Rochester Cathedral lights up in yellow for those in "hygiene poverty"
Thousands in Kent forced to choose between food or shampoo
We can reveal the most common product required at a food and hygiene bank near Sevenoaks is toilet roll.
It's as new figures from the Hygiene Bank show 8.7 million Brits are missing work because they can’t afford hygiene products.
The research has been carried out for National Hygiene Week (6th-12th October) with the aim to end hygiene poverty by 2030.
The Hygiene Bank say hygiene poverty is a "hidden crisis" with millions having to decide between food or shampoo, electricity or sanitary products, everyday.
21% of people in Kent have had to choose between food and hygiene products when deciding what to budget for in a week.
Tracy Wood, founder of the Community Cupboard in West Kingsdown who supports people with food and hygiene products, tells Greatest Hits and Hits Radio:
"More foodbanks need to provide hygiene products, because they are part of your everyday life.
"If you are not clean, your clothes aren't clean, infections can't happen, you need to have those items available.
"The thing that people ask for the most here is toilet roll. Washing up liquid and toilet roll" says Tracy.
The number of families needing supplies from The Community Cupboard was up 47% in September 2025 compared to September 2024.
Tracy set up the Community Cupboard in 2019 after struggling to afford essential items herself:
"I have struggled to afford products in the past. Change of circumstances, I had no income coming in, and I had to put toiletries and food into my house and I couldn't do that.
"I've been there and I understand it.
"When you say foodbank people think baked beans, pasta, but actually people can't go to school or to work if they have smelly clothes.
Four colleagues in most companies are avoiding the office because they feel unclean, according to Hygiene Bank data.
The charity is lighting up iconic landmarks across the UK this week, including Rochester Cathedral, to mark National Hygiene Week and raise awareness.
The Community Cupboard has 4 paid members of staff and over fifty volunteers across two branches.
There is no requirement for a referral, people can come themselves and it doesn’t matter if they are working or not.
The Hygiene Bank say 1 in 5 people in the UK don’t know what hygiene poverty is.
National Hygiene Week (6th-12th October) seeks to change that by raising awareness, gathering support, and driving action.
The Hygiene Bank aim to end hygiene poverty by 2030.