How Important Are Clean Restrooms?

People are washing their hands at an unprecedented rate, which puts the restroom experience under more intense scrutiny than ever before.

“The pandemic reminded the world of the importance of proper hand hygiene,” said William Gagnon, Excel Dryer chief operating officer. “There is also a keen focus on restrooms and how a person’s experience in them can directly affect a company’s reputation and its bottom line.”

Excel Dryer Inc. and market research firm MetrixLab conducted a survey, Post Pandemic Perceptions of Commercial Restrooms, to find out how architects, design professionals, business owners, facility managers, and consumers feel about commercial restrooms in the post-pandemic world. The survey engaged more than 4,000 participants in the United States, Europe and Asia, aiming to capture shifts in perception and preferences regarding commercial restrooms. Findings included: 

• The top concern—across all demographics and locations—is cleanliness and hygiene.
• 100% agree—a dirty restroom reflects poorly on the establishment. In fact, 80% of those surveyed said they would not, or might not, return to a restaurant with a dirty restroom.
• The No. 1 contributing factor to a dirty restroom is paper towels on the floor or overflowing trash cans.

Consumers agree a dirty restroom reflects poor management, while architects, restaurant owners, and facility managers around the world find the cleanliness of a commercial restroom reflects the extent to which a business values its customers and employees.

To view the complete global survey results, visit go.exceldryer.com/surveys. Watch the video here: go.exceldryer.com/surveys-video.