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Have you ever been in a public building or venue and needed to wash your hands? The ever-elusive restroom is clear on the other side of the building.
Yet, before you lose all hope, you spot one of the handwashing stations placed strategically throughout the high-traffic facility. What a relief (especially if you are with small children)!
The patrons of the facility you manage must face this (and many other) hygiene challenges when they are in public. Handwashing stations may seem like a small addition to an establishment. Yet, for many, it can mean everything.
You can place these mobile sinks anywhere you need a hand hygiene station around your facility. Here are eight places ideal for handwashing stations.
Key Takeaways:
- Portable hand hygiene stations are mobile sinks (usually smaller than a standard-sized sink). You can buy them pre-assembled or make your own.
- Placing handwashing stations around facilities like schools and offices can help those who use these high-traffic buildings avoid 99% of the germs they encounter.
- Shopping malls, sports stadiums, and local festivals are high-traffic recreational facilities that should place handwashing stations in convenient locations throughout.
- From locally grown produce to second-hand collectibles, there are a lot of dirty surfaces at farmer's markets. Handwashing stations are convenient for cleaning new finds.
- Hygiene is a concern for travelers worldwide. Placing handwashing stations throughout the airport will make traveling cleaner and less stressful.
What are Portable Handwashing Stations?
Portable or mobile handwashing stations are small sink basins with faucets that dispense water from a local source. These are often self-containing, meaning they come with their own water source.
Handwashing stations encourage good hygiene, promote public health, and should be part of a facility's hand hygiene solutions. There are several varieties from which to choose.
You may want a more permanent solution and opt for a handwashing station made of stainless steel and mounted on wheels. These models are structurally sound yet easy to move when needed. If the event doesn't require high-traffic fixtures, you may also opt for a temporary solution (or even a DIY version).
However, make sure that you are not trying to use a temporary solution for a permanent necessity. That will only end up costing your facility more in the long run.
8 Locations Ideal for Placing Handwashing Stations
According to the CDC, researchers hypothesize that if everyone washed their hands properly, more than one million preventable deaths would not occur each year.
Think of all the times you were out in public and wished there was a portable handwashing station available. Offer that convenience to those visiting your facility.
It makes sense to place hand hygiene stations everywhere the public goes, but there are eight locations where handwashing stations are a must-have.
1. School Halls
Since students and teachers handle numerous classroom objects, they should wash their hands between classes. A handwashing station in the hallways gives them a chance to clean up between subjects.
For younger students, you can place portable handwashing stations in the classroom. That way, when someone makes a mess and needs to wash their hands, they don't have to leave the classroom.
2. Child Day Care Facilities
Daycare centers benefit from handwashing stations because it promotes hand hygiene. It also provides an opportunity for caregivers to teach proper handwashing techniques and encourage good cleaning habits.
According to the child and adolescent immunization schedule, children do not receive all of their childhood immunizations until they are 16. Younger children have fewer immunizations than anyone else, making them susceptible to contracting and spreading germs.
Mitigating the risk of transmitting viruses to others is especially essential in these environments. If you visit a high-traffic building like a daycare center, you can lower the chances of spreading illnesses to others when you wash your hands frequently.
3. Office Break Rooms
Can you think of all the things you touched on your way into the office today? When you stepped into the office break room for yet another cup of coffee (or tea), did you touch the cabinet handles?
Whether it was the coffee maker, the vending machine, or the refrigerator doors, you touched several dirty surfaces. Wouldn't it be nice to wash your hands before returning to your desk?
4. Office Conference Rooms
If you were unhappy thinking about the many germy surfaces in the office break room, consider what happens in the office conference room. When was the last time the armrests of the chairs got sanitized?
5. Shopping Malls
The average American spends 190 hours shopping each year. The number of shoppers going to malls now exceeds pre-pandemic levels, meaning malls are busy and packed full of people... with germy hands.
The retail environment is another place people touch lots of surfaces. No matter where you are in the mall, the restrooms are never nearby.
Placing handwashing stations throughout the mall allows shoppers to practice proper hygiene without searching for a restroom. They will be especially helpful to caregivers of small children.
6. Stadium Concourses
Restrooms at stadiums are notorious for long lines. It's especially frustrating if all you need to do is wash your hands. Some go without washing their hands to forgo the lines. Yuck!
Other places with restroom line issues include:
- Local festivals
- Farmer’s markets
- Sporting events
- Concerts
7. Airport Terminals
Airports are some of the germiest places, and the airport's germiest surfaces may surprise you. These include areas like:
- Chair armrests
- Handrails
- Touch screens
- Security bins
- Water fountains
- Restroom surfaces
- Anywhere with crowds
Think about how many surfaces you touched in the first five minutes of walking into the airport. How many more things will you handle before you board your plane?
Hygiene is a concern for travelers worldwide. Placing handwashing stations throughout the airport will make traveling cleaner and less stressful.
8. Government Facilities
Handwashing stations are ideal for high-traffic government facilities. Government offices like the post office or the Department of Motor Vehicles are places where people come in and spend a lot of time waiting. Places like these can be a breeding ground for germs.
When Public Health is Your Highest Priority
Washing our hands is the number one way we can all prevent the spread of germs. Recent events have taught us the high priority of hygiene to help people stay healthy.
Whether you manage an enormous international airport or supervise a small elementary school, you know the importance of handwashing stations for promoting public health. At Chicago Faucets, we offer high-quality, sustainable fixtures you could install in portable handwashing stations.
If public health is a top priority to you and those within your organization, you need to check out our latest selection of durable and sustainable plumbing products!
