by Brianna Crandall — September 14, 2012—A newly released national survey offers facilities managers fair warning that the appearance of their facilities’ restrooms speaks volumes to customers, and that a negative experience can have drastic consequences. The survey shows that 51% of Americans report a particularly unpleasant experience in a public restroom due to the condition of the facilities. Even worse, 31% of respondents say that because of that bad experience, they would never frequent the business again. The survey was conducted by Bradley Corporation, Wisconsin-based manufacturer of bathroom and locker room furnishings, including sinks, faucets, hand dryers, showers and lockers.
Bradley’s fourth annual Healthy Hand Washing Survey found that gas stations outstripped other locations for the most awful restroom experiences, and the majority of respondents (72%) cited a bad smell as the number one cause. Restrooms that looked old, dirty or unkempt, and toilets that were clogged or not flushed were named as the second and third most common problems. Water collecting on the floor, and jammed toilet paper and towel dispensers were also high on the restroom complaint list.
For businesses, an unclean restroom proves troublesome. When asked about their perceptions of businesses with poorly maintained restrooms, survey respondents cited poor management (62%); lack of care about customers (59%); a lowered opinion of the business (54%); and a sign that the business doesn’t care about how it looks to others (53%). While negative customer perceptions can hurt business, the most common action taken because of an unclean restroom is even more problematic, as nearly one-third (31%) said they would never frequent the business again.
The survey also found that Americans are not washing their hands long enough, or often enough. Fifty-seven percent of respondents estimate they wash their hands for just 5 to 15 seconds. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends washing for at least 20 seconds, and suggests singing “Happy Birthday” twice to allow enough time to remove and rinse off germs. The CDC asserts that hand washing, preferably with soap and water, is critical in preventing infection and illness.
While it’s good news that 70% of Americans say they always wash their hands after using a public restroom, 29% sometimes skip that important action. And, although the flu season peaks in February, the survey found that most Americans do not adjust their hand washing habits seasonally. Seventy-five percent said they do not increase their hand washing during any specific time of the year.
When asked about others’ hand washing actions in public restrooms, 74% of respondents said they frequently or occasionally see people leave without washing their hands. Men were significantly more likely to see this occur than women (34% of men vs. 26% of women). Fortunately, compared to public restrooms, the phenomenon of skipped hand washing decreases significantly in the work environment. Just 42% of Americans report they frequently or occasionally see people leave the work restroom without washing their hands.
Bradley’s Healthy Hand Washing Survey queried 1,046 American adults August 1-3 about their hand washing habits in public restrooms. Participants were from around the country, ranged in age from 18 to 65 and older, and were fairly evenly split between men (49%) and women (51%).
