The Dirty Truth About Public Restrooms: How the IoT is keeping them cleaner

Imagine yourself out on a date eating at a trendy, upscale restaurant.

Better yet. Put yourself at the airport on the way to catch a flight for a business trip. Or at the hospital visiting a sick family member.

Now, excuse yourself for a moment to go to the restroom. Imagine that inside the restroom you see a toilet overflowing, dirty napkins strewn on the floor, a smell permeating from the stall or no soap available in the dispenser when it’s time to wash your hands.

By this point, your stomach starts to churn. Regardless, you go about your business and quickly open your purse in hopes you remembered to put a bottle of hand sanitizer in it. Your perfect night out at the trendy, upscale restaurant has been tainted by your experience in its bathroom. You wonder if the kitchen where the chef is preparing your food is as dirty as the facilities.

Maybe you question whether you would have been better off using the restroom on board the airplane. Or — you wonder if the hospital where your mom just had surgery is really as sterile as you once thought it was.

As a patron, there are few things more unsettling than a toilet overflowing with dirty water all over a public restroom’s floor. In fact, it’s probably safe to assume that no one, ever, said they like a dirty bathroom.

Naturally, bathrooms, especially public ones, get dirty if they aren’t cleaned by janitorial staff periodically throughout the day. When it comes to maintaining restrooms, there are two main jobs: cleaning for appearance and cleaning for health.

Maintaining a visibly clean restroom is important for influencing customer perception, but harmful germs and bacteria, such as salmonella, E. coli, and norovirus are often found in restrooms and are associated with outbreaks of illness.

The fact of the matter is, people take notice when a public restroom is unkempt; 65% of patrons say a dirty restroom shows the business doesn’t care about the customer. Really, who would trust a business that doesn’t care about spreading E. coli?

This is where the superhero of public restroom maintenance swoops in to save the day.

The Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet of Things has been quite the talk among both businesses and consumers — and these days, it involves much more than your smartphone and an Internet connection. At its fullest potential, the IoT provides accessibility and efficiency within every component of daily life.

Now, smart technology is helping to change the public’s perception of communal areas, providing us with data we never had before. As restroom systems begin to connect to the IoT, facilities management professionals are realizing how the technology is ideally suited for their needs.

Over the past several years, public bathrooms have been improved by the IoT with technology that includes self-flushing toilets, soap dispensers, and hand dryers.

For example, smart alarms can alert managers in real time to situations that require immediate attention; like when the paper towels or soap dispenser runs out and need to be changed.

In large facilities like sports arenas and concert venues, occupancy trackers can monitor lines and wait times of public or shared bathrooms. In these cases, IoT-powered devices are able to report estimated wait times through mobile apps or other devices. Some technologies will even alert patrons on an alternate restroom with a shorter wait.

Makers of smart restroom management systems are exploring other areas where efficiencies can be found — including facilities maintenance. By automating typical bathroom functions, management teams can improve customer’s comfort, increase operating efficiency and reducing costs.

One innovator in the smart washroom solutions space is WANDA, made by Visionstate. WANDA, which stands for washroom attendant notification digital aid, is installed in public restrooms to collect data on the efficiency of cleaning and maintaining public restrooms.

The app enables management and building staff to track cleaning, resources and activities inside restrooms, providing facility managers with a more complete solution.

With a “touch to request service” button, restroom patrons can report a clogged toilet or alert staff that the soap dispenser needs to be refilled. WANDA will then notify the cleaning staff of not only unsatisfactory conditions immediately, but also specify what exactly needs attention so the staff can prepare accordingly.

Think of restroom maintenance this way. If you went to a friend’s house who says they are a “neat freak” but their bathroom is disgusting, what would you believe? More than likely, you’d probably start to second-guess their cleanliness.

When it comes down to the nitty gritty, poorly maintained restrooms can cost you your reputation and your business. The use of smart technology is proving to aid staff with reminders to sanitize, clean and refill dispensers throughout the day.

Customers who value their hygiene will appreciate a well maintained, sanitized and fully functioning restroom. Afterall, it’s not just about cleanliness; it’s also about comfort. A guest who feels comfortable will be more likely to return and recommend the business to their friends.

IoT solutions are easy to use and helps business owners improve guest service. All and all, smart washrooms of the future are here — in the present — with the Internet of Things, sensors, and apps.