8.7 million Brits have missed a job interview or a day at work because they couldn’t afford hygiene products.
One car repair. One lost job. One unexpected bill.
That’s all it takes for millions of UK adults to be pulled into hygiene poverty and many of us are struggling with these stresses alone.
And the consequences can have long-lasting implications, people avoid going to work or to job interviews, and they severely reduce and limit their social interactions. Hygiene poverty limits access to education, work and to routes out of poverty, yet research shows that over 1 in 5 people in the UK do not know what hygiene poverty is.
National Hygiene Week is taking place from 6-12 October 2025 to raise awareness about hygiene poverty and we are highlighting this crisis by creating yellow moments that cannot be ignored.
Buildings and landmarks nationwide will be illuminated in bright yellow to draw attention to the millions who can’t afford everyday hygiene basics.
This isn't about luxury, it's about basics.
What would you choose to give up first - teabags or toothpaste? Bread or shampoo? Milk or razors? Electricity or period products? Gas or washing powder?
For 5.3 million people in the UK, these aren't hypothetical questions – they are daily decisions between eating and staying clean. Families are isolated with nearly half of those in hygiene poverty saying they are too embarrassed to ask for help.
It’s not just strangers, it's people you know. Your neighbours, your friends, your colleagues - worried and hiding this reality. Having to make impossible choices every day.
3 parents on your street choosing to buy nappies but not able to buy period products.
4 people in your workplace who feel uncomfortable about attending the office or turning on their camera in calls.
Your neighbour who is looking for a new job but has no razors so can’t attend an interview feeling smart and prepared.
The goalkeeper on your football team who drops out because they can’t wash the kit.
Your support ensures no one has to face the shame and isolation of hygiene poverty alone.
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.