Dr. Gleb Tsipursky – The Office Whisperer
Nirit Cohen – WorkFutures
Angela Howard – Culture Expert
Drew Jones – Design & Innovation
Jonathan Price – CRE & Flex Expert
- In workspaces, just as in hotels or restaurants, visitors often measure the quality of an establishment from its bathrooms.
- While a quality washroom can reflect well on a company’s investment in people, the same cannot be said for those that are poorly maintained.
- Even if the maintenance of your washrooms are beyond your control, there are a number of easy ways to revamp your workplace bathrooms without spending a fortune.
Though over the past few years the workspace has been overhauled and transformed, the same cannot be said about workplace bathrooms. In fact, many would agree that the office bathroom is often the worst space in a building. And we can’t really blame them.
Luckily, the workplace bathroom is no longer an afterthought for many companies. In a recent article (paywall), the Wall Street Journal argued that the office restroom “is the final frontier of the workplace makeover”, claiming that “companies are remodeling water closets to meet rising expectations of staff who demand elevated designs on par with the rest of their modern workplace.”
People today are moved and driven by unique experiences, and just as in hotels a terrible bathroom can ruin an experience, the same can be said about the workplace today. People expect companies to offer restrooms that can be compared to those found in high-end restaurants, hotels, and airport lounges.
Mike Mallazo, marketing head at Narrativ, told the Wall Street Journal that “the new restrooms are a ‘core differentiator’ of the new office space compared with many other offices.” T.J. Davidson told the news media that a quality washroom “kind of reflects well on a company’s investment in people.”
Sometimes, however, it’s not up to you as a company or flexible workspace provider to revamp your space’s bathroom. More often than not, that decision is left to the landlord or facilities manager. Yet, there are still small, powerful things you can do to improve your workplace’s bathroom.
No need to tear down walls, install new pipeline systems, or spend millions of dollars.
5 easy ways to revamp your workplace bathroom
1. Upgrade your toilet paper
Rather than buying single sheet toilet paper rolls, buy double-ply roll. Anyone who has used low-quality toilet paper can tell you that double-ply, soft rolls make all the difference. If you’re unsure which brand to buy, here’s a thorough review of the best toilet paper rolls available on the market.
2. Change the light bulbs
Ditch the fluorescent lights or dim lighting solutions and instead opt for soft and low lighting solutions. Think of different layers of light to enhance the bathroom and to make sure that all colors are rendered correctly. This last part is especially important in women’s bathrooms, as women tend to do their makeup in the bathroom and bad lighting can negatively influence makeup decisions.
3. Embrace color and patterns
There’s no reason why bathrooms should feel bleak and industrial. You can paint bathroom walls with accent colors or unique patterns to bring some life into the space. You can also add wallpaper. Keep in mind that colors greatly affect our mood and emotions, so be mindful of the colors you select. For ideas on which colors to pick, check out this guide. Pro tip: keep in mind that light colors make dirt more visible.
4. Splurge on hand soap and lotion
Not all soaps are created equal, some smell better than others and some are more moisturizing than others. When buying hand soap, opt for creamy varieties that tend to moisturize the skin and as a complement, buy a hand lotion that goes with it. Extra points if you buy naturally scented soap.
5. Indulge the sense of smell
One of the worst things that can happen as soon as you walk into the bathroom is for it to be smelly. It all goes downhill from there. To prevent foul or strong smells, invest in a scent diffuser — and not necessarily the industrial kind. Instead opt for natural smells that aren’t too invasive. Pro tip: leave a bottle of potpourri in all stalls, everyone will be thankful.
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Extra tips
- For women’s bathrooms, keep a basket full of feminine hygiene products.
- Have mouthwash and cups available.
- Offer tissue paper, we all need to blow our noses occasionally and toilet paper typically irritates the nose.
- If you’re up for it, install some speakers and stream music to the bathroom. You can have different playlists or simply opt for white noise (nature sounds are great for this type of environment).
- Add some plants, keep in mind that even a brief exposure to color green increases innovative thinking. Plus, they can help clear the air.
