Customizing Restroom Dispensers Sends A Message

This is part one of a three-part article on customizing restroom fixtures.

Today, almost anything can be customized — from ringtones and running shoes to picture books and personalized postage stamps. And with so many ways to personalize products, it’s not surprising that public facilities are increasingly looking to customize their restrooms, too. Businesses now have many options for adding company messaging and branding to the restroom. Towel dispensers, dryers, and soap and sanitizer dispensers are becoming more customizable.

“I think we’ve defiantly seen an increase in the demand,” says Chelsea Thompson, associate category manager for dispensers at Kimberly-Clark Corporation. “It seems like we’re in the age of customization. You can customize everything from M&Ms to people putting a monogram on everything.”

And why should the restroom be any different?

Product Options

Dispenser manufacturers offer a variety of ways to customize, starting with small tweaks to their existing product lines all the way up to full personalization.

Through color choice, companies can create a unique and coordinated restroom with colors to complement any decor. For example, towel dispensers are offered in many shades — from red and black to a variety of metallic finishes.

In addition to color, facility managers also have the flexibility of custom print inserts for dispensers, allowing them to change messages quickly. Many towel and toilet tissue fixtures feature display windows, allowing managers to use templates from the manufacturer’s website to print new message cards that can be slipped into the window. This enables facilities to promote current causes, or display messages such as how to practice safe hand washing and drying during cold and flu season.

Overall, the industry has seen an uptick in requests from facility managers for more customization skins on dispensers, custom colors, and adding labels or logos on dispensers. Other custom options growing in popularity include sticker labels for existing units and window clings that can adhere to mirrors.