Hygiene is the simple act of keeping yourself, and everything around you, clean in order to remain healthy and prevent the spread of disease. Good hygiene is essential to keeping things sanitary as opposed to bad hygiene which can cause serious harm to personal and social wellbeing.
Hygiene in the washroom environment is particularly crucial. This can be the most difficult area to maintain high hygiene levels however with the right facilities, effective practices in place and efficient washroom solutions, it can be achieved. A washroom can say a lot about a business, it can be the ideal breeding ground for harmful bacteria, there can be a myriad of safety hazards within a washroom and can have an effect on each area of your organisation; from employee satisfaction right through to whether customers return. Getting to grips with basic washroom hygiene practices will inevitably transform your business for good.
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The History of Washroom Hygiene
Whilst washrooms and toilets have been around for as long as we can remember, it’s interesting to see how much they have changed due to developments in habits and behaviours, attitudes and knowledge about hygiene, and new technologies/features. Gone are the days in which humans would dig out holes in the ground or only the wealthy would have toilets in their homes. Whilst the modern flushable toilet was invented in 1596, the real turning point for washroom hygiene was in the 17th century with the discovery of the germ theory of disease when people begun to take hygiene and sanitation really seriously. In the 1800s and 1900s, we saw the inventions of urinal systems, cubicles, electric hand dryers and sanitary towels.
The Many Benefits of Good Washroom Hygiene
From customers, to employees to businesses and visitors, good washroom hygiene can have a huge impact on your organisation. First impressions are everything to a business and therefore the state of your premises’ washrooms should matter greatly. Your visitors and staff deserve the best from you which also includes a clean and hygienic experience. It will never go unnoticed.
Better Business Results
Unhygienic washrooms could have a detrimental effect on a business’ ability to attract and retain customers. Presenting professional and hygienic standards at all times can encourage customer visits, increase positive word of mouth and give customers, staff and visitors the right impression of how business is done.
Clean and hygienic washroom facilities will certainly attract more customers to a business which will inevitably increase sales and business success. All businesses aim to uphold positive client relationships and hygienic facilities plays a big part in facilitating this.
Improve Employee Satisfaction
Your employees are entitled to a clean and safe working environment before anything else. It’s been proven that they’ll work far more effectively within an uncluttered, sanitised area. This extends to the washroom too. Access to the right washroom facilities that are hygienic, clean and maintained can lead to higher employee satisfaction as employees aren’t going to be happy washrooms aren’t stocked with the essentials such as soap or toilet paper. Higher satisfaction can in turn lead to lower turnover rates.
Increased Productivity & Reduced Sick Days
Having hygienic washrooms is a key part of a healthy business. Ensuring employees are healthy and well is essential for businesses to run profitably and efficiently. Making sure that employees, customers and visitors have access to the correct facilities so they can wash or sanitise their hands can significantly reduce sick days and increase productivity as handwashing is key to stopping the spread of infection. Bacteria can also live on hard surfaces for up to 72 hours so making sure surfaces and commonly touched items are wiped down on a regular basis can help to reduce sickness amongst staff.
Infection Control and Washroom Hygiene – What’s the link?
A washroom can promote healthy hand care routines which is essential in controlling the spread of infections. Without the correct facilities in place, viruses and diseases have the potential to spread rapidly and aggressively. Providing soap and sanitising solutions in addition to hand drying solutions is vital in washroom environments and your staff, customers, visitors and the general public will thank you.
In addition to this, educating people on the right way to wash hands plays a critical role in infection control. Only about 5% of people wash their hands for 15 seconds or more suggesting the majority of people hardly wash their hands at all!
Educate people on how to wash hands effectively by displaying hand hygiene posters.
Learn how to wash hands using the 7 step method.
Disinfecting Surfaces
Disinfecting and sanitising commonly touched surfaces such as door handles, sanitary bins and soap levers is key to infection control in a washroom too. Although, more touch free equipment can be fitted in washrooms, making sure washrooms are clean will give customers confidence that they are safe and hygienic.
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Use our virtual washroom to see how our solutions will elevate your washroom experience
Common Complaints About Washrooms
Unpleasant Washroom Smells
A bad smell is often the first thing a visitor is hit with when entering a washroom and this can immediately create a negative image of the facilities. 17% of people reportedly have avoided a workplace toilet due to nasty odours with urinals being the common culprit.
Learn more about the causes of a smelly washroom and how to prevent.
Ineffective Hand Dryers
Effective hand dryers, or hand drying solutions, can be overlooked by facility managers even though they play a huge part in preventing the spread of harmful bacteria. The process of drying hands is equally as important as washing hands as damp hands can lead to a greater spread of germs. However, a common complaint people tend to have is that dryers either do not work correctly, they are too slow or there’s a queue for them. Ineffective hand dryers can also lead to drips on the floor which can be a safety hazard! Making sure that the correct amount of hand dryers or hand drying solutions are available can be key to reducing complaints and accidents.
Lacking Washroom Facilities
One of the most common washroom facilities is shortage of facilities or consumables. There’s nothing worse for a user to find out there’s no toilet paper or soap left or there’s no facilities to change their child’s nappy. By not topping up on facilities effectively you could be giving your washroom users no choice but to spread more bacteria, leaving them with an unpleasant experience of your washroom.
