According to a survey that tracks Americans’ attitudes toward restroom facilities, almost 70% report that they’ve had a particularly unpleasant experience in a public restroom due to the condition of the facilities—a nearly 20% increase since 2012.
That’s bad news for businesses, since Americans say they judge establishments based on the state of their restrooms. According to the 2016 Healthy Hand Washing Survey, conducted by Bradley Corporation, most consumers believe a bad restroom indicates poor management, lowers their opinion of the company, shows the business doesn’t care about customers, and makes them think the company is lazy or sloppy.
Bradley also delved into what factors makes restrooms so unappealing. Chief restroom grievances include toilets that are clogged or not flushed; a really bad smell; an overall appearance that’s dirty, unkempt, or old; and partition doors that don’t latch closed.
Key restroom improvements Americans would most like to see include improved cleanliness, a completely touchless experience, better stocking of restroom supplies, and a never-ending supply of paper towels—even if there are dryers.
Inforgraphic: Bradley Corporation
As for restroom improvements they’ve seen over the past two to three years in specific types of facilities, respondents gave the highest marks to medical buildings, airports, restaurants, and higher education facilities. At the other end of the spectrum, restrooms in convenience stores, gas stations, and truck stops deteriorated the most.
Americans make no secret about their disdain for coming into contact with germs in public restrooms. Restroom entrance door handles, stall handles, and faucet handles are the surfaces that make them the most squeamish. Almost 60% of respondents say they operate the toilet flusher with their foot to avoid germs. More than half use a paper towel to cover the door handle, while others use their back side to open and close doors.
The Healthy Hand Washing Survey queried 1,062 American adults online December 10-13, 2015, about their handwashing habits in public restrooms and concerns about germs, colds, and the flu. Participants were from around the country, were 18 years and older, and were fairly evenly split between men and women (47% and 53%).
Inforgraphic: Bradley Corporation
Related Stories
Market Data | Dec 13, 2022
Contractors' backlog of work reaches three-year high
U.S. construction firms have, on average, 9.2 months of work in the pipeline, according to ABC's latest Construction Backlog Indicator.
Contractors | Dec 6, 2022
Slow payments cost the construction industry $208 billion in 2022
The cost of floating payments for wages and invoices represents $208 billion in excess cost to the construction industry, a 53% increase from 2021, according to a survey by Rabbet, a provider of construction finance software.
Mass Timber | Dec 1, 2022
Cross laminated timber market forecast to more than triple by end of decade
Cross laminated timber (CLT) is gaining acceptance as an eco-friendly building material, a trend that will propel its growth through the end of the 2020s. The CLT market is projected to more than triple from $1.11 billion in 2021 to $3.72 billion by 2030, according to a report from Polaris Market Research.
Contractors | Nov 30, 2022
Construction industry’s death rate hasn’t improved in 10 years
Fatal accidents in the construction industry have not improved over the past decade, “raising important questions about the effectiveness of OSHA and what it would take to save more lives,” according to an analysis by Construction Dive.
K-12 Schools | Nov 30, 2022
School districts are prioritizing federal funds for air filtration, HVAC upgrades
U.S. school districts are widely planning to use funds from last year’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) to upgrade or improve air filtration and heating/cooling systems, according to a report from the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council. The report, “School Facilities Funding in the Pandemic,” says air filtration and HVAC upgrades are the top facility improvement choice for the 5,004 school districts included in the analysis.
Industry Research | Nov 8, 2022
U.S. metros take the lead in decarbonizing their built environments
A new JLL report evaluates the goals and actions of 18 cities.
Reconstruction & Renovation | Nov 8, 2022
Renovation work outpaces new construction for first time in two decades
Renovations of older buildings in U.S. cities recently hit a record high as reflected in architecture firm billings, according to the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
Hotel Facilities | Oct 31, 2022
These three hoteliers make up two-thirds of all new hotel development in the U.S.
With a combined 3,523 projects and 400,490 rooms in the pipeline, Marriott, Hilton, and InterContinental dominate the U.S. hotel construction sector.
Laboratories | Oct 5, 2022
Bigger is better for a maturing life sciences sector
CRB's latest report predicts more diversification and vertical integration in research and production.
Multifamily Housing | May 11, 2022
Kitchen+Bath AMENITIES – Take the survey for a chance at a $50 gift card
MULTIFAMILY DESIGN + CONSTRUCTION is conducting a research study on the use of kitchen and bath products in the $106 billion multifamily construction sector.