For 16 years, Bradley Company’s Healthy Handwashing Survey has tracked how Americans’ public restroom expectations shape their behavior – offering an unmatched view of shifting hygiene trends and their business impact.

The 2025 results confirm a powerful truth: restrooms aren’t just functional spaces – they’re a mirror of a facility’s management, brand, and values. Whether they fall short or exceed expectations, the impact on customer perception, loyalty, and spending is immediate.

Bradley’s nationally representative survey finds:

• 84% say an unclean or poorly stocked restroom damages a business’s image
• 75% will think twice before returning after a bad restroom experience
• 71% are more likely to return — and spend more — at businesses with clean, well-maintained restrooms

“A restroom is a very memorable space — good or bad,” said Jon Dommisse, vice president of business development and strategy at Bradley. “Because we’ve conducted this survey for 16 years, we can show exactly how consumer expectations have risen over time — and what facility teams can do right now to meet and exceed them.”

From complaints to solutions

Since 2009, Bradley’s Healthy Handwashing Survey has consistently identified the same top frustrations: clogged or unflushed toilets, unpleasant odors, and restrooms that look outdated, dirty, or unkempt. Women are more likely than men to observe unclean restroom conditions. These issues don’t just create discomfort; they signal to users that cleanliness and care aren’t priorities. 

To turn these pain points into positives, Americans say the most impactful improvements are:

• Increased cleaning and restocking: The #1 request for the past decade
• Paper towels as an option, even with dryers: 60% use them to avoid touching restroom surfaces
• Touchless fixtures throughout: Nearly 80% say they’re important and provide a better restroom experience

These preferences represent a permanent shift in public expectations. Over the past ten years, and especially in the wake of COVID-19, their importance has surged with the most dramatic gains between 2020 and 2022. Today, cleanability, hygiene, and convenience are no longer extras; they’re the baseline for earning customer trust.

“Our past research shows that more than 90% of Americans associate a high-quality restroom with a high-quality business, and 70% have chosen a business specifically because its restrooms are cleaner and better maintained,” Dommisse noted. “It’s clear that these upgrades deliver measurable business returns — driving satisfaction, loyalty, and repeat visits. Simply put, the restroom is now a revenue-impacting asset, not an afterthought.”

A business case built over time

Bradley's ongoing surveys pinpoint lasting restroom trends and help identify which design and maintenance tactics drive business results.

Key recommendations for meeting rising expectations include:

• Design for hygiene and maintenance: Sleek, seamless surfaces and fingerprint-resistant finishes improve both appearance and cleanability
• Go touchless: From faucets to towel dispensers, no-touch fixtures are essential for user convenience and ease of cleaning
• Integrate handwashing: All-in-one, sensor-activated soap, water, and drying improves user traffic flow and reduces water mess
• Smart monitoring of supplies: Maintenance indicators and top-fill, multi-feed soap systems cut downtime and labor

“Clean, functional, and thoughtfully designed restrooms send a powerful message; they show guests, customers, and staff that they’re valued, while also delivering measurable business benefits,” Dommisse added. “Our long-term data proves these spaces can boost satisfaction, strengthen loyalty, and drive repeat visits, turning restrooms into both a point of pride and a performance asset.”

Best and worst by category

Survey participants rated hospitals/clinics (43%), hotels/resorts/conference centers (43%), and restaurants (37%) as having the best restrooms in 2025. At the bottom: drug stores (15%), gas stations (15%), and schools (10%) – a clear opportunity for improvement.