Nearly 70 percent of Americans have reported having an unpleasant public restroom experience due to the poor condition of the facility, a survey by Bradley Company found. Respondents cited clogged or unflushed toilets, unkempt appearances and unpleasant smells as their reason for a poor visit.
According to the survey, 60 percent of respondents believe an unclean restroom shows poor management, with 56 percent saying that they leave the facility with a tarnished opinion of the business. Around half of respondents also said that if they experienced a particularly dirty restroom that they would vow to not return to the facility or will think twice about doing so.
Neglecting restroom cleaning and maintenance can have a detrimental impact on businesses. The survey found that used paper towels left on the floor or sink; water splashed around the floor or sink; and careless or reckless behavior that results in damage irritates restroom users and reflects poorly on the company.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people are still going to great lengths to avoid contact with germs in public restrooms. A dirty public restroom only makes this experience worse. According to the survey, 70 percent of Americans use a paper towel as a barrier between themselves and flushers, faucets and doors. Meanwhile, 46 percent of users flush a public toilet with their foot.
With more people being conscious of germs, 86 percent of respondents believe it is important to have touchless fixtures in public restrooms, while 70 percent are more likely to return to a business that has touch-free fixtures. Next to that, respondents said that they would like restrooms to be cleaned regularly and kept better stock.
Mackenna Moralez is the associate editor for the facilities market.
