Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

How Do We Discourage Restroom Vandalism?

  • By Will Haas
  • 08/01/15

Restrooms in educational settings are notorious for attracting vandalism and graffiti. Fortunately, there are proactive options for avoiding these problems and extending the life of restroom fixtures.

As the first line of defense, restrooms that are carefully planned, well-lit and frequently maintained promote a positive physical environment that helps foster student pride and respect. Discussing with students the value of school property and the importance of safe and clean restroom environments can provide another dose of prevention. While vandalism attempts happen in even the best-kept restrooms, frequent cleaning checks are essential. The sooner a problem is discovered and rectified, the better for deterring additional attempts.

Touchless restroom fixtures can also help discourage vandals. Capacitive sensing used with hands-free faucets are virtually vandal-free and maintenance-free since the mechanicals are concealed inside a sealed control box.

Hands-free design also incorporates an automatic shut off that controls product usage, thereby reducing every day wear and tear. This wards off vandals who try leaving a faucet running, over-dispensing soap or wasting costly paper towels to clog sinks and toilets.

Speaking of the hand washing area, yesterday’s china lavs, which can be chipped, broken and torn off of walls, can invite foul play. Newer lavatory systems made of solid surface material are much more resilient and resist stains, burns, chemicals and impact.

Partitions — common graffiti targets — made of solid plastic [post-consumer recycled HDPE] are worth consideration. In higher-quality partitions the color goes all the way through, meaning they never need painting and scratches can be easily repaired.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

Will Haas is a product manager for Bradley Corporation. He can be reached at 800/BRADLEY or www.bradleycorp.com.

Featured

  • Campus Safety Requires Using Every Resource Available

    Across the U.S., school and campus leaders are facing a security landscape that has changed dramatically over the past decade. Incidents on school property have increased in recent years, with several consecutive years setting record totals. According to analysis of data by CNN, dozens of shootings now occur on school grounds annually across K-12 and higher education environments.

  • Secret to Efficient, On-Time School Infrastructure & Modernization Projects is All in the Preparation

    Warmer weather and longer days make summer the ideal time for construction and modernization projects at educational facilities. School boards and construction firms must coordinate effectively to ensure that these projects do not extend even a single day into the school year and impede classroom operation.

  • RIT Saunders College of Business – Lowenthal Hall Addition

    RIT Saunders College of Business – Lowenthal Hall Addition

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. RIT Saunders College of Business's Lowenthal Hall Addition has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • Planning with Clarity: Using AI to Make Better Campus Decisions, Not Just Better Designs

    Higher education leaders are being asked to make increasingly high-stakes decisions about campus facilities amid greater uncertainty than ever before. Social and economic pressures, shifting enrollment, and evolving learning models compete with growing deferred maintenance needs to strain even the most robust infrastructure budgets.