Looking to spruce up your educational washroom areas? With our actionable list of tips and tricks for improving toilet refurbishment design, you can do just that. From taking into account how materials have an impact on hygiene, to ensuring you’re working with one experienced company right the way through… This comprehensive list checks all the boxes in making sure your toilet refurbishment project goes above and beyond expectations.

In considering these tips, it’s important to outline just why educational toilets have been overlooked for years. Here goes…

Why are Educational Toilet Facilities Often Overlooked?

• They are (often incorrectly) perceived as ‘non-essential’ to the learning process. Toilet spaces in education aren’t central to the teaching experience, especially as students age. Nursery washrooms can be well designed as the stage of nursery learning is focused on handling basic human needs, however in later years they’re simply forgotten about.
• Funding issues and affordability can be a problem. A lack of investment into these essential toilet facilities means that schools have to prioritise budgets and make compromises. As educational washrooms aren’t usually at the top for improving Ofsted results, they come further down the line after improving classroom environments and play areas.

Why Educational Toilet Refurbishment Needs to Improve…

• New research has shown just how much educational toilets are disregarded, and the results are shocking. The results are seen worldwide, however even within the UK we have found some pretty disturbing issues.
  
  
• Students are risking their health to avoid unsanitary toilet facilities. As adults, we all know the negative effects of dehydration. However, it has been found that UK students are avoiding drinking too much water simply so they can avoid using the restroom facilities as often. This can have dire consequences on their health, particularly at young ages.
  
  
• Badly kept toilets do negatively affect education results. Some students have gone as far as admitting they would rather stay home in order to avoid the school bathroom experience. If kids are skipping school as a result of educational washrooms, it’s evident that something has to change.
  
  
• Successful toilet refurbishment can help you avoid these washroom issues! If you read on, we’ll explain how you can make the most out of your toilet refurbishment project, keeping hygiene and sanitation at the forefront of design choices.

Utilise Space with Considered Design

In considering toilet refurbishment and design, you might not have a great deal of space to play with. That’s where space utilisation comes in! It doesn’t make sense to haphazardly place fittings into a space without considering the aftereffects of doing so. Great toilet refurbishment companies are the pros at offering space utilisation services, allowing you to do more with less. Innovative interior design techniques are put into use, considering exactly how each space is used.

Does a space seem ineffective? Are students having to go out of their way, wasting time in order to navigate an ineffective layout? If a bathroom isn’t laid out efficiently, this can even have a negative impact upon hygiene! For example, if a toilet is set too close to a sink, the spray of water from the toilet bowl can reduce sanitation standards.

Experienced toilet refurbishment companies know the value of getting this right. Taking the time to stop and consider how design impacts the user is essential, especially in small washroom spaces. We can help kick start the process of developing a well-designed, functional area for students to use!

Rest Assured with Complete Reliability

Equipment breaks over time, that’s just in its nature. School children can be especially careless within their surroundings; that’s sometimes in their nature too! Considering this, the most successful toilet refurbishment designers for education have made great connections with suppliers of robust toilet fixtures.

Reliability within these areas is extremely important, as even one broken toilet can cause a lot of distress when you have a school full of children to deal with. Broken toilets reduce hygiene, can lead to nasty smells and blockages. We can all agree that ensuring reliability is a must here!

Save money and hassle with BrookhouseUK’s well-selected, durable fixtures. We have developed great relationships with a variety of trusted suppliers, and after years of working with them we have a professional rapport that allows us to select the most appropriate fittings. We have worked with a variety of schools from different backgrounds in the past. Taking into account your budget and previous incidents, we can help you select the right materials to transform your toilets.

Represent the Educational Setting

Design always has a function, even in washrooms… Whether a space is purely there to fulfil a basic human necessity or not, we can implement certain design elements that quickly add visual appeal! Educational bathrooms are notorious for being neglected, dull spaces that lack inspiration or youthful energy. This is quickly changing, however, as modern design evolves year on year. We’ve recently been installing more vibrant and appealing washroom spaces within schools, ensuring that the interior of the bathroom suits the rest of the school on a whole.

