It comes to no surprise that checkpoints are considered one of the dirtiest places in the airports.  The evidence of this surfaced in a recent study that found plastic trays used at airport security checkpoints contain the highest level of viruses at airports.

 

You may be surprised, however, that one of the cleanest places in the airport is the bathroom.

 

That’s because airport restrooms are becoming a lot cleaner, thanks to improved technology and feedback from travelers in a recent survey that revealed that clean toilets are a contributing factor in customer satisfaction, the New York Times reported.

 

The Airports Council International’s “Airport Service Quality: Airport Cleanliness” report found that bathroom and terminal cleanliness combined impacts the customer’s overall satisfaction more than any other factor.

 

“If you want a pleasant experience, clean bathrooms are a must,” Dimitri Coll, associate director for the Airports Council International, told the New York Times.

 

Several bathrooms from inside the largest airports around the country, like Los Angeles International, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International and George Bush Intercontinental, have invested in TRAX SmartRestroom technology. The new software aims to keep bathrooms cleaner while assisting in moving the lines to use stalls more efficiently.

 

So how does the technology create a cleaner atmosphere for travelers?

 

It’s all in the lighting. Bathrooms with the TRAX SmartRestroom technology have a light above the stall whether it’s in use. A green light means the stall is available and a red light means the stall is occupied. The technology is equipped with a counting sensor at the entrance of the stall that tracks how many customers entered and exited the restroom.

 

Depending on the airport’s settings, cleaning crews will be alerted after a certain number of passengers have entered the stall indicating that it’s time to clean the restroom.

 

Passengers will have the option to leave feedback on their bathroom experience by using a tablet upon exiting the restroom. There will be three choices to choose from: exceptional, average, or poor.

 

If a rating less than an average is selected, the custodial supervisor will be alerted to fix the problem.