7 Must-Have Staples for Today’s Office Bathrooms

Did you know that according to a 2018 Harvard study, open-plan offices make teams less productive? The reason for this is the lack of privacy–when you feel as if coworkers and supervisors can access your private space for eight hours a day, the stress can add up.

This is the reason why many employees not only use the bathroom for bodily functions but also to take a breather. For this reason, office decor and other upgrades can create a relaxing environment that allows employees to recharge and refocus. 

With this in mind, read on for the top seven staples you need in your office bathrooms today! 

1. Warm Colors

When we hear the words “office bathroom,” we often visualize stark white restrooms with harsh lighting and white walls and floor. Those restrooms are strictly utilitarian spaces that don’t offer much comfort. 

By changing the lighting and color inside the restroom, you can create a more comfortable environment that helps recharge employees. Use softer lighting and choose light, earth-toned colors for a calming atmosphere. 

You can also opt to use faux-wood materials for your vanity and stalls in order to warm up the environment even more. 

2. Personality

You can also help to energize employees by infusing your company’s personality and branding into the restroom. For instance, use complementary colors on the walls, stalls, or floor. You can also play with black-and-white or mosaic tile, intricate wall patterns, and more.

Don’t be afraid to push boundaries in order to create an unexpected environment. You may also want to consider hiring an interior designer to help bring your ideas into reality. They can also help you source low-cost materials. 

3. Accommodation

It’s important that your office restroom is able to accommodate a variety of people. Make sure that you have a handicap-accessible toilet, changing stations for babies, and full-length mirrors.

However, make sure that you don’t make pregnant mothers breastfeed in the bathroom. Create a separate comfortable and private space for this instead.

Keep in mind that your signage should be accommodating as well. Make sure that each sign includes braille so that people with vision problems have no difficulties finding the correct restroom for their gender.

Lastly, make sure that your signage is clear. Include symbols as well as words for men, women, families, and gender-neutral bathrooms. Companies that try to use complicated or “clever” symbols only annoy employees and make a typically simple process of walking into a bathroom more complicated. 

4. Minimize Hand Contact

As the pandemic progresses, employers are even more aware of the impact hygiene has on the health of their employees. The bathroom is full of germs, and it’s important that you try and minimize hand contact with non-porous surfaces as much as possible to avoid cold, flu, or Covid-19 outbreaks.

For this reason, consider upgrading your bathroom with motion-activated toilet flushers, paper towel dispensers, and faucets. You can visit this link for more information on all of the soap dispenser options available for you.

Keep in mind that electronic products can also help you reduce waste. For instance, automatic faucets automatically shut off after a certain number of seconds. Employees are also less prone to grabbing a handful of paper towels if they’re dispensed to them one by one. 

5. Automatic Air Fresheners

Your next electronic, automatic product should also be an air freshener. With dozens to hundreds of employees using the office washroom each day, covering up unpleasant smells with an air freshener goes a long way in making the environment more pleasant. 

Make sure to install the air freshener in a hidden area with an upwards spray so that the smell doesn’t become too strong for people with sensitivities.

6. Correct Trash Can Placement

Did you know that where you place your trash cans also affects the cleanliness of your employees? Placing them near the door gives people the chance to pull the handle open with a paper towel covering their hands. Once the door is open, they can then throw the paper towel out.

You can also opt to include a hand-free door opener at the bottom of your door. This is typically a small piece of metal that extends from the base of the door, allowing people to pull the door open with their foot instead of their hand. 

7. Disposable Toilet Seat Covers

People who try to avoid touching the restroom door handles would also appreciate avoiding the toilet seats. For this reason, it’s always helpful to include disposable toilet seat covers so that people don’t feel as if they need to sacrifice their hygiene to use your restroom.

Disposable toilet seat covers also help reduce waste. This is because, without the covers, people may opt to cover the seat with toilet paper instead. 

Update Your Office Bathrooms for Happier Employees

By keeping your office bathrooms updated and clean, you’ll find that your employees will become happier overall. No one enjoys using a restroom that’s dirty, inconvenient, or not accommodating for their needs. This is especially true if you work at a company for eight hours a day. 

If you don’t know where to start, focus on practical changes that can improve your employee’s hygiene, such as electronic products and disposable toilet seat covers. Once this is covered, you can then focus more on the aesthetics in order to help make your employees as comfortable as possible.

This can be as simple as changing the overhead lighting so it’s less harsh and painting the walls earth-toned colors. 

Ready for more tips on how to upgrade the workplace? Keep reading our blog for more tips and strategies!