How clean is your washroom?

According to SCA, around 75 per cent of UK residents feel that the washrooms they visit in hotels and restaurants are often unclean. And 87 per cent of us believe that an unclean washroom has a negative impact on our overall impression of an establishment. More than 8,000 people across Europe were questioned in the study, which was carried out on behalf of Tork this summer.

'Washrooms are not always given the highest priority in hotels and restaurants which is a shame, because toilets can have a significant impact on a guest's overall experience of an establishment,' says Julie Ray, product and segment manager at Tork manufacturer SCA.

Survey respondents were also asked which three products or solutions they felt to be key for providing a washroom with a hygienic feel.

Toilet paper came top followed by soap, then paper towels, hand sanitiser and hand dryers.

'The high response rate for hand sanitiser provides evidence that guests are fairly knowledgeable when it comes to hygiene,' adds Ray.

Paper towels were considered to be more important than hand dryers with 48 per cent of people including these in their hygiene 'top three' compared with 27 per cent who listed hand dryers as key, says SCA.

A total of 77 per cent of British respondents said they would refrain from using a dirty washroom at all.