, the world is uniting over three days, April 20-22, to focus on actions we all can take to further prevent climate change and environmental destruction. Science tells us that we need to reduce the world's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50% by 2030 to avert the most significant effects of climate change.
Read more »
Keeping Food Safety On Track with Off-Premise Activity
4/15/2021
By Diane Collins
Senior Market Development Director – Foodservice, GOJO Industries
More restaurant operations are occurring outside of traditional spaces due to the growth of off-premise sales. As with all foodservice policies, “out of sight, out of mind” is never a best practice, and it’s absolutely necessary to be stewards of food safety even when it can’t be readily observed. This is the topic of a recent essay from Hal King, Ph.D., Managing Partner at Active Food Safety and Founder of Public Health Innovations.
Read more »