Grey, drab walls and bleak cubicles? A thing of the past. Instead, we’re seeing educational materials incorporated into the design of such spaces. Pops of colour brighten up the space, while infographics on how to wash your hands well are seen on walls. Improving kids’ hygiene efforts can start in the bathroom! There’s no reason as to why your educational bathroom should completely disregard the rest of the educational and vibrant school spaces.

How Vibrant Colours Can Alter an Environment

Leading on from how pops of colour can alter a space, it’s important to consider colour psychology! We’ve been accustomed to the practice for years, as we have witnessed first-hand the impressive impact that just the colour of a wall can have on the viewer of any space. Toilets are no different.

This can be trend related, too! Update your washroom areas with pops of lime green, space-brightening orange and uniform royal blues. This will all help tie your design efforts together and ensure the toilet refurbishments fit in with the rest of the schools’ colour schemes, impressing students and parents alike.

Include Modern Materials that Keep Hygiene in Mind

As always, hygiene and safety remain a key consideration within bathroom spaces. In an educational setting, it’s simply an absolute requirement. Right now, with all the fuss surrounding hygiene practices, you don’t want to miss out on the latest innovations that will improve sanitation efforts.

New materials are being released for commercial use on a regular basis, and the experts in toilet refurbishment are staying informed about them. Ridged surfaces are harder to sanitise quickly, so they might have a detrimental impact on the overall cleanliness of a space. Smoother finishes are much easier to upkeep, and you don’t have to compromise on design! Innovations mean we can install a range of smooth surfaces with illusion designs embedded within the materials. It’s these types of developments that keep educational and commercial washroom design moving forward, and we’re always excited to see what the future holds!

Maintain Ultimate Safety and Social Distancing

Many great toilet refurbishment companies, such as BrookhouseUK, have great links with sister companies providing alcohol hand sanitisers, social distancing guideline materials and other equipment that will help keep you and your students safe. There’s simply no excuse for overlooking the safety of children, particularly in environments where hygiene is key anyway.

If anything’s important upon the safe return to school in September, it’s upholding strong stances on hygiene and safety. Design layouts can also be altered, even temporarily, with modular fittings that can be edited over time as social distancing measures are reduced.

Make the Most out of Designs with Perfect Product Selection

Without the know-how and an extensive background in toilet refurbishment and design, you might struggle to know where to begin when it comes to selecting products that fit your project. The most experienced toilet refurbishment specialists have a great deal of knowledge surrounding the best suppliers and most up-to-date designs that your project will benefit from.

Well-trained toilet refurbishment designers also have a keen eye for detail, understanding exactly which installations will stand the test of time. This is something of exceptional importance when designing under a tight budget! You don’t want to install cheap fittings that will only cost you a greater amount of money in the long run.

The way that such fixtures are designed can also impact hygiene with the educational washroom. For example, backsplash units can either limit or spread the harbouring of germs around a sink. These factors can depend on something as minimal as how deep the ridges in tiling solutions are, so it’s often best to get the experts in to determine which options are best for you.

Don’t Compromise on Aesthetics

Toilets aren’t what first springs to mind when we consider well-designed spaces, particularly within the educational sector. Despite this, the leading toilet refurbishment companies have been committed to changing this idea for years! Aesthetics are important within every designed space, from the inner cubicle to the outer entrance to the restroom itself. The way each area is designed can completely transform user experience. For example, if the entrance looks great but there has been no attention given to the design of the inner toilets, students may feel dismayed and irritated.

Toilets aren’t the most pleasant of places at the best of times, so providing a well-thought-out design with pleasing details can improve the space immensely. Limit the number of school children that are developing negative health habits by avoiding school toilets!

Remember: Affordability and Great Design Aren’t Mutually Exclusive!

Affordability is one of the most important principles when designing for schools, particularly in toilet design. Toilets aren’t usually seen as central to education, so the budget for these can unfortunately be added in as an afterthought. There’s a reason that many educational toilets are unlikely to be refurbished with modern fixtures, and this can have a detrimental impact on students. As we mentioned before, there are a number of reasons as to why this viewpoint must change. It’s having a negative impact on education, so seeing educational toilet refurbishment as a mere afterthought is to be avoided (at all costs)!

