ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Two teenagers who dislike loud noises have set out on a mission to uncover how loud the average public washroom environment actually is.

And the twin brothers have been awarded one of the top prizes in the Winnipeg Schools' Science Fair for their efforts.

Leo and Sammy Marcus, both aged 13, visited multiple public washrooms in their home province of Manitoba armed with a clipboard and a decibel detector. There they tested the audio levels of nearly 300 devices including automatic hand dryers, paper towel dispensers and automatic flushes. And they took readings at various heights to take into account the height of both children and adults.

The twins were shocked to discover that the majority of washrooms had noise levels exceeding the 85 decibels permitted by Canada's health and safety laws.

The teens took on the project because Sammy has a sensory processing disorder. But he believes he is not alone in finding loud noises uncomfortable.

"Many young people find public washrooms to be incredibly loud and scary and they don't want to be in those washrooms because of that," he said.

They visited a range of public facilities including community centres, libraries, schools, shopping precincts, offices and synagogues. And they discovered that most washrooms exceeded legal thresholds and some reached noise levels that required ear protection. The loudest toilet they visited was in a building on the University of Manitoba campus.

The boys hope their work on the Royal Flush project will now prompt real change in the design of washrooms and that noise levels are considered from the outset.