Restroom Product Estimation

One notable trend during the past year has been the effect that the peakserve hand towelpandemic has had on paper and soap usage. With fewer employees in the office, students taking class virtually and manufacturing facilities on shutdown, we have seen a dramatic decrease in commercial product usage. While the pandemic has lead to increased home usage, manufacturers are reporting sales deceases of approximately 20% in commercial towel and tissue. One washroom commodity, hand soap, is the lone exception. We have seen double digits gains in usage during the pandemic even with less people in buildings. As we near the beginning of the end of this nightmare, the question of re-stocking our facilities will be raised. One simple formula it to base stock and usage on people present in the facility. Take into consideration that the average employee visits the washroom three times per day and typically works 235 days per calendar year. This means that every employee visits the washroom 705 times per year. Other factors can affect these frequencies as well:  females will use the washroom 25% more than men; and this number may grow exponentially if there is a Taco Bell within one mile of the facility😊. When considering stock levels you can expect/estimate:

  • On Average, 11.3 sheets of 2 ply toilet paper (TP) are used per visit. Equating to one case of 96 roll per TP year per 6 employees or approximately one case of junior jumbo TP for every 4.5 employees.
  • For C-Fold towels estimate 2 towels per use, so 1.16 cases per year for every two employees.
  • Multi-folds on average are 3 towels per use, with the larger case count, expect 1.05 cases per year for every two employees.
  • On Average, an individual will use 1200 lineal feet of hardwound roll towel per year. Depending on roll size and type of dispenser, this equates to about 1 case per 4 to 5 employees served.
  • 7 employees on average will utilize a case of 2500 toilet seat covers per year.

While these numbers provide a solid baseline, other factors that can affect usage are number of visitors, hours of operation, and if there is a cafeteria on site which can alter these estimates tremendously. Theft and vandalism may also play a role.  Employee acceptance of your washroom program may also have a direct impact. For example, an employee in a high end office facility may have expectations of a better quality offering, taking extra product to narrow the quality gap.

To make the best choices of products and systems for your facilities washroom needs, please consult with you Nichols Sales Associate for recommendations and a no charge analysis of your usage and stocking needs.