National Hygiene Week is an event organised by The Hygiene Bank to raise awareness about hygiene poverty.
Imagine having to choose between feeding your family or buying shampoo so you can go to work with clean hair, or between paying rent or buying laundry detergent to send your child to school with a clean uniform. Imagine not wanting to leave the house because you smell and are afraid of what others might say about you. Imagine having to reuse a nappy because you can't afford them. This is the reality for 4.2 million people in the UK.
Be part of the solution today and help us end hygiene poverty for good.
Why this matters
Shame, anxiety and depression are keeping people silent with 34% of 25 to 34 year olds saying they can’t afford basic hygiene products and have told no one.
Many report a decline in their mental health including hours worrying every week about how to afford products.
We refuse to stay silent or keep this issue hidden any longer because we believe that everyone deserves to feel clean.
Why get involved
With your support this National Hygiene Week, we can provide shampoo, laundry detergent or toothpaste to someone who is struggling, improving their mental and physical wellbeing and giving them an opportunity for the future.
Your support ensures no one has to face the shame and isolation of hygiene poverty alone.
National Hygiene Week 2025
National Hygiene Week is taking place from Monday 6 to Sunday 12 October 2025.
Research shows that over 1 in 5 people in the UK do not know what hygiene poverty is. We are highlighting this crisis by creating yellow moments that cannot be ignored.
From Ulster to Plymouth to Cardiff to Edinburgh, we will be lighting buildings, landmarks, workplaces and green spaces up yellow – raising awareness and gathering social media attention to illuminate the silent crisis that is hygiene poverty.
5.3 million people in the UK are having to choose between buying food and toiletries. That means 3 parents on your street choosing to buy nappies but not able to buy period products, 2 children in each classroom whose family can’t keep their uniform clean and 4 people in your workplace who feel uncomfortable about attending the office or turning on their camera in calls.
It isn’t about cleanliness, hygiene poverty is blocking opportunities and impacting mental health for people every day. With your support, we can provide shampoo, laundry detergent or toothpaste to someone who is struggling, improving their mental and physical wellbeing and giving them an opportunity for the future.
Be part of the solution today and help us end hygiene poverty for good. Read more about our 2025 campaign now: www.thehygienebank.com/national-hygiene-week-2025