Choosing a Washroom Service Provider

Choosing a washroom service provider

Your washroom is a key part of your business or building whatever your sector. From employees and clients in commercial restrooms to customers in restaurants or patients in healthcare. The washroom is often an overlooked area of a building but can have serious consequences if it’s neglected.

It’s a smart idea to consider a washroom service partner who can manage everything for you. From hand washing and drying products to supplies and compliant waste disposal. But choosing the right one or switching to a new provider can seem overwhelming.

Getting the right provider means less admin, time and resource and should give you fewer compliance headaches, all resulting in a safe clean and inclusive space that people are happy to use.

Get it wrong and you can end up with missed collections, overflowing sanitary bins, and even fines or punishment for breeching health hand safety or waste disposal regulations.

What does a washroom service provider actually do?

You might just be thinking of hand dryers or soap when it comes to washroom supplies and services, but there’s so much more on offer. A full range of services can help save your business money, improve your brand image and elevate the comfort of your washroom users.

A washroom hygiene service covers the supply, maintenance, and waste collection of hygiene units across your premises. At a minimum, this typically includes:

Incontinence and sanitary waste disposal
Hand dryers
Soap and hand care
Consumables (toilet tissue, paper towels)
Air freshening and purification
Nappy waste
Baby changing units
Vending machines (for sanitary pads, incontinence pads, and period products)
Water management

On top of supplying these products, a service provider also deals with the resupply of consumables, soap and vending machine products, along with any maintenance and servicing of products like hand dryers, soap dispensers and air fresheners. This means all products and supplies are fully stocked and are in working order every day with no issues.

What to look for in a washroom service contract

Service frequency and reliability

The most common complaint about washroom service providers isn't price. It's missed collections. A sanitary bin that isn't collected on time creates a hygiene and reputational problem very quickly. Ask any prospective provider:

How are collections scheduled, fixed dates or reactive?
What's the SLA for a missed collection?
How do you report a service failure?

phs operates on planned service routes across the UK, meaning your collection dates are consistent and predictable. Our online portal, my.phs.co.uk, gives you full visibility of upcoming service dates and a direct route to log any issues.

Compliance and legislation

Washroom hygiene isn't just about comfort. It's a legal matter. Under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, employers are required to provide adequate welfare facilities, including hygienic sanitary disposal. Your provider should be able to demonstrate:

Waste carrier licence for the collection of sanitary waste
Appropriate Duty of Care documentation for waste disposal
Trained technicians who understand hygiene waste classification

If your provider can't show you this paperwork, that's a serious red flag, and a potential compliance risk for your business.

National coverage vs. local operators

Local operators can offer competitive pricing, but national providers like phs offer something smaller operators can't: consistent service standards across multiple sites, national account management, and the infrastructure to scale with your business as it grows.

If you have premises in more than one location, or plan to expand, a national provider with a single-contract approach will save you significant administrative overhead.

Contract terms

Watch out for rolling contracts with short notice periods that auto-renew. Always check:

What is the minimum contract term?
What's the notice period to exit?
Are price increases capped or uncapped during the contract?
What happens if the service standard falls below agreed levels?

Sustainability

What happens to washroom waste when it’s collected? When considering a service partner check the providers sustainability credentials, memberships or awards. Using a service provider that deals with waste in an ethical and sustainable way can be important for your brand image, corporate responsibility and ESG goals.

At phs we’re proud to LifeCycle Strategy that diverts up to 100% of waste from landfill into energy for the national grid, through our partnerships with energy and waste facilities. We also make many of our products such as sanitary bins and hand dryers from up to 100% recycled plastics with out Revive range.

Because of our eco first practices, we’ve recently been awarded the bronze EcoVadis award for sustainability, putting us in the top 35% of companies globally for sustainable service.

Range of services

It’s always helpful if your provider can offer all the services in one agreement. This keeps points of contact to the minimum and makes it easier to see all of your documentation, invoices and schedules in one place.

phs offers the whole range of services needed for washrooms, waste management and hygiene. We also offer specialist deep cleans, healthcare waste disposal and floor care including fitted mats.

Washroom needs vary by sector

Needs will differ slightly across different sectors. Make sure your provider understands the difference between healthcare and office washrooms especially when it comes to waste collection and disposal. They should ideally have the experience and credentials to work across different sectors.

We understand every business and sector and their requirements and why regulations and laws are different in each. This ensures our service keeps you safe and compliant whatever type of sector you’re in.

Waste Removal Tiger Bag Branded Staff Van

Why consider phs as your washroom service partner

We know that switching providers feels like a big decision. We also know that for many businesses who've tried alternatives, the experience doesn't live up to the promise.

phs is the UK's largest hygiene services provider because we deliver a service that works and have done for over 60 years, consistently, across thousands of sites every day. Our Trustpilot reviews consistently highlight our reliable collections, professional technicians, and responsive customer service. We can deal with your entire washroom and hygiene needs all under one agreement, and our ESG credentials can make a real difference to your business.

If you've used phs before and you're now reviewing your current provider, we'd love to talk. We can offer a competitive quote and demonstrate exactly what's changed since you left.