June 4th, 2018 by Chris Chapman

A Complete Guide to Making Your Business Washroom Appealing to Customers and Staff

We’ve got over 15 years of experience in the hygiene industry, so we know the importance of having a quality washroom better than anyone. Whether you’re a customer-facing business or not, you need to have a comfortable and hygienic washroom for your staff and customers that’s an extension of your brand. No matter how good everything else about your business is, if you’ve got a tatty, dirty washroom, that’s the impression that people will take away! There are certain things everyone expects from a commercial washroom. Every part of it should be clean and reliable because if even one aspect of your washroom is letting you down, that’s what people will remember! We’ve put together a list of commercial bathroom fittings and amenities that you should consider essential if you run a business. Some will be obvious, and some won’t, but they’re all essential parts of any business washroom! Whether you’re a new business or an established business in need of an upgrade, read on for all the advice you could ever want about covering the bathroom basics.

Toilet Roll Dispensers

This is an obvious one that every bathroom probably has, but it’s still hugely important that you know your toilet roll dispenser is reliable. Toilet roll dispensers are the part of your washroom that has to deal with the most physical contact from whoever uses it, so it’ll pick up a lot of bacteria from people’s hands quite quickly. That means it has to be hygienic and easy to clean. It’ll also have to be robust enough to put up with a lot of wear and tear over time, especially if your business is in a high traffic area.

HSD Recommends: Jofel Azur Anti Bacterial Mini Jumbo Toilet Roll Dispenser

The antibacterial properties of this Jofel toilet roll dispenser makes it perfect for anywhere hygiene is essential While you’ll always have to change empty toilet rolls and clean your dispenser, ideally you want this to happen as little as you can get away with to save time and costs. You also want these tasks to be as easy as possible for you. That’s why Jofel’s anti-bacterial toilet roll dispenser is perfect for any business bathroom. It’s made from a plastic which is injected with an anti-microbial material, so it’ll kill any bacteria that come into contact with it. It’s also a very efficient design with very little bulk, so it can handle a jumbo roll of toilet paper despite its small dimensions. Both of these factors combine to make it a brilliant low-maintenance option that’s perfect for any business, especially if you’re a restaurant or care facility and need to be extra-hygienic.

Soap Dispensers

Another common feature of a commercial washroom is the soap dispenser. While some smaller businesses simply use bottled soap from a shop, this has some drawbacks. For one, it isn’t as hygienic, as the bottle will pick up a fair bit of bacteria from everyone who uses it. Generally, the bottles will be quite small, meaning you’ll have to replace them regularly. Also, having a loose bottle of liquid soap simply isn’t as secure as having a pre-installed soap dispenser fitted to the wall! No matter what size your business is, we’d highly recommend getting a soap dispenser, as it’ll save you a lot of headaches in the long run.

HSD Recommends: Executive Automatic No Touch Soap Dispenser

Executive Automatic No Touch Soap Dispenser The technology in automatic soap dispensers has come a long way over the 15 years we’ve been in the hygiene industry. As a result, automatic soap dispensers are no longer an expensive luxury. In fact, an automatic soap dispenser can actually save you money in the long run as it reduces waste by doling out exact quantities of soap every time someone uses it. It’s also incredibly hygienic as the user won’t have to touch the unit to use it, making it easy to maintain and clean. This, coupled with a 1L capacity which gives you up to 1000 uses before you need to replace the soap, means the Executive soap dispenser is a great-value option for any business where time is money.

Hand Drying

You have two options when it comes to how your customers and staff dry their hands. Do you get a paper towel dispenser or an electric hand dryer? You’ve probably heard a lot comparing the two, but really there isn’t really one option that’s better overall. They’re both good at different things, so you’ll need to decide which one is best for your specific requirements. We wrote an in-depth blog on this very subject, so we’d recommend reading that before making your mind up!

HSD Recommends: Manual Autocut Paper Hand Towel Dispenser OR Pro-Dri Gladiator Hand Dryer ABS Plastic, 1.25kW

What your business actually does is key when deciding what hand drying solution to go for One of the big controversies between paper towel dispensers and electric hand dryers is over which is more hygienic. You can sidestep the entire debate by getting an automatic option that the user never even has to touch! Both this automatic paper towel dispenser and automatic hand dryer offer different advantages, so it really boils down to which is best for you. For more, read the guide we linked to above, but the short version is the paper towel dispenser is a lower cost initially, while the low power consumption of the Gladiator means you’ll save money on buying paper towels in the long-term.

Baby Changing

You might think that’s all you need in a commercial washroom, but you’d be wrong! If you’re a customer-facing business, it’s vital that you’re as open and welcoming to all your customers as possible. A decent chunk of your customers will be families with young children, so you’ll want to show them you’re able to accommodate them too! This is a nice thing to do, but it also has a practical purpose. You can advertise yourself as having baby changing facilities, which will increase the business you get from people with babies. This is especially important if you’re a restaurant, as young families will definitely check whether you have baby changing before they book with you.

HSD Recommends: Bambino Commercial Heavy Duty Horizontal Baby Changing Table

The Bambino Commercial Heavy Duty Horizontal Baby Changing Table It’s absolutely vital that your baby changing table is safe, hygienic, and reliable. Changing a baby is a stressful thing that no parent enjoys, and the last thing that parent wants is a wonky baby changing table making it that much harder! The Bambino helps ease those worries; it folds away, meaning it can fit in virtually any washroom, and it’s designed to be simple to fold down even with one hand. The Bambino is designed with parents, babies, and yourself as a business owner in mind. That means it’s tough yet safe, made from smooth ABS plastic with no hard edges, that’s easy to use and easy to clean. With all this in mind, the Bambino offers the best value of any baby changing facility on the market right now!

Fragrance

Our sense of smell is something that influences our daily lives constantly, yet it’s something that’s constantly overlooked by businesses everywhere. Your washroom can look like the nicest place on the planet, but if it smells disgusting, people won’t want to go in there! Making your commercial bathroom smell as fragrant as possible is a simple step, but a very important one.

HSD Recommends: Pro Range Origin Commercial Programmable Air Freshener Dispenser and P-Wave Urinal Screens

Make sure your bathroom smells as clean as it looks! They’re not the most glamorous of products, but that doesn’t mean you should forget about them! When it comes to bathroom fragrance, you want products that do the job subtly – ideally, your customers shouldn’t even notice them! That’s why a combination of the Pro Range air freshener and some urinal mats, alongside a regular cleaning schedule, is the perfect solution. The urinal mats are self-explanatory – they replace foul odours with sweet smells. The air freshener is a little cleverer – you can programme it using a variety of settings to spray at set intervals throughout the day, either 24 hours a day, during the day, or just during the night. Once that’s done, you can safely put it out of sight in your washroom and let your customers enjoy a washroom that smells as nice as it looks!