School restrooms are known to be dirty and unsanitary. Because of this, students avoid using them all together, which can cause serious, long-term health issues. Administrators often want to fix the issue but lack the means and/or a clear path forward.

Schools across the country are being faced with this serious issue. In both rural and urban environments, schools are faced with reduced budgets and restrooms with conditions that prompt avoidance – and sometimes even prompt abuse.

When asked why they might avoid using school restrooms, students responded:

• 62% Foul Odors
• 30% Clogged Toilets
• 23% No Stall Doors
• 15% Felt Bathrooms were Dangerous

If unpleasant smells are being created and toilets are getting clogged, that means some students are using them and leaving them in less than appealing conditions.

If students do use unsanitary restrooms, whether they are forced or choose to, a new crop of problems emerges. Using restrooms means increased bacteria and odor. Transmission of that bacteria increases with the number of people using that restroom, and the potential for infectious illness rises dramatically.

When tight budgets negatively impact teaching salaries and student resources – sometimes prompting state walkouts and protests – it’s safe to assume school maintenance budgets are suffering as well. Because of the attention on education, unsanitary restrooms – and the problems they can cause – have become a more visible issue for schools and parents nationwide.

Promoting Bad Behavior, Undermining Positive Change

In addition, unkempt restrooms often seem to operate along the broken windows theory. This criminology theory states that an environment with visible signs of disorder invites further rule breaking and antisocial behavior. In the same way a broken window in a building can inspire vandalism, grimy restrooms can encourage visitors to befoul them even further, and school children seem perfectly willing to oblige. It’s a vicious cycle, it’s hard to always know where to place the blame.

As one New York Times article put it: Dirty bathrooms beget dirtier bathrooms.

''It's filthy, sometimes smelly,'' Joseph Norton, co-president of the PTA at a New York City school, said in an article addressing an aging urban school. ''They claim the kids mess the bathroom up, that they take the paper towels and throw them against the wall. That was one claim they made as to why there aren't any paper towels in the bathroom. But water rises to its level. If you treat these kids like animals, they behave like animals.''

For that school, discussions between concerned parents and city leaders were more likely to be about bathroom conditions than curriculum or academics.

Unsanitary restrooms can also undermine school wellness initiatives. Forcing students to endure incontinence issues at school because restrooms are disgusting, or even dangerous, is certainly not productive and can lead to bullying and behavioral problems.

At the same time, many schools will promote hydration for good health and encourage students to drink more water. If access isn’t restricted, this leads to more bathroom breaks. However, while many schools offer kids unlimited access to water, very few offer unlimited access to bathroom breaks. Either way, problems will persist until the restrooms are cleaned and/or renovated, and then maintained properly.

Restoration: A Solution for Students and Administrators

Administrators and facility managers are striving to find a cost-effective solution to their problem. Rip-out and replacement can be costly but tile and hard surface restoration can be the solution. Improve student morale, productivity and safety by providing them a healthier and cleaner restroom.

This is an excerpt from our full report, available here.