Lizol, Global Number 1 Germ Kill brand, under the flagship of RB, launched findings of a survey conducted by Incite, a strategic search consultancy. The survey findings focus on highlighting behaviour patterns and perceptions of Indians on the need for germ kill solutions for their homes and raise an urgent need to make this a priority in each Indian household.

According to the report, only 29% cleaning occasions in India entail germ kill, while this data for US stands at 53%, Brazil at 60%, UK at 51% and China at 57%. This puts India amoung the lowest along with countries like Nigeri, Kenya, South Africa and Turkey.

When looking particularly at India data, the survey found 95% of Indians to be germ aware, out of these 42% feel germ kill solutions are needed every day to protect their families and maintain a healthy and hygienic environment in their homes. While a whopping 62% are concerned about the presence of these germs, they do not use a germ kill solution to combat the issue. More than 60% consumers only clean to remove dust, dirt or stains while, only 29% Indians disinfect their homes on a regular basis.

Various methods have been adopted by Indians to clean their homes with the most common methods being washing bars and detergents that are meant to be used for clothes and utensils. Out of those who deal with germ kill in their homes, 42% still use phenyl while 40% use detergents.

The study shows that 79% Indians perceive that the presence of germs is an issue most of all inside the toilets, 65% believe it is on the floor, 63% think it is the outside/on the toilet, while  61% and 59% think it is on the kitchen counter and kitchen sink respectively.

As compared to kitchen and bathroom floors, there is a higher need for germ kill among Indians on ‘other floors’ for which over 21% Indians expect a solution to disinfect, kill germs and bacteria. However, the first priority is to check if they are safe to use on the surface.

When looking at cities, the requirement for powerful germ kill is highest in south India (Chennai and Bengaluru), with 39% residents looking at power germ kill solutions, followed by Mumbai at 28% and New Delhi and Kolkata both at 24%. Refer to the table for detailed city-wise statistics:

Data to compare	Chennai + Bengaluru	New Delhi	Mumbai	Kolkata
Germ concern	99%	90%	98%	97%
Germ kill need	39%	24%	28%	24%
Frequently clean floors (including kitchen, bathroom and other floors)	96%	84%	96%	96%
Maids present at home to help with cleaning	24%	25%	23%	71%

While Indians look at achieving a number of things when looking at germ kill including daily mess and dirt, among other things, more than one-third of them look at germ kill solutions for the floor with an aim to keep food safe and germ-free.

Commenting on the report, Sukhleen Aneja, CMO, Marketing Director, South Asia RB Hygiene Home said, “Approximately 5,000 children in India are affected by typhoid, diarrhoea and flu every day. Germs responsible for causing these infections can be found on household floors and kitchen surfaces. It is alarming to find out that even though Indians are aware of the presence of germs, more than 60% are not using a germ kill solutions to tackle the issue. There are a number of invisible illness-causing germs that lie around all kinds of surfaces in the house and not just in the your bathroom or kitchen. As the world’s number 1 germ protection brand, Lizol aims to elevate the germ concern among Indians and also get them to act upon it by using a solution that truly kills germs and make it a part of their essential cleaning regime.”