Millions of people in the UK are being held back because they cannot afford the essential hygiene products they need to live clean and well. Hygiene Poverty is not being able to afford everyday essential products many of us take for granted, like toothpaste, shower gel and period products.
Shocking new figures released ahead of National Hygiene Week (6-12th October), reveal the scale of hygiene poverty the country is facing, with 8.7 million adults missing work or a job interview*, and one in ten children are missing school through fear of bullying over poor hygiene**.
Hygiene poverty is proving to be a silent but powerful barrier to education, employment, health and social participation. With rising costs, wage stagnation, and overstretched services, more families are being pulled into hygiene poverty every year and millions of people are missing out.
• 21% of children living in hygiene poverty avoid playing with others for fear of being judged.
• 26% suffer from low self-confidence, and 17% feel embarrassed and ashamed.
Adults are affected too, with 40% of people living in hygiene poverty in full-time work, proving this is not an issue limited to the unemployed. Almost half of those currently experiencing it (4.4m) are doing so for the first time this year***.
Without intervention, thousands more people will be pushed into hygiene poverty by 2030. This National Hygiene Week (6th-12th October 2025), charities In Kind Direct and The Hygiene Bank are joining forces to tackle the crisis, launching a new coalition to end hygiene poverty by 2030.
Together, the two organisations will build the UK’s first ever Roadmap to end hygiene poverty, rooted in evidence, lived experience and partnerships with government, businesses and communities.
Micheal Gidney, CEO at In Kind Direct, said: “Hygiene poverty is the smoke before the fire. Before people go to a food bank, before they go hungry, they have often gone without many basics – toothpaste, shampoo, washing powder. No parent should have to send their child to school without brushing their teeth, and no-one should miss out on opportunities because they can’t afford soap or period products. This is a scandal that shouldn’t exist, and together with The Hygiene Bank, we are launching a campaign to end hygiene poverty for good.”
Ruth Brock, CEO at The Hygiene Bank, said: “No one should be in hygiene poverty in the UK today. It undermines people’s health and holds back children and adults to reaching their potential. Every day, our volunteers see the impact on families who are forced to choose between eating and keeping clean. By joining forces with In Kind Direct, we are determined to shine a light on this hidden crisis and build the roadmap to end hygiene poverty once and for all. This is not an inevitable part of life in Britain – together, with government, businesses and communities, we can and must end it.”
By joining forces In Kind Direct and The Hygiene Bank plan to:
• Build a national picture of the scale of hygiene poverty to date.
• Identify barriers and solutions to end hygiene poverty, with input from policymakers and people with lived experience.
• Deliver a practical roadmap to end hygiene poverty in the UK by 2030.
Additionally, this National Hygiene Week, The Hygiene Bank will “Paint the Town Yellow”. Iconic landmarks across the UK, from Blackpool Tower and the Gateshead Millennium Bridge to St Michael’s Mount, Ely Cathedral and Edinburgh’s Camera Obscura, will light up yellow, sparking conversations in communities and across social media.
Visit The Beginning Of The End – The Hygiene Bank to be a part of the change:
• Tell us your story: Your lived experience will help shape the roadmap to end hygiene poverty by 2030.
• Learn more and share: Help us raise awareness of hygiene poverty and spread the word about our ambition.
References:
- *The research for The Hygiene Bank was conducted by Opinion Matters, among a sample of 2,001 UK adults between 06.08.2025-08.08.2025.
- **In Kind Direct (2025) A Clean Start in Life: Children and Young People’s Perspectives on Hygiene Poverty. Published on 2 May 2025. Hygiene poverty is defined by going without one or more hygiene products because you can’t afford them. https://www.inkinddirect.org/reports/a-clean-start
- ***In Kind Direct (2025) Hygiene Poverty Briefing. https://www.inkinddirect.org/reports/hygiene-poverty-briefing-spring-2024
