Tork, an Essity brand and global leader in professional hygiene, has announced findings of a global Insight Survey of end users and cleaning staff which explored attitudes toward hygiene in washrooms.
Tork continues to push for inclusive hygiene by identifying barriers preventing people from comfortably meeting their needs in public washrooms and the resulting impact on businesses.
Significant societal shifts have taken place with regards to awareness and accommodation of individual physical circumstances and conditions in washrooms in public spaces and workplaces. Changing places are more commonly seen in shopping centres and disabled toilet cubicles are incorporated into the design of public washrooms, signposted by the wheelchair sign. However, globally 95% of people who report physical or cognitive conditions aren’t in wheelchairs.
Tork’s Global Insight Survey reveals that many needs remain unrecognised in washroom design and maintenance. In fact, globally, one in two people are likely to face barriers to hygiene in washrooms, meaning there’s a disconnect between their capabilities or needs and the washroom environment. 33% of those with a physical or cognitive condition have skin sensitivity, 29% have anxiety and 22% have rheumatism. Such sensory sensitivities, cognitive conditions or paruresis (shy bladder) can result in people refraining from using washrooms or being able to fully meet their washroom needs.
In the UK, 17% of those reporting a physical condition suffer from a skin sensitivity like eczema, which can be aggravated by harsh soaps, and 12% are challenged by arthritis or suffer from chronic pain, which can make using toilet paper and accessing soap from dispensers difficult. Similar to the global view that one in five washrooms don’t meet hygiene cleanliness expectations, 24% of people surveyed in the UK cite ‘unhygienic’ as a reason for never using or avoiding a washroom, and 50% say they’ve not used a washroom at a venue even though they needed to. Overall, in line with disappointing global survey stats, 83% of end users surveyed in the UK are concerned about hygiene in public washrooms.
Olivia Slater, Commercial Director at Essity Professional Hygiene, said: “Eight out of 10 people globally have concerns about washroom rooms – a figure even higher for those with certain physical or cognitive conditions. When a washroom fails to meet these diverse needs, it directly impacts a business’s reputation and revenue. This is one reason why ‘Hygiene for all’ is a core pillar of our sustainability strategy. By focusing on inclusive hygiene, we help organisations create better experiences that serve as many people as possible, including the cleaning staff who maintain these vital spaces.”
The research, which surveyed 11,500 people across 11 countries, shows there are high expectations for hygiene and cleanliness in the washroom. 74% expect moderate or high levels of hygiene, yet only 20% of washrooms deliver on those expectations. 40% of the general population is ‘very concerned’ with hygiene and cleanliness of public spaces, and that number jumps to 60% for people with conditions like germaphobia.
What does this mean for venues and the workplace in the UK? A poor washroom experience can trigger powerful emotions amongst users, such as ‘disappointed’ (30%), ‘disgusted’ (30%), ‘uncomfortable’ (27%) and ‘frustrated’ (26%), which have a negative impact on venue or workplace reputation.
- 30% spent less time at a venue because of the state of the washroom
- 17% avoided eating and drinking at a venue
- 10% told their friends to avoid the location and 7% left a poor online review
- 18% of people made a complaint to staff or workplace management about poor washroom experiences
- 15% worked from home more than they otherwise would, because of poor washrooms at work, hindering compliance with return to office policies
To learn more about how inclusive hygiene can improve your business please visit the website below.
