WASHROOM THE PERFECT PIT STOP On average, 30 minutes per day are spent in a washroom, whether at home,
work or in a public building. The washroom experience is important not only for hygiene but also the productivity and wellbeing of staff, students and visitors, Jonathan Beattie, Managing Director at Dolphin Solutions explains.
Research has found that 86% of people are more likely to return to an establishment with a clean and pleasant washroom. Whilst sustaining a hygienic washroom is important, there is also an art to the washroom experience.
Often upon entering a washroom, people will tend to notice the look and feel, in addition to how clean the environment appears. They won’t necessarily notice the placement of taps, soap dispensers and hand dryers for example. However, the placement of washroom accessories such as these is key to the user experience.
LOCATION, LOCATION,
LOCATION Locating the vanity, soap dispensers and hand towels/dryers in strategic positions will support the washroom journey and prevent users crossing paths. On average, it takes people approximately 50 seconds to wash and dry their hands, which is influenced by the speed users are able to access sinks, dryers or hand towels. In a busy washroom with a high footfall, it’s beneficial to create a streamlined ‘path’, which makes use efficient and effortless.
The ideal ‘lean’ washroom features troughs or basins installed 600- 900mm apart, with taps, soap dispensers and hand dryers/towels hidden behind a mirror. If this isn’t possible, ideally taps would be mounted on the vanity’s splashback to reduce corners and edges that can be difficult to clean. The spacing of hand dryers is also often overlooked, impacting on the washroom journey. If dryers are positioned too closely, users are unable to stand side-by- side, leading to unused units. In addition, if they are placed too far from the vanity, this results in water
40 | TOMORROW’S FM
being dripped onto the floor and a wet floor is prone to picking up more dirt from shoes.
“PLACING A
WATERPROOF PANEL BELOW THE HAND DRYER WILL REDUCE
THE RISK OF STUBBORN WATER STAINS.”
water consumption. They are also advantageous for cleaners as the use of sensors means that people don’t need to touch the tap with soapy hands. This can leave a soapy residue which takes time to clean. It is however, important to have clear instructions or visible icons detailing how to use the infrared products as it may not be immediately obvious to users.
CLEANING Many cleaners will have experienced
the struggle of cleaning grey water marks from walls beneath a hand dryer, especially when they are finished with emulsion paint. This is a mistake that can be easily rectified and save a great deal of time for cleaning personnel. Simply placing a waterproof panel on the wall below the hand dryer or at the very least using bathroom paint, will reduce the risk of stubborn water stains. Alternatively, if the option is there, placing the hand dryer behind a mirror above the vanity will reduce the need to consider the type of paint used.
CALCULATING THE COST The final aspect of a washroom that
SENSORS Infrared taps, soap dispensers
and hand dryers are becoming more popular than ever before. Sensors have many benefits and can support organisations in meeting their sustainability goals as they will switch off when no longer in use, helping to reduce
is often overlooked is the ongoing cost. Although the cost of purchasing the washroom fittings in question might be less expensive initially, often organisations neglect to consider the future running costs. Take sensors for example, these can save on water expenses, whilst wall mounted taps can save on cleaning costs.
There are many considerations when it comes to washroom design. Taking a holistic view and selecting the most suitable fixtures for your requirements will benefit the user experience and the washroom’s long term prospects.
www.dolphinsolutions.co.uk twitter.com/TomorrowsFM
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