10 Ways To Improve the Commercial Bathroom Experience
Four Hygiene Considerations
Hygiene is the most important aspect to consider when enhancing your restroom experience. After all, no one wants to use a messy and disorganized bathroom when nature calls. Thankfully, there are four simple and effective methods for boosting hygiene throughout your lavatories to protect the health and well-being of occupants and guests.
A Touchless Experience
The most effective way to increase bathroom hygiene is by creating a touchless experience. More specifically, try to eliminate as many common surfaces as possible by installing no-touch fixtures and equipment. Automatic hand soap dispensers, hand dryers, sink faucets, and toilet flush valves are all excellent examples of hyper-hygienic products that actively prevent cross-contamination. Instead of patrons touching common surfaces over and over during the day and potentially spreading illness throughout the building, touchless fixtures and devices help keep everyone's germs to themselves. Plus, automatic equipment is accessible for all individuals and even elicits a more professional and quality experience from the perspective of patrons.
Antibacterial Building Materials
There are certain construction materials with natural antibacterial characteristics that are ideal for bathrooms. Certain metals, like copper and related copper alloys, are tremendous at preventing bacteria from accumulating on fixtures and surfaces. Additionally, copper is simple to clean and maintain, ensuring superior longevity compared to other building materials. Thanks to these properties, copper fixtures, such as door handles, sink fixtures, grab bars, etc., are becoming increasingly popular in commercial bathrooms that see large amounts of visitors per day. Another antibacterial material worth considering for your restroom is antimicrobial ceramics.
Regular & Effective Cleaning Sessions
Ensure you establish regular and effective cleaning sessions for every restroom throughout your building to maintain hygienic and welcoming environments at all times. This involves hiring a sufficient pool of talented and committed custodial staff who work quickly and diligently. Additionally, you must equip your janitorial staff with quality cleaning equipment and resources to ensure the best results. Remember to maintain a healthy inventory of cleaning products and supplies in a centralized location so your workers always have the right tools for any mess. You should also stock up on aromatic digesters to tackle pervasive, lingering odors.
Sanitary Accessories
Finally, enhance your restrooms' sanitary conditions by implementing various accessories in problematic areas. Consider purchasing toilet and urinal mats to tackle dirty and odorous floors. These accessories fit conveniently around toilets and urinals to prevent urine and waste from penetrating your flooring materials, effectively stopping structural damage and lingering smells. Additionally, urinal cakes and traps are quality accessories for maintaining clean urinals.
Three Ambience Considerations
Aside from hygiene, ambience plays a significant role in the overall bathroom experience. Specifically, a restroom environment lacking a proper atmosphere is far less welcoming or comfortable for patrons. Luckily, there are three superior design tips you can implement in your lavatories to enhance the ambience instantly.
Let There Be Ambient Light!
Ambient or general light is one of four types of spatial lighting commonly used in interior decorating. Ambient light mimics available natural light to help illuminate entire spaces without distracting building occupants. Unlike task lighting, ambient lights offer little to no functional benefits; however, their independent and diffused nature makes ambient lighting ideal for creating a relaxing restroom environment.
Odor Prevention
As previously mentioned, no one enjoys using a dirty bathroom-especially one with a lingering foul odor. Unpleasant smells are a natural element of public restrooms but can easily ruin the experience for patrons. Consider installing air freshener dispensers in strategic locations throughout your lavatories to combat poor odor. Place one dispenser near the exit and another by the stalls to effectively cover the entire environment with odor-masking fragrances.
Decor & Background Music
The most inviting and productive restroom spaces are ones that make each patron feel like they're right at home. Careful attention to decor elements throughout your bathroom can help create a cozier space that's reminiscent of the visitors' own powder rooms. Keep your decor simple and small to avoid detracting from the area's openness. Wall art and hanging plants are excellent ways to add depth and warmth to your restroom without wasting valuable floor space. Also, consider installing a built-in sound system or placing a Bluetooth speaker in your bathroom to provide guests with a calming musical playlist while they conduct their personal business.
Two Accessibility Considerations
Of course, the perfect restroom experience is not complete without total accessibility for all individuals. There are two accessibility considerations you must make when optimizing your building's lavatories.
ADA & OSHA Compliance
Bathroom accessibility for all individuals isn't just a moral obligation-it's the law. Thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), all occupants and visitors are entitled to a comfortable and accessible bathroom environment. Commercial restroom regulations range from stall measurement requirements to sink counter height and accessible grab bars. Ensure you fully understand relevant ADA and OSHA regulations to provide a compliant and welcoming space for patrons.
Access to Feminine Hygiene Products
There are 16 states in the US with official laws mandating free access to feminine hygiene products in all public bathroom spaces. Specifically, these laws impact public schools, commercial businesses, government buildings, and other public gathering locations. In case you didn't know, the importance of providing accessible feminine products in bathrooms goes well beyond a simple convenience for individuals who menstruate. This free access helps destigmatize menstruation and benefits marginalized and economically challenged communities. Ensure your commercial restroom boasts proper menstrual equity by installing feminine hygiene dispensers in convenient locations.
One Shop for All Your Needs
After making hygienic, atmospheric, and accessibility-related considerations, your last step is finding a trustworthy supplier for essential restroom supplies, fixtures, and equipment. Air Delights is proud to be your one-stop shop for quality bathroom products! Our wide selection ranges from soap dispenser refills and urinal mats to high-power flushometers and efficient hand-drying equipment. Plus, we ship out bulk orders quickly and conveniently to ensure smoother operations for your custodial staff and lavatories overall. Having a reputable restroom supply distributor makes your life easier and vastly improves the bathroom experience for your occupants and visitors.