Inclusive hygiene in public restrooms

Barriers to inclusive hygiene in public restrooms challenge people every day, some barriers are visible, others are not. Discover how removing these barriers can make your restrooms more hygienic and inclusive.

A group of people sitting at a conference table and discussing, led by a moderator

Roundtable event

Exploring inclusive hygiene in public restrooms

We convene experts from civil society, government, academia and industry to discuss inclusive hygiene in public restrooms.

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Hygiene barriers

Throughout our lives, many of us do at some point face barriers when washing our hands in public restrooms. These invisible hand hygiene barriers can affect people in multiple ways, but there are multiple solutions. The problem is, it’s only the people who face the barriers that are aware of them.

Age-related barriers

Our personal capabilities change with age, affecting mobility, reach and strength. In fact, around 1 in 5 adults experience difficulties using soap or hand towel dispensers due to an injury, health condition, physical capability or as a parent with a child.*

A Tork paper towel which has a hand-written letter on it explaining how auditory sensory barriers can make it hard to use public restrooms

Auditory sensitivity

Some people are more sensitive to loud noises than others, especially the neurodivergent or autistic, as well as young children. 1 in 7 American adults cited loud noises as a source of difficulty personally or when assisting a child using public restrooms.*

Hygiene concerns

Many people avoid visiting public toilets and washing their hands due to poor hygiene levels. And more than 1 in 3 Americans cite lack of cleanliness as a barrier to using workplace or public restrooms.*

A Tork paper towel which has a hand-written letter on it explaining how skin conditions barriers can make it hard to use public restrooms

Skin sensitivities

Some soaps contain ingredients that can cause skin irritation. In the US 31.6 m people suffer from eczema** and may find that some hand soaps irritate their skin.

Paper towel plea - watch the film

We placed the stories of people facing hand hygiene barriers into the hands of those with the power to make a change, at the very place these barriers occur. The restroom.

Take action to make hand hygiene more inclusive

Click on the hot spots to discover some simple, practical steps you can take to make hand hygiene in your restroom more inclusive.

"We applaud Tork for leading the charge on this important initiative and continuing to push for attention and improvement of the accessibility of hand washing in public and workplace restrooms."

Ron Clemmer, Secretariat Director, Global Handwashing Partnership

Footnote

*Tork launched its global effort to advance inclusive hygiene in US March 2024 using printed paper towels as a medium through its “paper towel plea". Examples of these hand-written notes from individuals who face barriers related to age, neurodiversity, skin sensitivities and hygiene-related concerns are shown above.