Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Reduce the Spread of Germs in Restrooms

  • By Gloria Potichko
  • 01/01/17

It’s flu season again. According to WebMD, from December to January between five and 20 percent of the U.S. population will get the flu. While campus administrators can prepare by encouraging students to get their flu vaccines and increase their vitamin C and iron intake, there are still other ways to prevent flu’s spread — even in places you don’t typically think about, like the restroom.

Here four ways that can help prevent the spread of germs in the restroom:

1. Provide paper towels instead of air dryers.
One recent study characterizes hand dryers as “germ-spreading machines,” blowing germs up to four feet. The CDC tells us damp hands transfer germs and often, people don’t wait for their hands to dry fully when using a hand dryer. On the other hand, paper towels are able to grab those extra germs left behind by washing.

2. Offer automated paper towel dispensing versus the stacked pile on a counter.
Restrooms that use automated towel dispensing are more hygiene-friendly. The dispenser fully encloses the towel, ensuring you only touch the paper towel you will use, as opposed to countertop towels that often get dripped on by multiple hands.

3. Make sure toilet paper is enclosed.
Toilet paper with any sort of protective casing is better than a simple roll, which is exposed to all the germs from toilet flushing — especially when the toilet has no lid.

4. Provide touchless sanitizer.
Public restrooms often feature many touchpoints, but the top-notch ones provide touchless sanitizer dispensing that allows visitors to perform frequent hand hygiene.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

Gloria Potichko is the head of marketing communications for GP PRO, a leading global provider of innovative, integrated washroom and food service solutions for commercial facilities. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Missouri K–12 District Cuts Ribbons on Two New Middle Schools

    Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, Mo., recently celebrated the completion of two new middle school facilities with ribbon-cutting ceremonies, according to a district news release. The district officially opened the new Pipkin Middle School and Reed Academy on Sept. 3, both of which were funded through the $220-million Proposition S bond program approved by voters in 2023.

  • University of Rochester to Break Ground on New Student Life Center

    The University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y., recently began construction on a new Student Life building, according to a news release. The first floor will contain campus-wide gathering, program, and rehearsal space; the second floor will play home to the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life.

  • TCU Marks Campus Expansion Milestone

    Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a topping-out ceremony to mark progress on a major campus expansion effort including four new residential facilities and a five-story parking garage, according to a news release.

  • Q&A: How to Prevent Kitchen Grease Fires in Commercial Kitchens

    School cafeterias and university dining halls serve thousands of meals daily, relying on high-heat equipment like fryers, grills, and ovens. While these operations keep students fed, they also generate significant grease-laden vapors. Without proper controls, this grease becomes a silent fire threat. As a certified exhaust cleaning specialist and business coach who has helped hundreds of institutional facilities achieve NFPA 96 compliance, I emphasize that proactive grease management isn’t optional; it’s a core fire/life safety practice.