On the face of it, washrooms might not seem like they are that important in the grand scheme of your building, whether it be a school, healthcare facility, retail environment or similar public location.
However, this couldn’t be further from the case, given it is often a legal requirement to provide washroom facilities for your patrons. What's more, a poorly maintained washroom leaves a bad impression on visitors. Wasteful features will cause higher utility bills and ultimately repair costs as a result. So whichever way you look at it, having clean, fully working and welcoming washrooms is essential.
As leading installers of washrooms across the UK, here are some of the most common problems your patrons are likely to encounter and what you can do about them.
Not Enough Toilets
Large queues outside toilets might not seem like a big deal but can cause frustration for users especially in busy transport hubs as an example, where time is of the essence. Facilities managers should monitor the use of their washrooms, to ensure the current offerings are meeting demand. Also, factor in what would happen if one toilet became out of order, especially if this left you without any facilities at all.
Fix: Redesign your washrooms to be able to meet demand. That said, it can be a challenge to add more toilet cubicles into a washroom if the building is older or small. Consider though that in modern times, gender-neutral washrooms are also becoming more accepted. This may allow you to almagate your toilets into one space rather than separate ‘male’ and ‘female’ toilets.
Lack Of Ventilation
The planning rules relating to ventilation have changed in recent years. So if your washroom is on the older side of things, it likely doesn’t have adequate ventilation in line with modern standards. Washrooms containing showers pose the most problems, though all washrooms should have ventilation of some kind. Otherwise, the air in the washroom is not being replenished which can lead to unpleasant aromas and a build-up of mould and bacteria.
Fix: It is relatively easy to install extractor fans that can be triggered to work automatically when a shower is in use or at other specific times. For washrooms that do not contain showers, you must have a window opening that is equivalent to 1/20th of the floor area of the room.
Consider adding a ventilation system so that in colder weather, an open window does not create a draught in the room. Likewise, not all washrooms will have access to a window, which is why extractor fans make sense.
Leaky Taps Or Running Toilets
While the issues of leaky taps and running toilets have different causes, they form part of the same problem which is water waste. Plus, it can be pretty frustrating for users when key parts of the washroom are not working correctly.
Fix: Have your plumbing attended to as soon as you notice a problem. Often, it’s simply a case of adjusting a part or replacing a valve. If the problem keeps coming back, consider updating your plumbing, especially if your washroom is showing its age. A washroom refurbishment would allow you to install the latest in technology, such as motion sensor-activated taps to reduce water waste.
Too Many Touchpoints
We alluded to this issue in our last point, but the problem of having too many touchpoints is such a bad problem for washrooms that it’s worth mentioning on its own. Quite simply, the more aspects people have to touch, the more germs are spread. Despite the pandemic, a recent survey found that 12% of people do not wash their hands even after visiting a public restroom.
Fix: Use motion sensor-activated technology wherever possible for your lights, toilet flushing system and taps. Ensure all touchpoints are thoroughly disinfected regularly throughout the day, and that signs are placed in your washrooms reminding people to wash their hands.
Commercial Washrooms UK
Many different things can go wrong with washrooms, especially if it’s been some time since yours was installed. Not to worry, as help is always on hand to fix them here at Inspired Washrooms. A completely new washroom installation will allow us to go back to the drawing board so that you don't face such problems in your building.
Inspired Washrooms installs commercial washrooms across the UK. If you’re interested in having a washroom designed and installed for your building, or if you require further help or advice on anything we’ve mentioned above, we’re here to help.
Please get in touch on 0115 811 4242 and our friendly team will get back to you.