New Delta Faucet Study Unveils Americans’ Bathroom Behaviors

INDIANAPOLIS, July 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Would it surprise you to know that
one in five adults leaves the washroom without washing their hands? The busiest
room in the house may also be the least efficient, according to a recent study
conducted by Delta Faucet(1). The popular faucet brand recently teamed up with
Savvy Mommy® Victoria Pericon to launch a nationwide survey to uncover
Americans’ bathroom behaviors.

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According to the survey, nearly 75 percent of households have at most two
bathrooms, which each person uses more than 5-10 times each day. Recent U.S.
Census data shows the average American household has 2.6 residents, meaning
those rooms are visited 13-26 times daily. Suffice it to say, the bathroom is
one of the most frequented places in the whole house.

“People forget that the bathroom is an integral part of their at-home
experience,” said family lifestyle expert Savvy Mommy® Victoria Pericon.
“Whether it serves as a private sanctuary for mom, a place to showcase your
design style to guests, or a room where kids learn everyday habits, the bathroom
is one space in the home that gets used consistently, every day.”

Victoria suggests putting out inviting hand towels and fragrant or colorful
soaps to help encourage hand washing and make the experience more special. She
also notes that new technologies for the bathroom, such as touch-activated
faucets, can cut down on the transfer of dirt and mess from the hands to the
faucet, helping to make the bathroom and home a cleaner place.

Delta® faucets with Touch2O® Technology for the bathroom, introduced this year,
turn on with a simple tap to the faucet handle or spout. Another tap or
inactivity for one minute will stop the flow of water. For an entirely
hands-free experience, Delta Faucet offers Touch2O.xt(TM) Technology, which
activates on contact or when you move your hands within the faucet sensing zone,
which is anywhere within four inches of the faucet.

“By integrating some special touches and making a couple of simple updates, the
bathroom can become a welcoming place that enhances the design and feeling of
the entire home. It can also help promote good hygiene,” adds Pericon.

While many Americans heed expert advice to wash hands frequently to cut down on
the spread of germs, these consumer study results showed that nearly one in five
Americans neglect to wash their hands after using the bathroom, with women only
slightly more likely to wash than men. The study also found that:

— Respondents who were married wash their hands less compared to those who
were single
— Other groups who wash their hands less frequently include those among
the highest income bracket ($75K +) and parents with young children
— Despite all the education available today, Millennials wash their hands
the least, lathering up 10 percent less than Baby Boomers

In addition, the study revealed that, despite increasing emphasis on water
conservation, behind closed bathroom doors the majority of people (57 percent)
consistently neglect to turn off the water while brushing their teeth or
shaving. And in spite of movements, such as the Environmental Protection
Agency’s (EPA’s) WaterSense® program, designed to help consumers identify high
quality water-efficient fixtures, most consumers responded that they have not
installed a water-saving faucet or aerator in their home. In fact, most
Americans have not even replaced their bathroom faucet in more than 10 years.

Specifically, residents in the Midwest and South were reportedly least concerned
about reducing water consumption, with only four percent of respondents in these
regions noting that they currently had a water-efficient faucet in their homes.
Unfortunately, the National Resources Defense Council’s list of the largest U.S.
cities that will face water shortages in the coming years includes a number of
cities in those regions.(2)

Delta® bathroom faucets featuring Touch2O® and Touch2O.xt(TM) Technology are
WaterSense labeled, which means they use 32 percent less water than the industry
standard(3) and perform as well or better than their less efficient
counterparts.

About Savvy Mommy® Victoria Pericon

A native New Yorker and proud mother of four, Victoria Pericon is the founder
and editor of the award-winning website SavvyMommy.com, an essential guide for
parents of young children navigating the landscape of parenthood. Victoria is a
family lifestyle correspondent for the nationally syndicated morning show The
Daily Buzz, host of Savvy Mommy Radio, author of three parenting books, and
family lifestyle contributor for more than 400 television stations and almost
500 radio stations across the country, along with a number of other notable
titles.

About Delta Faucet

There is a philosophy at the heart of every Delta® product: there is a better
way to live with water. It goes beyond excellent design to incorporate smart
thinking that anticipates people’s needs. From Touch2O® Technology that turns
faucets on and off with just a touch, to a DIAMOND(TM) valve that helps the
faucet last up to 5 million uses, Delta faucets incorporate thoughtful features
that delight. Paired with beautiful inspirational design, it’s another way that
the Delta brand is more than just a faucet.

A worldwide leader in faucets and related accessories, Delta Faucet sells
products in more than 53 countries. For more information, visit
www.deltafaucet.com or call toll-free at 800-345-DELTA (3358).

Masco Corporation (NYSE: MAS), is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of
brand-name consumer products for the home and family, including Behr® paint,
Delta® and Hansgrohe® faucets, bath and shower fixtures, KraftMaid® and
Merillat® cabinets, Milgard® windows and doors and Verve(TM) lighting systems.
Masco is also a leading provider of services that include the installation of
insulation and other building products through Masco Contractor Services and
Masco Home Services. Visit www.masco.com for more information on the Masco
family of brands.

WATERSENSE is a registered trademark of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

(1) Delta Faucet worked with Synovate eNation to conduct a national
online omnibus survey of 1,000 nationally representative American
adults in June 2011.

(2) The 10 major cities predicted to face water shortages in the
coming years are: Orlando; Atlanta; Tucson, Arizona; Las Vegas; Fort
Worth, Texas; San Francisco Bay Area; San Antonio, Texas; Phoenix;
Houston; and Los Angeles.

(3) Based on flow rate for lavatories of 1.5 gpm versus Industry
Standard ASME.A112.18.1/CSA.B125.1 of 2.2 gpm.