It’s a typical scenario in the ladies’ room: the long queue. Every woman has experienced delaying heeding the call of nature, at least at one point in their life. What’s interesting here is that this happens across cultures. What’s more intriguing is that men don’t seem to struggle with the same problem. Why exactly are there long lines in women’s toilets compared to men’s? And why is this important to address? Well, if you’re an owner of a commercial establishment, like a restaurant or mall, long lines at the restrooms are bad for patrons. They can ruin the overall experience of a customer, even if you’ve satisfied their food cravings or shopping urges.
Women’s bodies have unique needs
Men and women have different biological needs. It just so happens that the latter has a lot of things going on for them, which affects their use of the toilet. For instance, women experience that ‘time of the month,’ unlike men. Other than peeing, changing pads is part of their toilet use. The thing about changing pads is that you can be swift at it, but it will surely take time. Think of all the logistics: get the pad out, wrap it in a paper, throw the pad in the trash bin, find a new pad, stick it, make sure it’s secure, wipe what’s down there, hoist up the underwear, and hike up the pants. See? This is why it’s more crucial for bathroom stalls in ladies’ room to have a supply of tissue paper, empty trash bins, clean toilet bowls, and fully functioning bidets. Your toilet should at least have these essentials.
Bathroom stalls take too much space
In general, the total floor area for men’s and women’s rooms are the same. The trouble with this is that the cubicles in the latter occupy more floor area than the urinals in the former. So there can be ten urinals in the men’s rooms and only four to six bathroom stalls in the ladies’ toilet. If you’re planning to renovate your space soon, discuss this dilemma with your architect or building contractor.
They can suggest reducing the floor area for the men’s room since urinals are a bit more compact and adding more to the women’s room. While you’re at it, explore different styles and materials for bathroom wall panels to improve the aesthetics and functionality of your toilets.
Going to the toilet is ‘social’ for women
Using the bathroom is more than a biological need. It has a social aspect to it. It’s no secret that women go to toilets with their younger kids. They take their children with them, so a supposedly ‘single’ use is essentially a double. It’s not just younger kids who are left with women. Ladies often bear the responsibility of taking care of older adults. With physical disabilities and incontinence issues to address, the time spent in the toilet will really extend. And let’s not forget: women often go to toilets in hordes. Again, this calls for more bathroom stalls.
It’s a fact of life that long lines are part of the struggles of being a woman. But there are many ways to fix that. Improve the layout and design of your ladies’ toilets. Start planning today.
