50% of people take action after a poor experience – impacting business revenue and reputation

Tork, an Essity brand and the global leader in professional hygiene, announces findings of a global Insight Survey that explored attitudes toward hygiene in washrooms. Tork continues to push for inclusive hygiene by identifying barriers that prevent people from comfortably meeting their needs in washrooms and the resulting impact on businesses.

Barriers to Use

Public spaces and workplaces often provide accommodations for physical circumstances and conditions, such as people who use wheelchairs, but 95% of people who report physical or cognitive conditions are not in a wheelchair. The Tork Insight Survey reveals that many needs remain unrecognised in washroom maintenance and design. In fact, one-in-two people are likely to face barriers to hygiene in public washrooms meaning there is a mismatch between their capabilities or needs and the environment. For example, individual concerns around hygiene and cleanliness or conditions including anxiety, sensory sensitivities or paruresis (shy bladder) can result in people refraining from using washrooms or being able to fully meet their needs in the washroom.

“Eight out of ten people globally have concerns about washroom rooms – a figure that’s even higher for those with certain physical or cognitive conditions,” said Olivia Slater, commercial director at Essity Professional Hygiene. “When a washroom fails to meet these diverse needs, it directly impacts a business’s reputation and revenue. This is one reason why ‘Hygiene for all’ is a core pillar of our sustainability strategy. By focusing on inclusive hygiene, we help organisations create better experiences that serve as many people as possible, including the cleaning staff who maintain these vital spaces.”

What the Research Reveals

The research, which surveyed 11,500 people across 11 countries, shows there are high expectations for hygiene and cleanliness in the washroom. Seventy-four percent expect moderate or high levels of hygiene. Yet, only 20% of washrooms deliver on those expectations. Forty percent of the general population is “very concerned” with hygiene and cleanliness of public spaces and that number jumps to 60% for people with conditions like germaphobia.

A poor washroom experience can trigger powerful emotions amongst users, such as ‘disappointed’ (30%), ‘disgusted (30%), ‘uncomfortable’ (27%) and ‘frustrated’ (26%) which have a negative impact on venue or workplace reputation.

This is a sponsored article, brought to you by Tork, an Essity brand. To learn more about how inclusive hygiene can improve your business please visit www.torkglobal.com