Ipswich hygiene charity says demand has doubled as families struggle to afford essentials
New research suggests millions of people across the UK are going without basic products because they cannot afford them.
The Hygiene Bank Ipswich says community organisations it supplies are now supporting around 2,000 people a week, compared with approximately 1,000 a week this time last year.
Its network of community partners has also increased from 19 to 31, with further organisations on a waiting list for support.
The project operates beyond Ipswich, providing products through partners in communities including Woodbridge, Felixstowe, Hadleigh, Stowmarket, Bury St Edmunds and Sudbury.
It comes as research commissioned by The Hygiene Bank and In Kind Direct suggests 18% of UK adults, an estimated 9.6 million people, said they or someone in their household had gone without essential toiletries, hygiene or cleaning products in the previous six months because they could not afford them.
The nationally representative survey of 3,042 UK adults was carried out online by Savanta between May 29 and June 8, 2026, and was funded by Boots.
Of those experiencing hygiene poverty, 41% said they had experienced it for the first time this year.
'We still can't make our budget fit'
Among the volunteers helping others in Suffolk is Charlotte Osman, a mother of four who has herself needed support.
Charlotte said she has a small income and her husband works as a self-employed mechanic, but despite money also being contributed to the household by her mother, the family still struggles to make its budget stretch.
"We still can't make our budget fit. We've got four children."
Charlotte said she had previously turned to food banks, top-up shops and other local organisations for help, describing that support as having “played a key role in keeping our family together”.
She described receiving that help as “a relief”, but said there had also been a concern about becoming dependent on the support available.
Her experience ultimately led her to volunteer with The Hygiene Bank Ipswich, where she is now able to use what she has been through to help other people and connect the project with organisations supporting families in similar circumstances.
For households already struggling to cover essentials, hygiene products can become another expense competing with costs such as food and heating.
Families choosing between food and toiletries
Laurie, who runs The Hygiene Bank Ipswich, said rising costs meant even households where people were working could find themselves struggling.
She said: “Unfortunately, toiletries, cleaning products, things like that just get left behind and, you know, you've got to make a choice, then I guess you choose food first.”
Nationally, toilet roll was the product those experiencing hygiene poverty were most likely to report going without, at 47%, followed by deodorant at 43%, shampoo and conditioner at 39%, and laundry and cleaning products at 38%.
More than a quarter, 28%, reported going without period products.
Laurie said period poverty was also a significant part of the support provided by the Ipswich project.
The hidden impact of hygiene poverty
The research suggests the consequences of going without essential hygiene products can extend into people's relationships, education and employment.
Among those experiencing hygiene poverty, 43% said they had avoided seeing friends or family because they lacked essential products.
A further 18% reported missing a day of work, 17% had missed school, college or university and 15% had missed a job interview.
Laurie said people can find themselves making choices over expenses many others may never have to consider.
She said: “Maybe they, you know, they had to choose, do I pay for the bus fare or... do I wash my hair? There are choices like that that real people locally have to make.”
She added: “Perhaps they're too embarrassed because their houses aren't clean or they haven't got laundry detergent so they can't wash their clothes.
“So all these things really, you know, affect people.”
The national research also found an emotional impact, with 49% of those affected saying they felt embarrassed or ashamed and 45% reporting feeling anxious or worried.
Laurie said research conducted by the charities found 65% of people surveyed said hygiene poverty had damaged their mental health
She said: "Perhaps they're too embarrassed because their houses aren't clean or they haven't got laundry detergent so they can't wash their clothes.
"So all these things really, you know, affect people."
The research also found 49% of those affected reported feeling embarrassed or ashamed and 45% said they felt anxious or worried.
Laurie said the Ipswich project had seen increasing demand first-hand.
She said: "This time last year, we had 19 community partners and... those people together were probably supporting about 1,000 people a week.
"We're now supporting 31 community partners and the numbers have gone up. That's about 2,000 people and we've still got people on the waiting list."
More people fear going without
The survey suggests pressure could continue, with 36% of UK adults saying they expected to go without at least one essential hygiene product during the following six months.
Laurie said one of the most concerning findings was the proportion of people experiencing hygiene poverty for the first time.
She said: "Of those people, 41% of those are actually experiencing hygiene poverty for the first time. So this is new to them. You know, they didn't think that this would happen to them."
Calls for more support
Laurie said she would like to see action at both government and community level, including greater financial support for organisations helping people experiencing poverty.
She said increasing wages would help people facing immediate financial pressures and argued that funding and wider government action were needed to address the underlying problem.
The Hygiene Bank Ipswich is also calling for more volunteers and donations of essential products, which it distributes through its network of community partners.
Laurie said greater awareness remained important because some people were still surprised to learn that hygiene poverty existed locally.
She said: “When you tell people there's people in hygiene poverty and people are not buying toilet paper, for example, because they can't afford to, some people are absolutely incredulous and they look at you like, what, in Ipswich? Are you sure?” HYGINE POVERTY