What makes a good public washroom experience?
Everyone knows what to expect from a public washroom: privacy, paper, soap and water at the bare minimum. But it’s not uncommon to see people wiping their hands on their clothes on exiting a public toilet because the paper towel dispenser is empty. Again.
While a disappointing toilet experience may seem like a first-world problem, it's far from it.
Water Aid reports that nearly 800 million people worldwide do not have clean water close to home: the impact of this is immense. Poor water infrastructure means poor hygiene facilities which affect people’s livelihoods, their health and their ability to avoid disease. Even healthcare settings are susceptible to widespread infections due to a lack of clean water. The absence of a toilet close to home also puts people at risk of violence, with women and girls particularly vulnerable to such threats when they leave home to relieve themselves. Water Aid works with communities across the world to improve infrastructure to bring clean water to homes and villages and improve the lives of millions of people.
Closer to home, we expect a locking door and a good supply of paper and soap in any washroom we visit. Whether it’s a restaurant restroom or a pub urinal, we expect a standard of cleanliness and privacy and any breach of this will put your establishment on a bad footing with visitors.
Poor cleanliness is one of the biggest complaints of public washroom users.
Without going into too much detail, bad smells, spills on the floor, debris on the walls and unflushed toilets all say ‘you don’t care about your washroom’. As well as being off-putting, such messes are putting people’s health at risk as bacteria builds up and is spread around when each person uses the facilities. Putting a cleaning schedule in place is a basic step to avoiding embarrassment to your business and making your customers know you care about their patronage.
It is also important to take disposal facilities into account, not only for used hand towels but for nappies, incontinence pads and feminine hygiene products.
By law, all commercial premises should have sanitary bins.
Make your washroom even more wonderful with nappy bins to trap smells and give parents an easier time in the baby change area.
Personal privacy is vital too, especially if your establishment only has one customer toilet.
A locking door is paramount in a public washroom and is particular important to young visitors.
Children and young people need privacy to cultivate their confidence and wellbeing in public, and a deviation from this privacy, such as an unlocked bathroom door, either in public or at school, can be deemed unsafe and affect their mental health. Children and young people must feel comfortable using the toilet so they can be focussed, relaxed and healthy.
While toilet paper is often considered the king of washroom essentials, we absolutely cannot forget about soap.
Hand washing with soap and water is one of our primary protectors from infection and disease, as we were frequently reminded during the COVID-19 pandemic.
You should wash your hands after every bathroom visit to remove traces of urine, faecal matter and other bodily evacuations (yours and others’) and to prevent spreading germs and viruses to other bathroom users, members of the public and your family. Dry your hands properly with paper towels or a hand dryer. Wet hands retain bacteria so drying your hands is an important step too.
Wilson Washroom Services offer a range of services and products to keep your washrooms in top-quality condition.
From servicing and maintenance, air freshening, urinal sanitising, nappy bins, sanitary bins and free-vend period product machines. we also stock infection control units to help reduce odours and the spread of viruses and bacteria.
We cover Scotland and many parts of England and our contracts can be tailored to suit your business.
View Washroom Services in Scotland.
View our Washroom Services in England.
Contact us for more details on our products and services in your area.
