As the holiday season gets closer, Stuart Hands from Tork manufacturer Essity looks at the challenges involved in ensuring that airport washrooms remain clean, hygienic and efficiently run around the clock.
Few washrooms are busier than those at the airport. Passengers descend on transport hubs around the clock, and many will need a comfort break on arrival.
Travelling requires a great deal of waiting around – time that may well be spent in one of the many bars and restaurants. This will inevitably lead to additional toilet visits and hand hygiene events. And the toilets will come in for heavy use just before passengers head to their gate, while incoming travellers will also make a beeline for the washrooms to freshen up after their flight.
So high traffic and sudden surges are among the challenges involved with running an airport washroom. Another sticking point is the issue of space.
Most airlines now charge a premium for checked-in baggage which means more people are travelling with hand luggage only. Passengers will need to bring their trolley cases to the toilet with them, and this will lead to congestion in the queueing area and a tight squeeze once inside the cubicle.
Keeping the facilities clean and well stocked can be another challenge, particularly with the staff shortages currently facing the cleaning sector. And germs can quickly spread in a crowded indoor facility which means logjams and congestion needs to be avoided in airport washrooms.
So, how can all these issues be solved? The design of the washroom can significantly help to alleviate some common airport washroom problems. Partitions should be installed in place of outer doors since these can be difficult to negotiate with an unwieldy trolley case in tow. And fixtures such as hooks, pegs and extra baggage space inside the cubicle will all help to ensure a more comfortable passenger experience.
Some airports are already working on ways of achieving this. For example, the ladies and gents’ toilets at Tokyo’s Narita Airport have dedicated hooks for hanging umbrellas and bags as well as custom-made 'baby capsules' built into the wall to allow parents of young children to use the facilities unhampered.
Newark Airport’s washrooms feature a large hand basin and mirror inside every cubicle to prevent overcrowding at the sinks as well as a long, narrow table outside the facility on which passengers can organise their belongings before heading to the gate.
Other airports are striving to impress their clientele in other ways by going above and beyond what most customers would expect. The washrooms at Singapore’s Changi Airport, for example, offer electronic bidets, comfortable chairs, marble fixtures and entrances made from floral wreaths to improve the passenger experience. And at Tampa Airport there are baby-changing stations in the ladies’ and gents’ as well as a dedicated nursing room and a separate family washroom to allow maximum flexibility for families.
These types of facilities tend to attract good publicity via social media which in turn helps to boost the profile of the airport in question. However, the converse is also true.
One European airport attracted a great deal of negative press attention last summer on account of its messy washrooms with overflowing toilets and floors littered with tissue. Many people took to Twitter to complain about the conditions. Another airport – this time in Asia – recently attracted bad reviews due to its stained lavatories and smelly facilities. Passengers gave the authorities exact locations of the dirtiest washrooms and airport managers are now carrying out a deep clean and a complete washroom makeover. In other words there is no longer any hiding place for the managers of poor airport washrooms. Passengers are watching, taking note and speaking out.
Airports depend heavily on customer spend in their restaurants, bars and retail outlets. And anything that makes a negative impression might persuade a passenger to begin their journey from a more congenial transport hub next time. So what can be done to improve the airport washroom experience and minimise the number of complaints?
Marble fixtures and floral wreaths are all very well, but it is more important that all washrooms are kept clean, hygienic and well stocked with essential soap and paper products. So the facilities should be frequently monitored, thoroughly cleaned and replenished with consumables whenever these are needed.
High-capacity soap and paper systems that are quick and easy to refill will help to reduce the maintenance burden and minimise the risk of run-outs. For example, each cartridge of Tork Foam Soap serves up to 1650 visitors and can be replaced in seconds which speeds up the cleaner’s work.
A high-capacity hand towel system will also help to reduce the risk of run-outs during busy periods. The Tork PeakServe Continuous Hand Towel Dispenser, for example, holds up to 2100 towels which means it is highly unlikely to run out between maintenance checks. The system also helps to speed up washroom use because each towel is delivered in just three seconds. And the Tork SmartOne Twin Mini Toilet Roll System ensures a continuous and long-lasting supply of toilet tissue. The system reduces consumption by up to 40% compared with jumbo roll dispensers since it delivers one sheet at a time, and a second roll may be inserted into the unit at any time to fit in with the cleaner’s schedule.
Cleaners will be expected to respond swiftly whenever a mess occurs - but such incidents are difficult to predict in a busy airport. Some tasks will inevitably fall through the cracks and this will lead to dirty washrooms and passenger complaints.
Tork Vision Cleaning enables cleaners to remotely check on washroom usage via people-counters. Facility managers can then build up a profile of visits and use this data to identify those toilets that attract the highest traffic. And the cleaner’s walking routes can be streamlined accordingly, saving time and labour costs.
Tork Vision Cleaning can also help to ensure that the soap or paper supply never needs to run out. The system allows cleaners to monitor dispenser refill levels via a smartphone or tablet and target those facilities where a top-up of soap or paper is required.
Efficient crisis management and real-time intelligence can significantly improve outcomes in an airport washroom. This is why many hubs are now installing “smiley” feedback panels at the washroom exits to allow travellers to rate their experience by pressing a red, amber or green button.
Passenger comments are also being invited at some airports through 'Cleaning via What’sApp' systems. At Berlins’s Brandenburg Airport, for example, posters and messages on cleaning trolleys urge travellers to send notifications via WhatsApp of any transgressions in order to facilitate a swift response.
Airport washrooms are in constant use and it can be a real challenge to ensure that these facilities are kept clean, well stocked and running smoothly. However, the passenger experience can be greatly improved for everyone via a combination of smart software, passenger feedback channels and long-lasting soap and paper systems.
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