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

OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0287 Expires: January 31, 2005 Estimated average burden hours per response... 0.5

(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * SCHMECHEL DANIEL J   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) Vice President & Controller (Last) (First) (Middle) ECOLAB INC., 370 WABASHA STREET N. 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 02/09/2005 (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 02/09/2005   M   8,000 A $ 5.797 21,879.559 D   Common Stock 02/09/2005   F(1)   3,700 D $ 32.485 18,179.559 D   Common Stock 02/09/2005   M/K   4,000 A $ 6.703 22,179.559 D   Common Stock 02/09/2005   F(1)   2,137 D $ 32.485 20,043.489 (2) D   Common Stock               1,955.973 (3) I By Ecolab Savings Plan

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
	Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number.		SEC 1474 (9-02)

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

Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)

$ 5.797

02/09/2005

M

8,000

05/12/1996(4)

05/12/2005

Common Stock

8,000

$ 0

0

D

Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)

$ 6.703

02/09/2005

M

4,000

08/18/1996(5)

08/18/2005

Common Stock

4,000

$ 0

0

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
SCHMECHEL DANIEL J ECOLAB INC. 370 WABASHA STREET N. ST. PAUL, MN 55102			Vice President & Controller

Signatures

/s/David F. Duvick, Attorney-in-fact for Daniel J. Schmechel		02/10/2005
**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 of a stock option issued in accordance with Rule 16b-3 by delivering shares of Ecolab Common Stock and withholding option shares to satisfy withholding taxes.
(2)	Includes .93 shares acquired by reporting person on January 18, 2005 under the Ecolab Dividend Reinvestment Plan.
(3)	Number of UNITS in the Ecolab Stock Fund of the Ecolab Savings Plan (401(k) Plan) as of December 31, 2004. The 1,955.973 UNITS are the equivalent of approximately 3,958.309 shares of the issuer's Common Stock.
(4)	Option granted under the Ecolab Inc. 1993 Stock Incentive Plan on May 12, 1995. The option was originally reported as covering 4,000 shares at an exercise price of $11.59375/share, but has been adjusted to reflect a stock split on June 6, 2003. The option became exercisable, on a cumulative basis, as to one-fourth of the option shares (excluding any fractional portion less than one share), on each of the first, second and third anniversaries of the date of grant and as to the remaining option shares on the fourth anniversary of the date of grant.
(5)	Option granted under the Ecolab Inc. 1993 Stock Incentive Plan on August 18, 1995. The option was originally reported as covering 2,000 shares at an exercise price of $13.40625/share, but has been adjusted to reflect a stock split on June 6, 2003. The option became exercisable, on a cumulative basis, as to one-fourth of the option shares (excluding any fractional portion less than one share), on each of the first, second and third anniversaries of the date of grant and as to the remaining option shares on the fourth anniversary of the date of grant.

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.

Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB number.