Public bathroom in gray colors


Handwashing is an action that’s done millions of times every day in homes, workplaces, schools, stores and a multitude of other locations across the country. To delve deeper into this daily habit, the 2026 Healthy Handwashing Survey from Bradley Company posed a series of questions to U.S. adults and uncovered some interesting findings.

In the “What would you do?” category:

  • 59 percent will shake their hands dry if hand dryers or paper towels aren’t available in a public restroom, but 12 percent will blow on them and 11 percent will resort to running their hands through their hair.
  • 57 percent will avoid drinking liquids before leaving home in order to skip using a public restroom.
  • 45 percent will complain to management if they encounter an unclean or unpleasant restroom at a business.
  • 20 percent will skip washing their hands after using a public restroom if they think no one is around. 


“On the one hand, public restrooms are widely available throughout the United States,” says Jon Dommisse, Vice President of Business Development and Strategy for Bradley Company. “On the other hand, the cleanliness and quality of public restrooms varies widely, so people sometimes take evasive measures—like limiting how much they drink to avoid using them.”

Room for Improvement

When asked what improvements they’d most like to see in public restrooms, the top three responses are understandable: cleaner facilities, improved toilet paper, paper towels, and hand soap stocking, and touchless fixtures—including toilets, faucets, and soap and towel dispensers.

Another wish list item is more stall privacy. In fact, nearly 70 percent of respondents feel restroom stalls should provide more coverage. Specifically, 52 percent would like the gaps around stall doors eliminated, and 43 percent would appreciate an “available” or “occupied” indicator on each door.

In terms of “aspirational” items respondents would like, thick foaming soap, warm sink water, and high-quality toilet paper top the list.

Restroom Etiquette

Since a restroom is a public place, most users follow basic etiquette. 76 percent always wash their hands after using a public restroom. However, people may skip washing their hands if there wasn’t any soap or paper towels, there were too many people, or the sinks were unclean or broken. 22 percent said they “did not feel the need” to wash their hands.

Unfortunately, there are cases when restroom users don’t adhere to these societal norms. The top annoyances include unflushed toilets, used paper towels, and trash lying around.

Whether it’s considered good etiquette or not, adults employ all sorts of measures to avoid touching restroom surfaces. 65 percent use a paper towel or their clothing as a barrier to eliminate contact with fixtures. 42 percent operate the toilet flusher with their foot, and 35 percent hover above the toilet seat.

Restroom Traffic

Overall, U.S adults appreciate quality restrooms. Nearly 70 percent say they’ll make a point to stop—and 60 percent will spend more money—at a business that they know has clean, well-maintained restrooms. In fact, some even take their restroom vigilance a step further, with 40 percent of people checking out a store or restaurant’s restroom before deciding whether to stay or not.

Finally, quality matters. 86 percent say they expect a business with high-quality products or services to have well-appointed restroom facilities.

“The condition of a restroom can significantly influence how consumers feel about a business,” notes Dommisse. “Our survey found that the majority of people think an unclean or unpleasant restroom indicates poor management. On the flip side, locations with clean and pleasant restrooms can expect more return business and a better public perception.”

To learn more about the survey findings and their implications for facility perceptions, click here.