2 out of 3 Americans use paper towels to
avoid touching restroom surfaces; 82% want touchless
fixtures
MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis., May 31, 2023
/PRNewswire/ -- These days, the majority of Americans are so averse
to coming into contact with germs in public restrooms that they go
out of their way to avoid surfaces and touchpoints in these shared
spaces.
According to the Healthy Handwashing Survey™ from Bradley
Corporation, 62% of Americans use a paper towel as a barrier to
avoid touching flushers, faucets and doors. Women are even more
likely to use the "paper towel as a glove" approach, with 67%
taking this evasive measure.
Others employ sheer physicality to steer clear of germs. 43% of
Americans use their foot to flush toilets, 31% hover over the
toilet seat, and 27% open and close doors with their backside in
hopes of avoiding germy contact. Women are significantly more
likely than men to employ these actions.
"For many Americans, restrooms carry a certain 'ick factor' that
impacts how they view – and use – these public facilities," said
Jon Dommisse, vice president of
marketing and corporate communication, Bradley Corporation.
"Understandably, people don't want to touch things after somebody
else touched them, especially right after they used the
toilet."
High demand for touchless fixtures in
restrooms
With so much effort going into avoiding germs, it's no wonder
that 82% of Americans believe it is important to have touchless
fixtures in a public restroom – a percentage that has remained high
in the survey since the onset of the pandemic in 2020.
In fact, half of Americans say they would feel safer from germs
in public restrooms if they were equipped with touch-free
technology. As for the most desired restroom improvements, having
touchless fixtures is once again among the topmost requests, along
with keeping restrooms cleaner and better stocked, and always
providing paper towels, even if there are hand dryers.
"Touchless fixtures minimize cross contamination of germs in
restrooms, improve restrooms' cleanliness and hygiene, and make
people feel more comfortable using these spaces," Dommisse said.
"Since 60% are more likely to return to a business that offers
no-touch capabilities in its restrooms, touchless fixtures also
appear to boost a business' image and profitability."
The survey found that the restroom features considered most
important to be touchless are faucets, flushers, soap dispensers
and paper towel dispensers – in that order.
"The good news for restroom users and providers is that in just
the past few years, the mechanicals used in sensored technology
have improved significantly, relieving some of the frustration of
false or spotty soap, water and flushing activations," added
Dommisse.
Adjusting to new public restroom expectations
Germ trepidation in public bathrooms and demand for touchless
fixtures have likely been intensified by Covid. The 2023 survey
found that three in four Americans continue to be in an elevated
state of germ consciousness, triggered by the pandemic.
Specifically, Americans are most concerned about germs in stores
(48%), medical facilities (44%), gas stations (37%), restaurants
(34%) and schools (25%).
"For 14 years, our survey has consistently shown that people
have always placed importance on clean restrooms but now there's
elevated and ongoing demand for increased hygiene and the use of
touchless fixtures," Dommisse added. "Similar to how the iPod
changed music and 9/11 changed air travel, Covid has forever
changed public bathroom expectations and design."
The annual Healthy Handwashing Survey from Bradley Corporation
queried 1,025 American adults Jan. 4-10,
2023, about their handwashing habits, concerns about the
coronavirus and flu and their use of public restrooms. Participants
were from around the country and were fairly evenly split between
men (45%) and women (55%).
For more information, visit www.bradleycorp.com/handwashing.
For more than 100 years, Bradley has created the most
advanced, coordinated commercial washrooms and comprehensive
emergency safety solutions that make public environments hygienic
and safe. Dedicated to innovating healthy handwashing technologies,
Bradley is the industry's leading source for the most sanitary
multi-function touchless handwashing and drying fixtures.
Washroom accessories, partitions, solid plastic lockers, as well as
emergency safety fixtures and electric tankless heaters for
industrial applications round out its product offerings.
Headquartered in Menomonee Falls,
Wis., USA, Bradley serves
commercial, institutional and industrial building markets
worldwide. www.bradleycorp.com.
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SOURCE Bradley