Barriers to pursuing comfortable hygiene in public washrooms challenge people every day; some barriers are visible, others are not. Washroom users can be challenged by a wide range of factors including the inability to access soap and hand towel dispensers, loud noises, lack of privacy or cleanliness.

According to the inaugural 2024 Tork Insight Survey, many individuals are not comfortable using a public restroom, which negatively impacts their well-being. This keeps them from participating in social activities – including enjoying food and drink in public – staying at a job and generally feeling safe. Key findings include:

73% of respondents feel unsafe if they can’t wash their hands
· 73% say a bad washroom experience in a restaurant impacts their willingness to return
38% of people avoid eating or drinking to limit their use of public washrooms
One in six respondents said they left a job because of a poor washroom
26% avoided a social event because of concerns about access to public washrooms
44% plan their travel route to ensure access to washroom

“Comfortable access to public washrooms isn’t just about convenience, it’s a public health need,” said Jenny Logenius, global brand manager, Essity. “Washrooms are the busiest room in a facility and our research reaffirms that washrooms often aren’t equipped to accommodate the constantly changing capabilities of the population at large. This influences an individual’s ability to participate in social gatherings and work, their inclination to buy food or drink or dine at a restaurant and even what routes they choose to travel. Alongside experts and stakeholders, we aim to explore and solve the ways that hygiene in washrooms can be more comfortable for many users.”

“Many people around the world experience barriers, discomfort, or anxiety when they try to properly wash and dry their hands in a public or workplace washroom,” said Ron Clemmer, secretariat director of the Global Handwashing Partnership. “We know that hand washing is critical for reducing the spread of disease and having the integrity of good hygiene, but it isn’t easily accessible for everyone.