March 7, 2005—A five-star restroom rating system like those used for hotels tops the list of ways to improve overall hygiene in public restrooms according to results of a survey by Opinion Research Corp., conducted for Kimberly-Clark. The five-star rating was opted for by 54% of those polled as a strategy to improve “overall hygiene” in public restrooms, while only 13% voted for fines for such offenses as not flushing the toilet.
To make public restroom visits as “hassle-free” as possible, 58% of respondents would like a totally touch-free experience, where you can use the restroom without touching doors, handles, and faucets. On the hygiene scale, a guaranteed supply of toilet paper, towels, and soap automatically provided, without touching dispensers, scored 45% in the survey.
Not surprisingly, comments Kimberly-Clark, toilet paper was selected over other restroom supplies as having the biggest impact on a positive or negative restroom experience. A clean appearance with good lighting, freshly painted walls, and graffiti-free stalls was the overwhelming choice (70%) for making a public restroom visit “more pleasant.”
While 21% of respondents said public restrooms were generally clean and in good condition, twice as many described a visit to a public restroom as, “a 50-50 gamble.”
For reality TV show aficionados, respondents said that if trapped on a desert island, in terms of supplies they would most want to have toilet paper (30%) followed by a toothbrush and toothpaste (28%).
For a complete copy of the survey and results, visit the Kimberly-Clark Web site.
