Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Foul Odors Negatively Impact Schools and Colleges According to New Poll

  • By Yvonne Marquez
  • 02/06/20

Schools can easily become a stinky place if the source of bad odors aren’t properly addressed. A new poll from Oxy-Gen Powered, an odor eliminating solutions company, shows those foul odors can negatively impact educational environments.

According to the survey, conducted online by The Harris Poll, a majority of survey-takers (93%) say a foul odor would negatively impact their perception of an organization. When it comes to schools and colleges in particular, 55% of the survey-takers say a foul odor would negatively impact their perception of the educational institution.

“No building occupant or visitor wants to be greeted with an unpleasant smell in a lobby, restroom or anywhere else in a facility,” Andy Piucci, Vice President of Sales – North America at Oxy-Gen Powered, said in a statement. “This research highlights the risk organizations take when they fail to properly eliminate indoor odors caused by urine, feces, kitchens, mold, mildew, pets and more.”

The survey also polled how foul odors impact people’s perception of hotels, retail stores, entertainment venues, office buildings, and gym/fitness centers.

Once people encounter bad odors, many change their mind about the facility and take steps to avoid it in the future. More than half of those polled (56%) say after experiencing a foul odor in a facility they would assume the facility is not clean. More than half would look for an alternative facility. Half would spend less time in the facility, 46% would tell friends, family or colleagues about it and about 34% said they would never return to the facility again.

The survey was conducted from January 9-13, 2020 and polled 2,013 U.S. adults ages 18 and older.

You can find more information about Oxy-Gen Powered and their line of odor eliminating solutions at www.oxygenpowered.com.

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Embry-Riddle Completes Construction on Research, Lab Facility

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Fla., recently announced the end of construction on a new research and lab facility on campus. The Center for Aerospace Engineering II (CAT II) will support aerospace research and technology development and broke ground last summer.

  • Designing the Bridge Between Inclusivity and Independence in K–12 Schools

    Fostering independence is fundamental to learning and development for K–12 students. It offers many proven benefits, such as enhanced confidence, problem-solving, decision-making, and social skills. However, this foundational objective loses its impact if it’s not accessible and adaptable to all students. Inclusivity plays a critical role in cultivating independence and healthy autonomy for students, fostering positive student learning outcomes by uniting pedagogy with the physical learning environment.

  • Year-Round Schools Require Year-Round Indoor Air Quality Planning

    While many schools are out for the summer, year-round schools follow a more “balanced” schedule with shorter, more frequent breaks spaced throughout the school year. Even though this offers educational benefits, these facilities have less downtime for building maintenance. This can become an issue when facilities managers overlook the importance of routine HVAC maintenance and air duct cleaning services.

  • 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.