Restroom Etiquette: Well-designed, equipped and maintained restrooms promote hand washing
By Jon Dommisse
It’s been a year in April since the dreaded H1N1 influenza began appearing around the world, which was followed by a second, more harmful, wave of the illness in the fall of 2009. Americans — as did those in other countries — braced as the World Health Organization confirmed that H1N1 became a widespread pandemic flu. The most powerful ammunition that Americans had to fight H1N1, according to national health officials, was the same simple advice we’ve all heard from our mothers: wash your hands.
Despite the clear message that hand hygiene is the best way to prevent infection and illness, which was echoed in the national and local media, as well as in schools, hospitals, workplaces, and other public facilities — not to mention homes — many have admittedly side-stepped that advice.
In the midst of the outbreak, Bradley Corp., a manufacturer of restroom and plumbing fixtures, surveyed a representative cross-section of the American population about their hand-washing habits in public facilities and found that 54 percent said they “wash their hands no more nor less frequently” in public restrooms since the H1N1 virus emerged. And while 87 percent said they washed their hands with soap and water after using public bathrooms, other responses indicated that some may have exaggerated how often they followed through. For instance, 55 percent also admitted they have on occasion just rinsed their hands before leaving a public restroom.
When asked about kids, 6 percent of parents said they believed their school-age children wash their hands after using the restroom. If so, that leaves 1 in 3 children with contaminated hands.
Most, least preferred restrooms
When it came to the type of public restrooms they preferred, 45 percent of the Bradley survey respondents chose casual dining restaurants, followed by retail stores (15 percent) and airports (13 percent). Restrooms in movie theaters, fast-food restaurants and grocery stores scored below 10 percent, with parks, sports arenas and zoos all earning just 1 percent approval.
The least favorite type of public restrooms: gas stations and convenience stores.
The reasons some restroom categories ranked high or low were due to dirty, poorly maintained and cramped conditions.
Parents voiced frustration with empty or jammed towel dispensers, having no space to put belongings, water collecting on sink counters and sinks and soap dispensers that were too high for children to reach.
What lurks in the restroom really does matter
With the threat of a serious infection like H1N1 and proliferation of other germs, viruses and bacteria, why are so many people ignoring the heed of washing with soap and water? The respondents’ reasons zeroed in on the quality of public restrooms.
When the Bradley Corp. survey asked why they did not wash their hands before leaving a public restroom, respondents cited nonworking or clogged sinks, unclean or poorly maintained wash areas and restrooms that were overcrowded or not well-equipped with space. More than half the respondents said they only rinsed their hands with water because all the soap dispensers were empty.
To be certain, restroom visitors have higher expectations for not only restroom décor and aesthetics, but also for a clean, well-maintained environment that doesn’t boast of unsightly debris or germs.
It’s true that plumbing professionals cannot control how well the maintenance staff disinfects restroom surfaces or dictate that all staff and users wash their hands, but there are things they can do to help ensure that restrooms are well-designed and stay cleaner, which, in turn, help fosters hand washing behavior.
Multiple benefits of sustainable design
From a plumbing perspective, building a solid restroom design strategy that incorporates sustainable features can reinforce restroom appeal, minimize maintenance and utility costs, and preserve natural resources. Consider:
Hands-Free Fixtures — In restrooms, germs congregate in damp areas, on surfaces and fixtures and on door handles. Besides reducing waste, touchless fixtures provide the added benefit of reducing germs because users needn’t touch fixtures and surfaces as much, minimizing cross-contamination.
Hands-free sensor-operated soap dispensers, motion-activated towel dispensers and automatic hand dryers are popular choices. It’s important to consider placement of soap, towel dispensers and hand dryers to both encourage use and prevent water and soap spills on floors — a major safety hazard for public facilities.
Some manufacturers also provide anti-microbial coatings on door handles as another option to minimize germs and bacteria.
Solid Surface Materials — Using solid-surface lavatory systems or countertops in restrooms promotes an attractive appearance while ensuring long-term durability and ease of cleaning. Some solid surface materials are comprised of eco-friendly recycled material. The integrated bowl design used with solid surface material eliminates crevices where microbes can hide. Plus, the material is naturally resistant to bacteria.
Low-Flow Fixtures — Specifying low-flow fixtures, metered faucets and waterless urinals can reduce water consumption by more than 30 percent. This can be a huge savings in water and sewer bills, as well as energy costs for hot water.
Depending on local codes, water used by lavatories varies from 2.5 gallons per minute to 2.2 gpm, with many public restrooms using just 0.5 gpm.
Infrared sensors on faucets and lavatory systems save additional water by ensuring that water is only running while someone is washing his or her hands. Metered faucets have a flow rate limit of 0.25 (gpc).
Sensor-Activated Flush Meters — These can be used to control water at peak times, saving scarce resources and reducing utility charges. Large-scale projects are also finding ways to reuse storm water or “gray water” for toilet flushing.
Light-activated sensors — Energy savings and environmental efficiency are maximized with light-activated lavatory systems. Photovoltaic cells integrated into the top of a lavatory system can convert either normal restroom lighting or day lighting into energy that is stored and used to power valves and sensors in the hand-washing fixtures. These fixtures eliminate the need for batteries and electrical hookups. By eliminating replacement batteries, these products not only cut operating costs but also help reduce the 2.5 billion pounds of batteries that are sent to landfills each year.
The design and maintenance of commercial restrooms can be seen as “deal breakers” when it comes to customer perception — and hand hygiene. Using efficient and sustainable restroom design features not only positively affects facility operating and maintenance costs, but builds a more comfortable environment for users that encourages hand washing.
Jon Dommisse is director of marketing and product development for Bradley Corporation of Menomonee Falls, Wis., a USGBC member and manufacturer of locker room products, plumbing fixtures, washroom accessories, partitions and emergency fixtures. Bradley serves the commercial, industrial, health care, recreation, education, and corrections markets worldwide. He can be reached at (800) BRADLEY or visit the company online at www.bradleycorp.com.