Survey finds that clean restrooms impact consumer spending
Quality restrooms are good for business.
Nearly 70% of U.S. adults say they’ll make a point to stop — and 60% will spend more money —at a business that they know has clean, well-maintained restrooms, according to the 2026 Healthy Handwashing Survey by Bradley Company. And 40% will check out a store or restaurant’s restroom before deciding whether to stay or not.
The survey also revealed that quality matters. The overwhelming majority — 86% — of survey respondents say they expect a business with high-quality products or services to have well-appointed restroom facilities.
“The condition of a restroom can significantly influence how consumers feel about a business,” said said Jon Dommisse, VP of business development and strategy, Bradley Company, which manufactures commercial washroom equipment. “Our survey found that the majority of people think an unclean or unpleasant restroom indicates poor management. On the flip side, locations with clean and pleasant restrooms can expect more return business and a better public perception.”
Improvement
The survey also asked respondents what improvements they’d most like to see in public restrooms. The top responses were cleaner facilities; better stocking of toilet paper, paper towels and hand soap; and touchless fixtures, including toilets, faucets and soap and towel dispensers.
Another wish list item is more stall privacy. Nearly 70% of respondents feel restroom stalls should provide more coverage. Specifically, 52% would like the gaps around stall doors eliminated and 43% would appreciate an “available” or “occupied” indicator on each door.
In terms of “aspirational” items respondents would like, thick foaming soap; warm sink water; and high-quality toilet paper top the list.
Restroom Etiquette
Since a restroom is a public place, most users follow basic etiquette: 76% always wash their hands after using a public restroom, according to the survey. The top reasons people skip washing their hands? There wasn’t any soap or paper towels, there were too many people, or the sinks were unclean or broken. 22% said they “did not feel the need” to wash their hands.
Some restroom users don’t follow societal rules. The top annoyances include unflushed toilets and used paper towels and trash lying around.
Whether it’s considered good etiquette or not, adults employ all sorts of measures to avoid touching restroom surfaces. Sixty-five percent use a paper towel or their clothing as a barrier to eliminate contact with fixtures. Forty-two percent operate the toilet flusher with their foot and 35% hover above the toilet seat.
