What is Home Hygiene?
Protecting the family from infections via food & water hygiene, handwashing, laundry etc. Care of family members who are infected, or at greater risk of infection.
Read more about the IFH risk-based approach to hygiene.
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Find out more about what the IFH does.
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IFH sends out regular newsletters and alerts which feature the latest news, research publications and resources on hygiene in the home and everyday life.
Developing and promoting hygiene in home and everydaylife to meet 21st Century needs
In recent years, fundamental changes have occurred which highlight the importance of hygiene in our homes and everyday lives in public places. Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic indicate the need for a radical reformulation of frontline hygiene advice - and how it is delivered to the public - to address the infectious disease issues we currently face, not only COVID-19 but also the global issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the ever-growing vulnerable population who have to protect themselves against infection. Central to our work is a new approach to hygiene, based on principles of risk management, which has come to be known as Targeted Hygiene. This forms the basis for developing frontline hygiene policy which meets C21st needs, including the need for sustainable use of the resources needed to deliver hygiene.
The role of hygiene in home and everyday life in tackling antibiotic resistance
Hygiene in our homes and everyday lives has a vital role in tackling antibiotic resistance (AMR). Good hygiene contributes in the fight against AMR in two ways, by preventing infection, thereby reducing the need for antibiotic prescribing and preventing person to person spread of infections which are antibiotic resistant.
Are we too clean? - the hygiene hypothesis misnomer
The idea that too much cleanliness and hygiene may be an underlying cause of rising allergies in children has been widely publicised and discussed in recent years. The idea was first put forward in 1989 and was named the “Hygiene Hypothesis”. Although the link between microbial exposures and health is now well established, it is thought that the major underlying cause is lifestyle changes, and that cleanliness and hygiene are unlikely to be involved. This website area contains the latest reviews on this issue and its relationship with the need for prevention of infectious diseases through Targeted Hygiene.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection – what you need to do to protect yourself against infection – and make sure you do not spread infection to others
Advice sheets, blogs and other resources to provide the public with advice and understanding of the lifestyle changes and hygiene measures they will need to adopt to prevent spread of the COVID-19 infection. The information covers the various (and varying) situations in which individuals may find themselves in their home and everyday lives including being infected, self isolated, belonging to a vulnerable group, or just trying to carry on with working in the community whilst also caring for themselves and others.
Consumer behaviour is both the core problem and the solution.
SafeConsume is an EU project funded by Horizon2020. The overall objective is to reduce the health burden from foodborne illnesses.
SafeConsume is a 5 year project (2017-2022) involving 32 partners in 14 countries in Europe.
The key aim is to change consumers behaviour to reduce exposure to hazards and decrease risk, through developing effective and convenient tools and products, information strategies, education and inclusive food safety policy.
Restoring public confidence in hygiene is key to behaviour change
One of the barriers which must be overcome if we are to be successful in promoting hygiene behaviour change is the publics confusion about hygiene - what it is and how it differs from cleanliness.
