Challenges of high-traffic washrooms

One of the main challenges of high-traffic washrooms is drain blockages, often caused by something pretty much out of our control; user behaviour.

What you can control, however, is the kind of dispensing system you choose for workplace washrooms and how they 'behave' in terms of controlling usage, minimising waste and reducing blockages.....

Why do blockages occur?

Toilet systems without a constant flow of traffic can be prone to blockages, especially if there have been site extensions or old drainage systems still in place.

This is because high volumes of users can be visiting the toilet in relatively compressed periods of time – shift changes, before and after work etc. In the meantime, when toilet traffic is relatively low, paper lies in the pipes and can become dry, leading to constrictions. The more constrictions that occur, the more toilet tissues builds up and the more likely a blockage is to happen.

Another factor that contributes to toilet blockages is using cheap toilet tissue or toilet tissue that has high levels of glue/bonding agent. This means the paper doesn’t break down as quickly on contact with water and therefore is more prone to causing blockages.

What are the solutions?

Restrict Usage

No, you don't have to employ someone to hand it out at the door!

Whilst it’s obviously important to provide the necessary amenities for the washroom users, using toilet tissue dispensers that control and reduce the amount of product a user can access is a proven way to reduce drain blockages.

​Single sheet toilet tissue systems help to reduce consumption of product by up to 40%.

​Use a fast breakdown tissue

Cheap and cheerful toilet tissue often has a high recycled paper content. The glue and starches used to bind this together means it doesn’t easily break down when in contact with water. When this is in waste pipes it can dry and solidify, essentially reducing the diameter of the pipe and causing blockages.

Using a tissue that is pure paper or designed to be a quick breakdown product can help to reduce this problem.

​Use a multi roll, enclosed dispenser

With single jumbo roll dispensers, hygiene operators will often leave the ‘stub roll’ of the toilet tissue on top of the dispenser or system when they refill with a new dispenser to reduce on waste. Not only is this incredibly unhygienic, 90% of these rolls get either knocked onto the floor or put down the toilet, which causes blockages.

By using a multi-roll, enclosed dispenser, not only do you reduce blockages, you reduce the amount of wasted product too.

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In summary..

Reducing blockages in high-traffic washrooms isn't as hard as it seems...

Instead of attempting to change user behaviour (although perhaps desirable!) you can change dispensing behaviour, to one that is restricted, controlled, measured and managed.

This, together with a fast breakdown tissue, should go a long way to making your toilets blockage proof.

Find out about our free washroom audits today