Category: Plumbing

Are These the Best Public Restrooms in America?

What do a convenience store, an NFL stadium, and a zoo all have in common? They’re all finalists in Cintas’ 2024 America’s Best Restroom contest. Now in its 23rd year, the annual contest celebrates businesses that develop and maintain innovative restroom facilities. After receiving submissions from the public, Cintas selected the top 10 finalists of […]

Survey Shows Why Clean, Touchless Restrooms Are Good for Business

In a recent survey by Bradley Company, nearly 70% of Americans reported having a particularly unpleasant experience in a public restroom due to the poor condition of the facility. The top restroom aggravations include clogged or unflushed toilets, unpleasant smells, and an old, dirty, or unkempt appearance. Unfortunately, businesses that neglect restroom cleaning and maintenance […]

EPA WaterSense Products Helped Americans Save Over 1 Trillion Gallons in 2023

Is money going down the drain at your facilities? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its WaterSense program has made it easier for businesses and consumers to save trillions of gallons of water. In 2023 alone, WaterSense-labeled products helped save 1.2 trillion gallons of water. Since the conception of the WaterSense label, the EPA […]

Optimizing Restroom Maintenance: Hygiene and Efficiency Strategies

Restroom experiences can significantly influence the perception of a business or commercial facility. Think of a time you may have encountered an out-of-order toilet, messy sink, or empty soap or paper towel dispensers, and how that created a negative experience, or left a lasting impression of neglect or poor management. Poorly kept restrooms can undermine […]

Preparing Your Business for Unpredictable Weather and Vulnerabilities

During spring, businesses often find themselves confronted with the unpredictable nature of changing weather patterns. Recent forecasts have indicated a “Polar Coaster Spring,” marked by fluctuating temperatures and potential severe weather events. As the seasons transition, here are a few steps to help better prepare and protect your business, mitigating risks and ensuring continuity in […]

5 Ways Handwashing Habits Have Changed Since COVID

While it’s been four years since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted lives, one behavior has left a lasting impression: handwashing. That’s based on survey findings of more than 1,000 American adults conducted by Bradley Company, a global manufacturer of commercial washroom fixtures. In 2024, the impacts of the pandemic remain—especially in terms of hand hygiene and public restrooms. […]

Top 10 Earth Day Must-Reads for Facilities Managers

Unless Elon Musk stops messing around with Twitter and gets us to Mars, Earth is our only home for the foreseeable future. That means we’ve got to take good care of the planet and conserve its finite natural resources. It’s also why sustainability is a hot topic all year long and why facilities managers are […]

Back to Basics: 4 Earthquake Safety Tips

Back to Basics is an article series that highlights important but possibly overlooked information facilities management professionals should know.  While some Americans may think earthquakes only happen in California and Hawaii, a recent earthquake in the Northeast and its aftershocks—the biggest earthquake in the area since 1884—prove earthquake preparation is important for everyone, including facilities […]

6 Warning Signs That Your Facility’s Boiler Needs Maintenance

Maintaining a boiler in top operating condition will yield significant dividends to your facility, but often there are early warning signs that your boiler is in need of attention. So, what are some of these warning signs? In this article, we’ll examine six indicators that your boiler may require maintenance or repair. Additionally, we’ll discuss some preventative […]

Key Considerations when Switching from Cast Iron to Condensing Boilers

Amidst a nationwide effort to increase whole-facility energy efficiency, mechanical systems rank high among the most critical areas of focus. Space heating and domestic hot water production account for approximately 42% of energy use in the United States. For many existing facilities served by a hydronic system, the straightest path toward a smaller carbon footprint […]