Businesses spend a great deal of energy considering the style, layout and design of their office spaces. They consider everything from zoning to the best colours to foster productivity. Reception areas, lobbies and boardrooms all look stunning.
But, unfortunately, they can neglect to consider washroom design. And that can be jarring when it doesn’t match the rest of the space.
Part of the problem here is psychological. When executives consider their office spaces, they naturally think about the primary working and meeting areas. Naturally, receptions, lobbies and meeting rooms get a lot of attention. But they can forget about the bathroom. That’s because it is a part of the office usually tucked well out of the way of public view.
While bathrooms might not take pride of place on your premises, both colleagues and clients alike will judge you on them. If they don’t meet the standards of the rest of the office, then they will conflict with your brand image. And that could hurt your enterprise as a whole. An incredible 89 per cent of people say that they judge a brand based on what its bathrooms are like. So a clean environment is just a minimum.
People who use your facilities want a great bathroom experience. Nothing is worse than going to a dark, dirty room that feels out of keeping with the rest of the office space. After all, the average human being spends around one hour forty-two minutes in the bathroom every week. They want the experience to be good!
So how do you keep your bathroom consistent with your brand throughout your office? Here’s where Interfix’s expertise can help. In our view, the best approach is to take cues from the rest of your space. You want a bathroom that reflects your brand values while also offering those who use it a pleasant experience.
Change How It Smells
Public bathrooms tend to smell bad simply because of how much people use them. But allowing odours to get out of control is perhaps the biggest faux-pas your brand can make. It makes your business appear dirty and it goes against the image you’re trying to create. It’s not a good look.
If you notice strong smells in your bathroom, you need to take drastic action. Here’s what to do.
- Set up a regular cleaning schedule if you do not already have one (cleaning every fifteen minutes to two hours)
- Install deodorisers – screens you can place on urinals to prevent smells from coming back up and entering the room
- Install diffusers to spread beautiful smells in the bathroom that help cover up unpleasant odours
Match The Colour Scheme
Once you deal with the smell, the next step is to match the colour scheme to the rest of your office. Fundamentally, there is no reason why the washroom design has to change. You want to create a consistent feel between your washroom and workspace, continuing to sell your brand no matter where visitors, clients or colleagues go.
Interfix creates bespoke, custom commercial washroom design and finishes that allow you to match your brand colours and patterns precisely. When changing your bathroom, you need installers with an eye for detail, able to create beautiful washrooms that reflect your brand values and priorities.
For instance, if your company promotes sustainability, you need a bathroom that offers environmentally friendly touches. Things like low-water usage toilets and energy-efficient hand dryers can help you associate your brand with ecological sensitivity.
Make It Easier To Clean
Branded washrooms also need to be easy to clean. That means installing special types of flooring and wall coverings that allow operatives to efficiently sweep away dirt, grime and soiling, without the need to spend a lot of time scrubbing.
As part of our commercial washroom refurbishment, Interfix installs high-performance vinyl bathroom flooring that creates a strong seal with the walls. We also implement composite and synthetic wall cladding materials that provide water resistance and easy cleaning. Anti-vandal fixtures and fittings let you protect bathrooms with high throughput (such as those used by both colleagues and customers).
Bottom Line
All executives know that their offices are brand tools. But, unfortunately, some neglect to consider their bathrooms in that equation. And that can damage their brand. After all, the vast majority of clients use bathrooms as a way to judge the entire enterprise. If they are lacking in some way, it reflects poorly on the whole business.
