Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
Gifford Robert K
   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
ECOLAB INC [ECL] 		5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
SVP - Global Supply Chain
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
370 WABASHA STREET NORTH		 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
05/10/2010
(Street)

ST. PAUL, MN 55102		 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock 05/10/2010   M   37,800 A $ 34.075 46,735 D  
Common Stock 05/10/2010   F(1)   30,070 D $ 48.945 16,665 D  
Common Stock 05/10/2010   M   11,466 A $ 35.63 28,131 D  
Common Stock 05/10/2010   F(1)   9,365 D $ 48.945 18,766 D  
Common Stock               513.316 (2) I By Ecolab Savings Plan

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)		 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)		 9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)		 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Stock Option (Right to Buy) $ 34.075 05/10/2010   M     37,800 12/07/2006(3) 12/07/2015 Common Stock 37,800 $ 0 0 D  
Stock Option (Right to Buy) $ 35.63 05/10/2010   M     11,466 12/03/2009(3) 12/03/2018 Common Stock 11,466 $ 0 22,934 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
Gifford Robert K
370 WABASHA STREET NORTH
ST. PAUL, MN 55102		       SVP - Global Supply Chain  

Signatures

 /s/ David F. Duvick, Attorney-In-Fact for Robert K. Gifford   05/12/2010
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Reflects the reporting person's payment of the exercise price and withholding taxes for a stock option issued in accordance with Rule 16b-3 by delivering or withholding shares of Ecolab Common Stock.
(2) Number of UNITS in the Ecolab Stock Fund of the Ecolab Savings Plan (401(k) Plan) as of April 30, 2010. Includes 1.729 UNITS acquired by the reporting person in the Ecolab Stock Fund of the Ecolab Savings Plan since the date of his last report. (The 513.316 UNITS are the equivalent of approximtely 958 shares of the issuer's Common Stock.)
(3) The option was/will be exercisable, on a cumulative basis, as to one-third of the option shares (excluding any fractional portion less than one share) on each of the first and second anniversaries of the date of grant and as to the remaining shares on the third anniversary of the date of grant; provided, however, that if a change in control (as that term is defined in the Ecolab INc. 2005 Stock Incentive Plan) will occur, then the option, if it has been outstanding for at least six months from the date of grant, will become immediately exercisable in full.

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