ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Washroom cleanliness is more important to restaurant customers than the cleanliness of other parts of the facility, according to a new survey.

A total of 50 per cent of respondents in the Middle Eastern study claimed to be particularly concerned about the state of the washrooms when visiting a restaurant. This compared with only 48 per cent who were concerned with cleanliness levels in the kitchen.

Respondents considered the overall condition of the toilets, the state of the floors and the availability of sanitation products when assessing the facilities.

A total of 500 people were interviewed in the Fine Solutions survey, which was carried out to assess the correlation between customer loyalty and washroom hygiene. The study revealed that 89 per cent of people would be unwilling to revisit a restaurant with poor levels of washroom cleanliness.

The cleanliness of front-of-house areas such as the tables, chairs, floors and billing counters was important to 47 per cent of respondents.

CEO of Fine Hygienic Holding James Michael Lafferty said: "This survey comes at an important time for consumers and brands as we navigate the new normal of everyday life in the time of the Covid pandemic.

"Hygiene drives everything we do as a business and this study emphasises how highly customers and consumers place these considerations when it comes to their choices and their behaviour."

The study also showed that 79 per cent of customers preferred paper towels over hand dryers, citing factors such as drying speed and health concerns as reasons for their preference. Sterilised paper hand towels were preferred to regular paper towels by 66 per cent of those surveyed.