New Delta Faucet Study Unveils Americans' Bathroom Behaviors

Savvy Mommy® Victoria Pericon responds to survey results with some special touches for the bathroom

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Jul 18, 2011, 12:01 ET

INDIANAPOLIS, July 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Would it surprise you to know that one in five adults leaves the washroom without washing their hands? The busiest room in the house may also be the least efficient, according to a recent study conducted by Delta Faucet(1). The popular faucet brand recently teamed up with Savvy Mommy® Victoria Pericon to launch a nationwide survey to uncover Americans' bathroom behaviors.

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According to the survey, nearly 75 percent of households have at most two bathrooms, which each person uses more than 5-10 times each day. Recent U.S. Census data shows the average American household has 2.6 residents, meaning those rooms are visited 13-26 times daily. Suffice it to say, the bathroom is one of the most frequented places in the whole house.

"People forget that the bathroom is an integral part of their at-home experience," said family lifestyle expert Savvy Mommy® Victoria Pericon. "Whether it serves as a private sanctuary for mom, a place to showcase your design style to guests, or a room where kids learn everyday habits, the bathroom is one space in the home that gets used consistently, every day."

Victoria suggests putting out inviting hand towels and fragrant or colorful soaps to help encourage hand washing and make the experience more special. She also notes that new technologies for the bathroom, such as touch-activated faucets, can cut down on the transfer of dirt and mess from the hands to the faucet, helping to make the bathroom and home a cleaner place.

Delta® faucets with Touch2O® Technology for the bathroom, introduced this year, turn on with a simple tap to the faucet handle or spout. Another tap or inactivity for one minute will stop the flow of water. For an entirely hands-free experience, Delta Faucet offers Touch2O.xt™ Technology, which activates on contact or when you move your hands within the faucet sensing zone, which is anywhere within four inches of the faucet.

"By integrating some special touches and making a couple of simple updates, the bathroom can become a welcoming place that enhances the design and feeling of the entire home. It can also help promote good hygiene," adds Pericon.

While many Americans heed expert advice to wash hands frequently to cut down on the spread of germs, these consumer study results showed that nearly one in five Americans neglect to wash their hands after using the bathroom, with women only slightly more likely to wash than men. The study also found that:

Respondents who were married wash their hands less compared to those who were single
Other groups who wash their hands less frequently include those among the highest income bracket ($75K +) and parents with young children
Despite all the education available today, Millennials wash their hands the least, lathering up 10 percent less than Baby Boomers

In addition, the study revealed that, despite increasing emphasis on water conservation, behind closed bathroom doors the majority of people (57 percent) consistently neglect to turn off the water while brushing their teeth or shaving. And in spite of movements, such as the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) WaterSense® program, designed to help consumers identify high quality water-efficient fixtures, most consumers responded that they have not installed a water-saving faucet or aerator in their home. In fact, most Americans have not even replaced their bathroom faucet in more than 10 years.

Specifically, residents in the Midwest and South were reportedly least concerned about reducing water consumption, with only four percent of respondents in these regions noting that they currently had a water-efficient faucet in their homes. Unfortunately, the National Resources Defense Council's list of the largest U.S. cities that will face water shortages in the coming years includes a number of cities in those regions.(2)

Delta® bathroom faucets featuring Touch2O® and Touch2O.xt™ Technology are WaterSense labeled, which means they use 32 percent less water than the industry standard(3) and perform as well or better than their less efficient counterparts.

About Savvy Mommy® Victoria Pericon

TV Personality and Family Lifestyle Expert Victoria Pericon is editor of SavvyMommy.com, which has been called "The Essential Guide to Parenting." Victoria is the proud mother of four children and is in the same parenting trenches as the millions of viewers and site readers to whom she dispenses common sense parenting advice. She founded SavvyMommy.com in 2002 and since then has reviewed over 200,000 products and services for families.

About Delta Faucet

There is a philosophy at the heart of every Delta® product: there is a better way to live with water. It goes beyond excellent design to incorporate smart thinking that anticipates people's needs. From Touch2O® Technology that turns faucets on and off with just a touch, to a DIAMOND™ valve that helps the faucet last up to 5 million uses, Delta faucets incorporate thoughtful features that delight. Paired with beautiful inspirational design, it's another way that the Delta brand is more than just a faucet.

A worldwide leader in faucets and related accessories, Delta Faucet sells products in more than 53 countries. For more information, visit www.deltafaucet.com or call toll-free at 800-345-DELTA (3358).

Masco Corporation (NYSE: MAS), is one of the world's largest manufacturers of brand-name consumer products for the home and family, including Behr® paint, Delta® and Hansgrohe® faucets, bath and shower fixtures, KraftMaid® and Merillat® cabinets, Milgard® windows and doors and Verve™ lighting systems. Masco is also a leading provider of services that include the installation of insulation and other building products through Masco Contractor Services and Masco Home Services. Visit www.masco.com for more information on the Masco family of brands.

WATERSENSE is a registered trademark of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

(1) Delta Faucet worked with Synovate eNation to conduct a national online omnibus survey of 1,000 nationally representative American adults in June 2011.

(2) The 10 major cities predicted to face water shortages in the coming years are: Orlando; Atlanta; Tucson, Arizona; Las Vegas; Fort Worth, Texas; San Francisco Bay Area; San Antonio, Texas; Phoenix; Houston; and Los Angeles.

(3) Based on flow rate for lavatories of 1.5 gpm versus Industry Standard ASME.A112.18.1/CSA.B125.1 of 2.2 gpm.

SOURCE Delta Faucet