FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Amusement parks and attractions invest heavily in creating memorable guest experiences, but new research from the 2026 Clean Hands Index suggests one fundamental part of the visitor experience may be receiving far less attention: handwashing.
An analysis of 45 handwashing environments at amusement parks and attractions found that none provided all five elements evaluated as part of a complete hygienic handwash.
The locations averaged just 2.02 out of five, while 73.3% scored between zero and two.
The five criteria evaluated are touch-free soap, a touch-free faucet, warm water, hygienic single-use hand drying and a hands-free exit.
Performance varied significantly by criterion:
- Touch-free soap: 15.6%
- Touch-free faucet: 68.9%
- Warm water: 15.6%
- Hygienic hand drying: 28.9%
- Hands-free exit: 75.6%
Only three of the 45 evaluations achieved four of the five criteria. None achieved all five.
“Amusement parks and attractions obsess over the guest experience, and that is exactly why these findings matter,” said Tim Cromley, founder of the Clean Hands Index and Clean Hands Certified. “Guests may spend hours touching restraints, railings, interactive displays, doors, dining surfaces and other shared touchpoints. When they go to wash their hands, the facility should give them the tools to complete the job.”
The findings also reveal an opportunity for the industry rather than simply a deficiency. More than two-thirds of evaluated locations already provided touch-free faucets, and more than three-quarters provided a hands-free exit. That suggests many attractions may not require complete restroom renovations to substantially improve their handwashing environments.
“The encouraging part is that many attractions are already partway there,” Cromley said. “The opportunity is to identify the missing elements and close those gaps.”
The attraction findings are part of the inaugural 2026 Clean Hands Index, an independent study examining whether public facilities consistently support hygienic handwashing. The broader research includes 352 documented public handwashing evaluations and more than 2,800 survey responses representing 11 developed countries.
Public expectations reinforce the importance of the issue. In Clean Hands Index consumer research, 76% of respondents said Clean Hands Certified would improve their impression of a facility, while 75% said they would be more likely to return to a location offering an excellent handwashing experience.
Clean Hands Certified was developed to give businesses an independent way to demonstrate that their handwashing environments support all five elements of a complete hygienic handwash.
For amusement parks and attractions, Cromley believes that creates an opportunity to extend the industry’s intense focus on guest experience into an area visitors use throughout their day.
“Great attractions are designed down to the smallest details,” Cromley said. “Handwashing deserves to be one of them.”
