How to transform your school washrooms during the Easter break
With the students away for a couple of weeks, the Easter holidays present you with the ideal opportunity to upgrade your school washrooms.
The facilities will be out of use, and the school will be empty, making this the perfect time to create cleaner, safer, and more inviting spaces for students and staff when they return.
Of course, with the clock ticking, this type of washroom refurbishment project requires careful planning and strategic execution. And that’s where we come in.
Here is our step-by-step guide for transforming your school toilets, changing rooms or other washroom facilities within the short holiday period.
1. Assess the current condition of your facilities
The first thing you need to do is determine the current condition of your school washrooms. This will enable you to identify any issues, such as broken fixtures, plumbing problems, outdated designs or hygiene concerns.
You might also want to gather feedback from students and staff before they set off for the holidays. This can also provide valuable insights into the most pressing problems that need to be addressed.
2. Set a budget and plan accordingly
Once the problem areas have been identified, you need to establish a realistic budget for the transformation.
This might be smaller if you only need some minor repairs and upgrades, or if you’re going for a more considerable transformation and a much bigger refurbishment project, you might need slightly deeper pockets.
You can allocate the funds for essential repairs, upgrades and decorative elements, prioritising the parts of the project that enhance hygiene, safety and durability.
3. Find the right people
Whether you need a team of experts trained in washroom design and installation, or you simply need a good cleaner and trusted plumber, it’s important you find the right people to work with.
Do some research into service providers that can match your expectations and budget, and make sure they’re available for those important Easter holiday dates!
4. Upgrade fixtures and plumbing
You should start by replacing old and inefficient fixtures with modern, water and energy-saving alternatives. For example, sensor-activated taps, low-flow toilets, motion-sensor lights or automatic hand dryers to help reduce water and energy waste.
These will also improve hygiene by reducing the number of touchpoints around your school washrooms.
It’s vital that you fix any plumbing issues, such as leaky pipes and poor drainage, before proceeding with other upgrades. This could be done as part of the new design process or as a stand-alone task, but it’s important to get the basics in place before continuing.
5. Enhance hygiene and sanitation
Hygiene should be a top priority in your school bathrooms, so be sure to equip them with adequate soap dispensers, hand sanitisers, toilet paper holders, etc.
Again, consider adding touch-free dispensers to minimise the build-up of bacteria and the spread of germs.
6. Improve ventilation
Proper ventilation systems should also be installed or improved to reduce moisture build-up and prevent unpleasant odours, mould and mildew from building. This can help to keep the space feeling fresher and cleaner for longer and will also stop the spread of germs.
7. Upgrade the aesthetics
Welcoming and visually appealing washrooms can have a significant impact on how your students and staff perceive the space and how they feel when using the facilities.
As such, you might wish to choose bright, uplifting colours for the walls, toilet cubicles and surfaces.
You could even incorporate murals, decals or artwork to brighten up the place. Just be sure to use durable, easy-to-clean materials like solid-grade laminate to ensure long-term maintenance is simplified and that your school washrooms look newer for longer.
8. Enhance safety and accessibility
School bathrooms should be safe and accessible for every student, so it’s important that you create comfortable, welcoming spaces.
This could mean installing handrails, non-slip flooring, and cubicles that are compliant with the Equality Act for those with disabilities.
You might even wish to consider gender-neutral toilet facilities as these can be more inclusive.
Proper signage should also be placed for easy navigation, and any emergency information should be clearly displayed in case students need any assistance.
9. Add student-friendly features
To make bathrooms more user-friendly, you need to consider the features that matter most to your students, like full-length mirrors, additional hooks for bags and coats, locker spaces or private, fully enclosed cubicles for comfort and privacy.
You might also wish to add vape detectors alongside traditional smoke alarms for any students who may consider antisocial behaviour because, let’s face it, there will always be the odd one or two that push their luck!
10. Implement a maintenance plan
The final step is to implement a maintenance plan to keep your new school washrooms in the best condition for as long as possible.
This is likely to include a regular cleaning schedule and routine inspections. It’s also a good idea to teach and encourage students to keep these spaces tidy for everyone.
Introducing a reporting system where students can notify staff of issues or faults can help to maintain the quality of your school bathrooms long into the future.