I put washing machines in schools for millions of British children facing hygiene poverty. Politicians need to step up

But across the UK, there’s a quieter crisis keeping pupils out of classrooms that often goes under the radar: hygiene poverty.

New research from smol and The Hygiene Bank reveals almost 3 million children have faced hygiene poverty in the past year, missing an average of 6.5 school days each – that’s more than 23 million lost learning days annually.

And if those numbers aren’t ringing alarm bells, teachers have witnessed a 68% surge year-on-year in daily instances of pupils experiencing hygiene poverty across the nation.

Despite the severity of the issue, hygiene poverty remains one of the least discussed drivers of absenteeism and educational inequality.

The fact that some families are forced to choose between heating and eating is frequently reported, but few stop to consider that the same families might not be able to afford laundry detergent, soap, toothpaste or deodorant – essentials that many of us take for granted in our day-to-day lives. Too ashamed to ask for help, these families and their children often suffer in silence.

You only need to speak to teachers across the country to understand just how devastating this stigma is. Teachers I’ve spoken to have seen pupils arriving on the first day back from summer expecting to be bullied for grubby uniforms, to students bursting into tears because they were too embarrassed to ask for soap.

The scale of the issue and its potential fallout is frightening. Teachers overwhelmingly believe hygiene poverty inflicts lasting harm; damaging children’s confidence, mental health and social skills. Many believe it will impact their future job prospects.

What begins with missed days of school can ripple out into lost friendships, lost opportunities, and lost futures.

The introduction of the Government’s Child Poverty Taskforce last summer was a welcome change, promising real impact for the millions of children and families that face hardship on a regular basis. Yet, despite initial plans to publish its Child Poverty Strategy in the spring of this year, our government has delayed its recommendations until later this year and didn’t include any reference to hygiene poverty in the initial strategy, leaving millions of children without essential policy support in the meantime.

This delay has meant that programmes like smol’s Suds in Schools have had to step in to provide essential support. Since launching in 2021, we’ve installed over 100 mini-laundrettes in schools, offering free and discreet access to laundry facilities for families and teachers to use, so children can attend school clean, confident, and connected.

Change shouldn’t land on the shoulders of brands, charities and grassroots efforts, as no matter the work and effort we put in to help those in need, it cannot substitute systemic change.

That’s why we need the upcoming Child Poverty Strategy to finally confront hygiene poverty head-on, rather than sweep it under the rug.

We’re calling on the British public to write to their MP to ensure our government tackles this issue head-on. You can also nominate a school in need, or donate to keep smol’s Suds in Schools initiative running.

Access to clean clothes and basic hygiene isn’t a luxury, it’s a human right; and it’s one our Government can no longer overlook. Without swift action, more children won’t just miss out on their education, they will miss out on their futures.

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Hilary Strong is the Lead of smol’s Suds in Schools programme.

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