The Importance of Stylish & Effective Washrooms during Difficult Times

When everything is going great guns and business is flying we’re more likely to spend on non-essential products and services. It follows that in times when cash is short we tighten our belts and reduce spend.  In other words the non-essentials go.  In order to safely apply this rule within any establishment, we must of course have an appreciation of what is truly essential and what can be shelved without serious consequences to the business.  The importance of a stylish and effective washroom to the success of a business can be underestimated and may therefore be an area that becomes neglected during difficult times. The washroom may sometimes be the smallest room in the building but it is potentially the one that has the greatest impact. Cutting back on the washroom could be a false investment. So why are stylish and effective washrooms so important?  Why should a business continue to invest in them and what should today’s stylish and effective washroom look like?

Sustained health
Put simply, the washroom is crucial to the sustained health of a business.  £4bn is lost every year in the UK due to avoidable illness.  Illness such as sickness and diarrhoea which is a result of cross infection caused by people touching surfaces infected by hands left unwashed after visiting the toilet. The presence of a well designed, hygienic and suitably equipped washroom brings the user to the forefront and can help prevent sickness by promoting better hygiene practice. An analysis of absenteeism, workdays lost and the impact on the bottom line is justification enough to take washrooms seriously especially in times when we need to nurture profit.

Brand protection
A dirty or poorly equipped washroom speaks volumes about your brand whether you like it or not.  It could be perceived that you don’t care about customers, visitors and staff or that maybe you’ve cut back on the basics because your business is struggling.  It can of course also impact negatively on staff morale making individuals less productive while at work. You need to protect your brand at all costs by providing hygienic, smart and well equipped facilities appropriate to the site in question.

Cost & waste reduction
If you neglect your washrooms you may be literally throwing good money down the drain.  Are they well ventilated to avoid mould growth or will you have to pay for mould eradication?  Have you installed a solution to break down scale build up and prolong the life of your pipework?  Do you have water consumption under control or could you be making savings on washroom water bills?  Finally, are the hand drying solutions installed adding to landfill and your carbon footprint?

At the start of this discussion we spoke about cutting out non-essential spend.  The points made above are classic examples of where costs can be safely reduced.

So what does a stylish and effective washroom look like?

A stylish and effective washroom will vary depending on the type of establishment for which it is destined.  Some characteristics however are common to all. 

A washroom should be well ventilated, have good lighting and be designed to aid hygiene and cleaning.  Surfaces should avoid any dirt traps and if appropriate for the establishment, have a screen instead of an external washroom door to reduce the number of touch points.  Water management systems should also be installed to aid water wastage – savings of up to 80% can be achieved thus bringing water bills down significantly.  Washroom accessibility should also be considered taking into account the disabled, aged and cultural orientation.

Washroom dispensers need to be selected dependent on the establishments’ area of activity (for example food preparation will require consumables for sensitive environments) end user needs, traffic volume, company policy and preference.  A whole range of ultra hygienic no-touch dispensers are available from pedal operated bins to automatic soap dispensers.  Meanwhile, if a company wishes to reduce its carbon footprint it may seek dispensers and consumables with good environmental credentials. In the domain of hand drying for example cotton roller towels are two and a half times less damaging to the environment than paper hand towel equivalents while new generation air dryers can help reduce energy consumption.  However, if paper hand towels are preferred, the latest dispenser designs with automatic paper cut can help reduce paper waste and consumable usage.

Some establishments may wish to make the washroom more stylish to reinforce their brand.  There are numerous ways of doing this from choosing chrome and metallic silver dispenser finishes for a prestigious feel, to commissioning bespoke dispenser designs or even extending your corporate colour across all washroom dispensers and décor. In extreme cases companies may communicate marketing messages by running video advertising on dispenser interfaces or by opting for audio communication. The choices and options are endless.

The stylish and effective washroom is rounded off with on-going professional maintenance.  This involves best practice cleaning undertaken to approved standards and scheduled deep cleaning.  Waste disposal should also be carried out by service professionals and in line with hygienic and responsible waste management practice. www.kennedy-hygiene.co.uk

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