Not only this but lack of facilities can lead to some nasty sights such as blocked toilets or mess on the floor. Failure to provide effective waste disposal units or inadequate flushing mechanisms can equal complaints.
Essential Solutions for Hygienic Washrooms
Good hygiene can make the world of difference to your business and there are a number of essential washroom solutions required to promote high levels of hygiene. Essential washroom solutions include:
Soap & sanitising solutions
Providing soap and sanitising solutions is key to maintaining good washroom hygiene. A clean and efficient washroom promotes healthy hand care routines, minimising the potential risk of spreading germs on a premises. When you provide effective Soap and Sanitising Dispensers in your washrooms, the users are more likely to engage in good hand hygiene practices.
Hand drying solutions
Hand drying is vital in safeguarding the wellbeing of staff, visitors and customers on your premises as damp hands can release droplets of water into the air leading to spreading infection and illness. Investing in effective commercial hand dryers is a necessity for a hygienic washroom experience.
Alternatively, roller and paper towel dispensers are a great alternative to hand dryers and can be used in both washrooms and kitchen environments.
Air care solutions
To avoid setting off the wrong impression, washroom malodours can be controlled using air care solutions and pleasant fragrances. A bad smell can cause one to assume the washroom space is unhygienic and not maintained to a good standard. By investing in air care solutions you’ll be adding a fresh, hygienic smell to your washroom which will, in turn, reflect positively on your business.
Waste Disposal Units
Providing waste disposal units such as sanitary bins and nappy bins are vital washroom essentials that shouldn’t be forgotten about, while in some instances a legal requirement. Whether providing solutions for male, female or gender-neutral washrooms, make sure choosing waste bins are a top priority.
Maintaining High Washroom Hygiene Standards
To keep your washroom users happy, your washroom supplies need to be stocked and maintained at all times. To support this, fitting high-quality products that reduce wastage and last for a long period of time can be beneficial. For example, toilet roll dispensers can keep paper clean, dry and prevent cross contamination as well as significantly reducing wastage. This ultimately decreases the requirement for refills, reduces the cost of your business and keeps the customers satisfied.
In addition to this, choosing the right hygiene services provider can also be key to maintaining high levels of hygienic and keep your facility running as smooth as possible.
Who Needs Washroom Hygiene Services?
From gyms to restaurants to office spaces, all different types of businesses would benefit from outsourced washroom hygiene services. Correct washroom facilities are essential for optimum hygiene levels on premises and by outsourcing to experts you can focus on other core elements of running a business.
Benefits of outsourcing washroom hygiene services include:
- Hygienic, healthy washrooms that are run smoothly
- Expert advice on the right hygiene solutions for your company
- Regular, fully managed servicing with no disruption to your business
- Present the best possible impression to customers, staff and visitors at all times.
Discover further benefits of outsourcing to hygiene experts.
Helpful Washroom Hygiene Posters
It’s all very well to provide hygienic washroom solutions but if staff and visitors still fail to practice good hygiene then your efforts can be in vain and infection could be more easily spread. If you want to create the most healthy environment and ensure all are co-operating in achieving better hygiene standards, then education is crucial.
Guidance posters on how to practice good hygiene can be strategically placed throughout your business to support this.
Download our washroom hygiene guidance posters.
Looking Forward – What Will Washroom Hygiene Look Like?
Technology Development
Technology is already looking to aid the improvement of washroom hygiene for future generations. The Internet of Things (IoT) will enable the industry to work smarter instead of harder, allowing companies to detect the washrooms in need of dispenser refills or where additional refills may be needed due to heavy traffic – saving time and money for businesses. We are already seeing touch-free sanitary units and flushes with automatic sensors in washrooms, but we anticipate that the use of technology in washroom environments is only set to increase. This will have a number of benefits; making toilets more efficient, user friendly, environmentally friendly and hygienic.
Inclusive Washrooms
Whilst regulation was released in 1887 stating the need for separate male and female toilets, we are seeing far more gender-neutral toilets in public buildings – providing inclusive washrooms for all and having benefits such as reduced queue times. We could see new ranges and products including even faster hand dryers and more in the way of modern auto-soap dispensers to support these washroom environments.
We are also seeing the rise of Changing Places toilets in commercial buildings and facilities. Changing Places are in addition to standard accessible toilets and provide an area for individuals with complex care needs. With that being said, to fit out these types of washrooms, we are likely to see new developments in ranges such as larger waste bins and changing tables.
Explore Citron’s Range of Washroom Hygiene Solutions
If you think you need to explore sufficient washroom hygiene solutions in order to create the right impression of your business then explore our range of washroom hygiene solutions. From Air Care solutions to sanitising solutions, we have market leading washroom solutions and skilled people to meet your needs.
Contact us today to find out what Citron Hygiene can do for you. We put our customers first in all we do and are passionate about help you maintain efficient hygiene practices within your business. Call us on 08000 66 55 52 to speak to us or fill out a contact form and one of our friendly team will get in touch.
