Hygiene is far more than just cleanliness: it is a fascinating success story spanning ritual purity to modern health prevention. From ancient washing rituals to digital dispenser systems, hygiene keeps public spaces healthy and resilient. Today, it is an indispensable part of a responsible corporate culture.
Contents
- The history of hygiene: From ancient rituals to the modern workplace
- Historical hygiene: Water, cleaning, and social order
- Hygiene history and the development of standards: A scientific revolution
- Milestones in 20th-century hygiene: From sanitary facilities to WHO guidelines
- Hygiene in the workplace: Standards, prevention, and ESG
- The importance of hygiene: Progress, responsibility, and corporate culture
The history of hygiene: From ancient rituals to the modern workplace
Today, hygiene is part of everyday life and often taken for granted. However, the path to modern hygiene standards was a fascinating journey through eras, cultures, and different ways of thinking. In ancient Rome, many citizens began their day with a visit to the baths, while ritual washings were part of daily life in many early civilizations. Yet it took millennia before these practices evolved into standards that now form the foundation for workplace health, efficiency, and sustainable business practices. The history of hygiene demonstrates that each generation sets its own rules, and those who embrace them gain an advantage.
Modern washroom solutions are more important than ever to protect both employees and companies.
Historical hygiene: Water, cleaning, and social order
Water was already a symbol of purity and vitality in ancient Egypt. Priests performed ritual washings before every ceremony, an impressive example of how cleaning created structure and order in communal life. In India, spiritual cleansing baths shaped daily routines, while the Roman Cloaca Maxima, one of the oldest sewer systems, literally brought cleanliness to the streets. Even today, ablution before prayers, such as the Islamic Wudu, remains a daily ritual for millions worldwide.
Then, as now, personal hygiene meant far more than staying healthy: it demonstrated belonging and established social order. The idea that hidden microbes could threaten our well-being did not emerge until many centuries later. Until then, cleanliness was primarily a key to community, dignity, and social cohesion.
Hygiene history and the development of standards: A scientific revolution
The major shift in hygiene standards came in the 19th century. For a long time, people believed that foul odours caused disease. In 1847, Ignaz Semmelweis recorded dramatically fewer deaths in the Vienna maternity clinic when doctors washed their hands with chlorinated lime after performing autopsies. For many, this was a true eye-opener. Even today, hygiene plans in hospitals honour his pioneering spirit in hand hygiene.
Shortly thereafter, Joseph Lister introduced disinfection in the operating room, Louis Pasteur proved the existence of microorganisms, and Robert Koch identified pathogens such as the tubercle bacillus. These breakthroughs laid the foundation for modern hygiene standards. Today, hand disinfection, single-use instruments, and targeted cleaning are indispensable. Few realize that the regular cleaning of water pipes in Roman baths was an early precursor to later disinfection standards.
As early as 1867, Joseph Lister used carbolic acid for the first time to disinfect during operations . This marked the starting point for modern wound and surface hygiene in medical practices and workplaces.
Milestones in 20th-century hygiene: From sanitary facilities to WHO guidelines
At the beginning of the last century, hygiene became both a societal and economic responsibility. Handwashing became routine in schools, and public washrooms became standard in cities and industrial workplaces. Soap emerged as a mass product, revolutionizing both domestic and workplace hygiene, a story documented in CWS' brief history of soap.
Key milestones, such as the introduction of modern sanitary facilities, the first legal occupational health regulations, and the founding of the WHO in 1948, have driven sustainable hygiene concepts worldwide. The WHO developed the first global guidelines for infection prevention, establishing common standards for all companies, authorities, and institutions.
Major epidemics -from the Spanish Flu to COVID-19- have also highlighted how crucial hygiene is for the smooth functioning of the workplace. Once the WHO set worldwide standards, vaccination campaigns and prevention programs became integral, alongside the expansion of toilets and washrooms—a true milestone for global health and everyday work life.
Hygiene in the workplace: Standards, prevention, and ESG
Today, hygiene is a central part of workplace health management and a key pillar of ESG and CSR strategies. Modern companies rely on touch-free dispensers, smart air purifiers, and digital tools to monitor consumption and hygiene levels. Efficient hygiene management reduces sickness rates and costs while also boosting motivation and productivity.
Especially during flu season, we recommend placing disinfectant dispensers in high-traffic areas to reduce absenteeism and contribute to flu prevention. We also advise integrating handwashing and staff training on hand hygiene firmly into your overall hygiene concept.
Hygiene in healthcare and educational settings is also safeguarded through sector-specific concepts, infection protection, and a focus on well-being, while active hygiene management plays a crucial role in reducing absenteeism.
A meta-analysis by Curtis and Cairncross demonstrates that handwashing with soap can reduce the risk of diarrheal diseases by approximately 40%.
The importance of hygiene: Progress, responsibility, and corporate culture
A look at the history of hygiene shows that every era has questioned and further developed its standards. Companies that treat hygiene as a core responsibility invest not only in the health of their employees and visitors, but also in motivation and satisfaction. Clean, well-equipped workplaces enhance well-being, reduce absenteeism, and increase productivity. At the same time, hygiene becomes an integral part of the employer brand, providing a genuine competitive advantage in times of skilled labour shortages and rising demands for sustainable business practices.
With modern solutions from CWS, you can make hygiene a success factor in your corporate culture, benefiting your employees, teams, and operations. Let our experts advise you on innovative hygiene solutions!