ECOLAB INC. — Director's Dealing 2004

Feb 19, 2004

SEC Form 4 — Statement of Changes in Beneficial Ownership

Issuer: ECOLAB INC (ECL)
CIK: 0000031462
Period of Report: 2004-02-18

Reporting Person: NEWLIN STEPHEN D (President - Industrial Sector)

Non-Derivative Transactions

Date	Security	Code	Shares	Price	A/D	Holdings After	Ownership
2004-02-18	Common Stock	P	1000	$27.25	Acquired	1000	Direct

Holdings (Non-Derivative)

Security	Shares	Ownership
Common Stock	92.173	Indirect

Footnotes

F1: Number of UNITS in the Ecolab Stock Fund of the Ecolab Savings Plan (401(k) Plan) as of January 31, 2004. Includes 92.173 UNITS acquired since the reporting person's last report. (The 92.173 UNITS are the equivalent of approximately 170 shares of the issuer's Common Stock.)