Helping children in hygiene poverty.
No child should miss school or lack confidence for want of clean clothes.
Hygiene poverty is a problem that is easily overlooked. Until you see how deeply it impacts children’s lives. From going to school in unwashed clothes, to missing lessons completely, it’s about so much more than an unclean uniform. It affects confidence and limits opportunity.
At smol, tackling hygiene poverty isn’t a side project. It’s part of why we exist.
What is hygiene poverty?
The Hygiene Bank defines hygiene poverty as “when people can’t afford everyday hygiene essentials”. Things like laundry detergent, shampoo, toothpaste or deodorant. Everyday items most of us take for granted.
In the UK, currently 1.1 million children are affected by hygiene poverty.¹
For families under pressure, laundry slips down the priority list. And for a child, not having clean clothes can mean:
- Being teased or bullied at school
- Skipping lessons, after-school clubs or time with their peers
- Feeling ashamed or excluded
We work closely with The Hygiene Bank, who see first-hand how access to hygiene products directly affects a child’s mental and physical health as well as their education.
Why this matters to smol.
We don’t believe clean clothes should be a privilege. Helping children access them is essential.
From day one, smol has been about making everyday cleaning that’s lighter on the planet, simpler and more accessible.
As we’ve grown, that’s meant using our platform to help remove hygiene as a barrier, especially for kids.
How we help.
Tackling hygiene poverty can take many forms. That’s why our work spans schools, communities and specific campaigns. Each route focuses on helping children access clean clothes.
Suds in Schools
Free laundry where it’s needed most. Our Suds in Schools programme installs washing machines in schools and supplies ongoing smol laundry capsules to give kids easy and discreet access to clean clothes.
Supporting teachers
Helping teachers help their pupils. We work directly with school staff, providing a teacher-led, free-to-download resource with guidance and practical support to help them respond to pupils facing hygiene poverty with care and compassion.
Read more about classroom support
Campaigning for change
We’re shining a light on an invisible issue. Campaigning to raise awareness of hygiene poverty and its impact on children remains a top priority for us. Our latest campaign, Marked Absent, highlighted how a lack of clean clothes is forcing children out of classrooms, and why that needs urgent attention.
Read more about Marked Absent
Donate a Wash
Through Donate a Wash, smol helps provide essential washes to communities supported by The Hygiene Bank, making it easier for people experiencing hygiene poverty to access the products they need.
Read more about Donate a Wash
Ways you can make a difference.
Your support makes a difference.
¹ According to research from In Kind Direct and The Hygiene Bank.