5 trends in school washrooms you need to know this year
Are your school washrooms welcoming or do your students avoid them at all costs?
Recent studies have shown that too many students across the UK avoid using the toilet at school. In fact, almost half (46%) have experienced some sort of stress or anxiety about using toilet facilities in school as a result of dirty, damaged or poor facilities.
This, coupled with an increased focus on hygiene since the Covid-19 pandemic proves the importance of clean, safe school washrooms.
With that in mind, if your school bathrooms are in need of renovation or refurbishment this year, here are five trends you should be aware of, so you can create comfortable toilets students are happy to use.
1. Full-length toilet cubicles
One of the reasons that many students feel anxious about using school washrooms is the traditional toilet cubicles.
So this year, consider installing full-length cubicles to offer enhanced privacy to your students. This can help them to feel safer and more comfortable when using the facilities.
Not to mention that the floor-to-ceiling design looks sleek and stylish, giving your washrooms a more attractive finish.
2. Open-plan washrooms
It’s an unfortunate reality that school toilets are sometimes used for inappropriate behaviour and some children confess they avoid the toilets for fear of bullying. Introducing open-plan washrooms can help to tackle this antisocial.
Having sinks and hand dryers out in open spaces reduces hidden corners and can help students to feel more visible and safe.
On top of that, having open spaces with fewer surfaces, cracks and corners can reduce the build-up of dirt and bacteria, making your school washrooms easier to clean. This saves the cleaners time and means they can do a more thorough job, leading to more hygienic facilities.
3. Vape detectors
Following on from the last point, another antisocial behaviour that’s found its way into school toilets is smoking and more commonly nowadays, vaping.
While traditional smoke detectors can deter smokers, they can’t always pick up on the finer vapour produced by vapes. This makes it harder for teachers to detect and means students can feel safer sneaking off for a vape.
Installing new vape detection sensors can reduce this type of behaviour and make the bathrooms feel like a safer, cleaner place for all students.
4. Touch-free technology
You may already have automatic hand dryers in your school bathrooms (if not, this is something you should seriously consider), but there are lots of other touch-free technologies you can incorporate into your washrooms too.
Automatic lighting, sensor taps and flushes and even touch-free locks are all available and can transform your facilities. Reducing the number of touchpoints in the school toilets can help to stop the buildup of dirt and bacteria.
It also reduces the wear and tear on your facilities, ensuring the longevity of these spaces.
As if that wasn’t enough, you can also make your washrooms more energy efficient, saving water and electricity through sensors and automatic technology. Plus, these modern fittings look sleek and stylish.
5. Fun colours and themes
For younger students, why not introduce some bold colours or playful designs to your school bathrooms? You could even choose a theme and images like nature, animals or space.
Through custom print options and images on our wall cladding and other fittings, you can transform your toilets into a welcoming and happy place for the children.
You can see an example of a jungle-themed toilet created by Cr8tive Washrooms for a primary school, here.
Is it time to transform your school toilets?
If your school washrooms are in need of some TLC this year, we can help. At Cr8tive Washrooms, we can help you transform your facilities from start to finish.