The style and appearance of a restroom says a lot for many people, and it can also have an impact on how brands and product and packaging developers create packaging for beauty products, which often reside in the restroom. For the roughly half of Americans who gravitate to white or blue restroom fixtures, it may also indicate a deeper psychological connection to cleanliness, trust or dependability. A recent online poll conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Cintas Corporation, a provider of facility solutions, identifies Americans’ top color preferences for public restroom fixtures. Fifty-three percent of U.S. adults selected white as the number one color, with blue (45%) and beige (31%) ranking second and third, respectively.
“Updating restrooms with a splash of color in an unexpected place not only makes a big brand impact, it can also enhance the users’ perception of a business,” said David Collette, director of foodservice, Cintas. “This research demonstrates that consumers have a wide interest in restroom fixture color.”
The poll, conducted online by Harris Interactive July 23–25, 2013 among 2,029 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, identified generational differences between color preferences. Younger adults ages 18–34 are more likely to prefer colorful restroom fixtures (blue, green, yellow, red and orange) compared to older adults ages 45 and up.
In addition to generational differences, gender and geographical location also dictate color preferences. For example, women are more likely than men to like black and/or yellow fixtures. Adults residing in the South prefer blue restroom dispensing systems.
Additional color preferences, along with commonly associated meanings with each color, include:
- Green (27%)—Indicates security and creates a sense of compassion
- Grey (20%)—The color of compromise and conservatism
- Black (19%)—Represents sophistication and glamour
- Red (15%)—Linked to excitement and encourages a call to action
- Yellow (17%)—An attention-getting color that indicates warmth and fun
- Orange (11%)—Indicates a lively and energetic brand
