Common Washroom Hygiene Mistakes to Avoid in Your Business

Posted on Feb 04, 2025

Why Washroom Hygiene is Crucial for Your Business

Your place of business has to be a setting where employees and visitors feel comfortable and safe. One of the key areas where this is especially crucial is your communal washrooms, filled with toilet cubicles, sinks, waste bins, hand dryers and sanitary products which must be cleaned, restocked and maintained. However, many businesses still make common washroom hygiene mistakes, leading to various issues internally, from poor employee satisfaction to significant health risks and compliance risks.

But what are these common mistakes and the best methods to resolve them?

Top Washroom Hygiene Mistakes Businesses Often Make

Failing to Refill Essential Supplies

A big fear many have when using public washrooms is reaching for toilet paper and realising, the dispenser is empty! What about when you go to wash your hands and see there’s a lack of hand soap, or drying hands is cumbersome because of insufficient paper towels and no hand dryers.

Failure to keep on top of refilling essential washroom supplies will result in not only disgruntled employees and visitors, but your business will be breaking the law and regulations set out by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 and the Health and Safety Executive Code of Practice.

Ensuring proper supplies are stocked in your commercial washroom guarantees proper cleanliness, hand care, adherence to legislation and happiness among all washroom users. Your washroom may be facing this mistake due to worries of too much wastage; fortunately there are zero waste dispenser systems which tackle this problem head on.

Ignoring Regular Cleaning and Maintenance

Although keeping your commercial washroom clean and efficiently maintained is also a legal requirement, many businesses are not stepping up in terms of how well this is being performed.

Never mind your own home’s bathroom, in which germs and bacteria can survive weeks on surfaces, think about the level of bugs, tens or even hundreds of people bring with them everyday when using public washrooms. A dirty washroom impacts public health drastically, with lack of, or infrequent, cleaning leading to illnesses due to growing germs and microbes. On the most severe end of the scale, these germs can lead to illnesses including E. coli and Salmonella, and more common illnesses like sore throats, Diarrhoea and even athlete’s foot.

Overlooking Hand Drying and Maintenance

Hand dryers come in many different varieties, but it doesn’t make a difference which systems you have installed as without maintaining them by having them serviced every few months, their functionality will considerably diminish.

It’s not just about maintaining existing hand dryer systems either – your office or other commercial washroom setting may still have old systems installed which are now costing you more per dry than newer models, built with better energy-efficiency and quicker drying times. One of the biggest washroom hygiene errors made is not realising just because you have the solution in place, doesn’t mean it’s the right one.

Neglecting Odour Control

Unfortunately, washrooms can build up with bad smells due to several reasons:

1. Lack of regular cleaning will enable bacteria to build up, causing foul odours to linger.
2. Sanitary bin and incontinence bin waste hasn’t been collected and disposed of.

There are solutions to tackle both problems. For urinals and toilet cubicles, hygiene products can be placed which have the dual functionality of cleaning and releasing pleasant smells. For the various bins situated in washrooms, hiring a reputable and reliable sanitary bin service will mean waste is collected and disposed of on a frequent basis, reducing the aroma of bad odours. Additionally, installing automatic air fresheners is a great way to control bad smells.

The Impact of Poor Washroom Hygiene on Your Business

On top of the various illnesses people can contract due to poor washroom hygiene, your business will face other issues which can have a detrimental effect.

1. Legal consequences: Set out in the various UK health and safety regulations, with improper care, hygiene and maintenance for your washroom, you can face fines or even prosecution.
2. Low employee morale: Coming to work everyday knowing bathroom breaks are feared will leave your employees feeling low, leading to lower production and higher resentment.

A dirty washroom impacts your business negatively in ways you may not even realise, making the importance of washroom cleanliness highly beneficial to ensure good hygiene as well for your business’s reputation overall.

How to Maintain a Hygienic Washroom Environment

At Trust Hygiene, we know the ins and outs of maintaining a hygienic washroom, and here are a few hygiene tips for businesses to consider.

Implementing a Cleaning Schedule

Whether you have an in-house team or use an outsourced cleaning company to perform regular deep cleans, having a consistent schedule in which all areas are scrubbed, wiped and sanitised will ensure a hygienic public space for people to utilise.

Using the Right Hygiene Products

Using and installing the right hygiene products, from energy-efficient hand dryers and microbiological cleaners for urinals to paper towels and soft toilet roll, will provide users with the hygiene solutions they need. For your business, the right hygiene products will lower costs on wastage and maintenance, as well as keeping your reputation at the top.

Training Employees on Washroom Hygiene Standards

Teaching employees on proper hygiene standards is a sure bet to improve the cleanliness standards in your washrooms. COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) training is available with Trust Hygiene, as well as best practices regarding sanitary waste, hand hygiene and cleaning practices.

Partnering with Professional Washroom Hygiene Services

Trust Hygiene is here to help with professional hygiene solutions including washroom hygiene services, keeping your commercial spaces in pristine condition. Our team can travel to your location in the West Midlands with flexible services. We fully understand the importance of washroom cleanliness, and deliver the solutions, products and services which will counteract the common hygiene mistakes many people and business still make.

To book a consultation to discuss your washroom hygiene needs, call us on 0370 3500 988 or fill in your details using our contact form.