In considering how you’ll go about refurbishing your toilets, it’s inevitable that price might therefore be of utmost importance. However, you may be surprised to find that many innovative toilet refurbishment companies are working to find new, affordable solutions. You no longer have to compromise on cheap-looking, ineffective washroom spaces. Modern toilet refurbishment services such as BrookhouseUK offer new insights that allow them to add flair and affordability to their restroom spaces. We can help you budget in ways that help you achieve your restroom goals, without going overboard. One way they are able to achieve this is by offering custom-designed fittings…

Consider Bespoke Toilet Refurbishment Design

While modern schools can be built to very specific requirements that enable easier refurbishment execution, some older buildings or less well-designed spaces will require the use of bespoke fittings. Toilets in particular are one of these tricky areas, as you’re trying to fit so many areas of criteria into just one small space. You need to consider privacy, hygiene and user requirements all within what’s usually a very small designated room.

There are a few ways you can do this exceptionally well. In some cases, this may involve using bespoke or custom designed utilities. BrookhouseUK can design toilet cubicles and other necessities to suit your specifications. This allows you to cut down on unused space and put it to good use. It may also be more cost effective as you use only the required amount of materials.

How Technology and Innovation can Improve Hygiene

We’re passionate about incorporating great design into our spaces, and innovative technologies have the added benefit of improving sanitation results. Touchless inventions have been on the rise over the past decade, and they’re becoming more intuitive. Kids aren’t always the most hygienic to begin with, so taking care of their needs within toilet spaces should be carefully considered.

Installing flush systems that limit the need for touch will benefit children’s restrooms. The same goes for wave-activated hand taps, soaps and dryers, as the spread of germs is reduced, and health is not compromised. You can implement touchless door designs too – though encouraging hygiene doesn’t just stop with physical objects. Encouraging posters and incentives can show the importance of washing hands. Queueing systems that limit the spread of germs are also useful. Working with a toilet refurbishment company experienced in education will have a great deal of success in this area.

Find a Reputable Company to Execute the Whole Project

You’ll be wasting both time and money if you seek out the services of multiple refurbishment companies to carry out just one project. Your best bet is to do the research beforehand in order to ensure you’re selecting a reputable company that has the expert abilities you’re looking for. Read testimonials, take a look at case studies and even browse their blog – you’ll get to understand exactly the level of expertise that they have in toilet refurbishment.

We’ve put together this handy list of explanations as to why selecting one toilet refurbishment company to oversee the whole project can benefit you.

• Save money – we all know just how much this matters when it comes to educational refurbishment projects… You won’t have to spend extra on the time spent discussing your ideas and objectives with a new team each time you move along with the toilet refurbishment process. Sticking with one team from the very start allows you to re-invest the money you’ve saved in developing your impressive new toilet refurbishment project!
  
  
• Save time with reduced communication efforts. Again, you don’t want to have to re-explain everything each time you meet a new person within the team. You’ll definitely benefit from working with a toilet refurbishment brand that delegates one project manager to oversee everything.
  
  
• You’ll benefit from a cohesive toilet refurbishment design experience. There won’t be any adjustment periods as you get used to working with various people. You can simply explain everything to your experienced project manager and get things done smoothly. Time is key here, so it’s important you’re not having a negative impact upon learning experiences with your toilet refurbishment project.
  
  
• Stick to goals and expectations from the very first meeting. You want to work with someone that has years of expertise in dealing with educational washroom design. They’ll understand your goals from the beginning, and possibly even provide you with new insights and ideas that you may not have considered beforehand.

Contact BrookhouseUK for The Latest in Washroom Design & Innovation!

With years as the industry leaders in educational washroom refurbishment design, BrookhouseUK are wholly familiar with all the latest tips and tricks. Starting out as a family-based business, the intricacies surrounding washroom and toilet design is deeply embedded within BrookhouseUK’s very DNA. If you’re intrigued in our educational toilet refurbishment services, you can get in touch with us for more information. Our level of passion and dedication within the industry is unsurpassed, and we can’t wait to show you what we’re capable of!