• One germ can multiply to more than four million in just eight hours
• 1,000 times as many germs spread from damp hands than dry hands
• If you wear a ring, there could be as many germs under it as there are people in Europe
• Statistics highlight that half of all men and a quarter of all women fail to wash their hands after they have been to the Toilet - shocking in lieu of the fact that the number of germs on the fingertips doubles after using the Toilet

Home help

• The fridge door handle can be home to over three times the acceptable number of bacteria
• There are more bacteria on a bathroom light switch than on a loo brush
• More bacteria live on the bathroom door handle than on the taps
• Up to 1 million bacteria can be transferred to the hands after wringing out a dirty dishcloth

What's in your hands?

• Up to 95% of illnesses that cause most school and workdays missed are passed on through the hands through cross contamination with surfaces
• However, most people think the germs come into the home through the air and on their shoes - they do not know that HANDS ARE THE CULPRIT!
• The single most important thing we can do to keep from getting sick and spreading illness to others is to wash our hands
• The WHO & CDC consider hand washing a fundamental habit in healthy living "...in addition to colds, some pretty serious diseases -- like hepatitis A, meningitis, and infectious diarrhea -- can easily be prevented if people make a habit of washing their hands." (Source: CDC website)

How Dettol Helps

• Dettol Antiseptic Liquid safely & effectively kills 99.9%* of environmental harmful bacteria & virus
• Dettol brand has expanded from the original Dettol Antiseptic Liquid launched in 1936
• Today Dettol has a sophisticated range of products, all providing "Trusted Dettol Protection" - Dettol Soap in Original/Cool/Skincare, Dettol Handwash in Original/Skincare/Sensitive and Dettol Bodywash in Original/Skincare/Cool. Dettol also has Shaving cream and Plaster
• Dettol is endorsed by the Indian Medical Association and has regularly been voted as one of India 's Most Trusted Brand since 2002 (ORG Marg Brand Equity Survey)

DETTOL is a brand of Reckitt Benckiser and has stood for "trusted protection" in India since 1930's.

Reckitt Benckiser (India) Limited, formerly known as Reckitt & Colman of India Limited, has many brands in India, namely - Dettol, Veet, Harpic, Mortein, Robin Blue, Cherry, Lizol, Colin, Disprin, Brasso, Mansion and others. It has a major presence in home and personal care, surface care, fabric care, pest control and drugs. The company is present in 180 countries across the world and is No.1 in Household Cleaning Category. As seen across segments, Reckitt Benckiser brands are either number 1 or 2 in market share, in all the segments they are present in.

Statistics compiled from the following sources:

• Foodlink c/o Food and Drink Federation
• Homing in on the Home by Elizabeth Scott
• Bracknell Forest Borough Council's Environment Health Department
• International Scientific Forum on Home Hygiene - Infection Potential in the Home Paper - August'02
• CDC Website - US - - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - www.CDC.gov

* Bacteria and Fungi - E.coli, Staph.aureus, Dandruff Fungi; Virus - Influenza type A2, Avian Flu Type