Blog: Is Your Washroom Winter Ready?

When temperatures drop, sickness bugs rise. Workplaces, schools, and care homes all face the same challenge: keeping people healthy through the winter months. One of the most effective, and often overlooked defences, is maintaining a hygienic, well-stocked washroom.

Sickness already costs UK organisations heavily. The Office for National Statistics reports that 148.9 million working days were lost in 2024 due to sickness or injury, accounting for around 2% of total working hours – still higher than pre-pandemic levels (Yahoo Finance, 2024). Improving washroom hygiene won’t eliminate winter illness, but it can play a huge role in reducing infection spread.

The Winter Bug You Shouldn’t Ignore: Norovirus

Often called the ‘winter vomiting bug’, Norovirus causes an estimated 3 million cases a year in the UK (PMC, 2017).

This highly contagious virus thrives in enclosed environments such as schools, hospitals, offices, and care homes. The latest UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data shows reported Norovirus cases remain higher than the five-season average, underlining how persistent it is during colder months (UKHSA, 2024).

How Norovirus and Winter Viruses Spread

You can catch Norovirus from:
• Direct contact with an infected person
• Touching contaminated surfaces or door handles
• Eating food prepared by someone infected
• Drinking contaminated water

For facilities this means one thing: your washroom hygiene strategy matters more in winter than any other time of year.

 

Why Washroom Hygiene Matters

Both the Food Standards Agency and the UK Health Security Agency agree effective handwashing is the first line of defence. Soap and water remove pathogens more effectively than sanitiser alone and drying with paper towels is proven to be more hygienic.

Paper towels physically remove residual bacteria and reduce airborne spread, whereas hand dryers can disperse microbes into the air. On average the jet air dryer produced over 60 times more viral plaques than a warm air dryer paper and over 1300 times more than paper towels. (University of Westminster study). For shared environments, that difference can make or break your hygiene strategy.

 

Is Your Washroom Ready for Winter?

A quick facility audit can reveal whether your washroom is fit for the season ahead. Ask yourself:

• Are soap and paper products always available?
• Are dispensers clean, functional, and easy to wipe down?
• Is paper protected from moisture and contamination?
• Do you have enough dispensers to meet peak demand?
• Are you experiencing frequent “run-outs” that frustrate users?

If any answer is “no,” now’s the time to act before winter pressures increase.

Simple Upgrades That Make a Big Impact

A winter-ready washroom doesn’t have to be complicated. Small changes can greatly improve hygiene, efficiency, and user confidence.

At Northwood, our North Shore washroom system is designed to help facilities maintain high hygiene standards without increasing costs. Dispensers are provided free on loan, making upgrades quick and budget-friendly.

For toilets:
• High-capacity dispensers increasing product availability.
• Enclosed systems keep paper clean and protected whilst reducing waste.
• Easy-clean surfaces with no dirt traps reduce contamination risk.

For soap:
• Switch from bulk-fill to cartridge dispensers it reduces the risk of bacterial contamination during refills.
• Each airtight cartridge delivers up to 1,250 shots with a fresh nozzle each time reduces germ harbouring.
• Soap and sanitisers with anti-bacterial properties that work quickly and effectively, meeting BS EN 1276 and BS EN 13727 standards.

For hand drying:
• Roll towel dispensers deliver one clean sheet at a time, minimising contact and maximising hygiene.
• High capacity means increased availability.
• Embossed paper improves absorbency, removes more germs, and speeds up hand drying

Stay Ahead of the Season

With higher Norovirus rates and increased absenteeism across the UK, preparing your washroom for winter is more important than ever. The right dispensers, hygiene products, and maintenance routines help protect staff, visitors, and customers, keeping your facility cleaner, safer, and more efficient.

A few small upgrades today can make a significant difference tomorrow. Make sure your washroom is winter ready before the bugs arrive.

Learn more about the North Shore system and discover how better hygiene can increase hygiene, improve wellbeing, and cost-efficiency across your facility.