Public restrooms can be downright scary. With slimy floors, dirty doors, slippery seats, rickety stalls, and creepy webs hanging from vents, they're not a venture for the faint of heart: only the weak of bladder. But look how one fun-loving retailer makes a scary bathroom into a good thing for Halloween! Trader Joe's has incorporated the fun of the season throughout their store, and thoughtfully decorated down to the last detail ---- including the restrooms. The entire hallway to the bathroom area is covered with spooky paper and ghastly graphics.
Better yet, you won't hear any screams coming from these doors. Trader Joe's is committed to keeping their restrooms clean and well-appointed. The wise Trader knows a good bathroom is a top reason to shop at his store. Read more to see how restrooms rate in Trader Joe's Fearless Flyer.

Since the theme here at the Bathroom Blogfest 2009 is "Flush the Recession and Plunge into Forgotten Spaces", let's talk plungers. When toilet water is rising, ya gotta love 'em, but plungers are traditionally just so darned ugly. Worse yet, they tend to become focal points. In a perfect world, plungers would be kept tastefully tucked away, yet easily accessible, in a supply cabinet. If they must be stored in full view, plungers don't have to be unattractive eyesores anymore. Plungers have come a long way, and with a little bit of looking, an unobtrusive, or even attractive, plunger can be found.

Plunger Pointers

• Colored plastic plunger handles are simple and stylish. The best include clamshell covers to encase the rubber end.
• Make a plunger disappear by finding one that blends with your flooring.
• Paint wooden plunger handles to match the bathroom walls.
• Woven wicker plunger covers are pretty and textural. Google to find these.
• Visit www.plungees.com to find plungers that can serve as an artistic accent, or brand your business with a custom imprinted handle.

At shopping malls and downtown areas everywhere, restrooms are overlooked as other areas of the retail experience take center stage. It usually doesn't start out that way. Many well-meaning restroom hosts post inspection charts on the wall...but forget about them as time goes by. Imagine the message that is conveyed to customers when charts indicate periods of inattention...are totally blank...or altogether missing. Check out this example.

Besides after-hours deep cleanings, the key to a good restroom maintenance program is consistent in-service touch-ups, at regular intervals, during business hours. This will keep a facility looking presentable at all times. Someone has to be responsible for enforcing the effort, lest lackadaisical staff slough it off --- and that duty most likely belongs to the business manager. Let's face it, who's going to jump at the chance to be a washroom warden? Someone with a stake in the business who understands the big picture has to take charge. Maybe they don't teach this concept at business college....but they do teach it at the school of hard knocks!

I admit it. Some years ago, as small business operators, my husband and I were guilty of a neglected restroom. It was clean, but unattractive and industrial. An interior designer had helped us plan a beautiful customer service area that showcased the products of our professional photo lab --- but the restroom had fallen by the wayside. It didn't reflect the level of customer service for which we were known, it didn't communicate anything about the theme of our business, and it didn't show that we cared. At that time, business was booming, and one day we tuned into the steady parade of women to our bathroom...and the light came on. We realized that we had overlooked the barest of necessities.

Given the go-ahead, I plunged into a restroom renovation with gusto. It was not an extreme makeover or a major remodel. This was a facility facelift. On a small budget, our restroom went from bland to beautiful. I wanted it to be memorable for our customers, and the mission was accomplished.

The improvements included pretty paint, crown molding, fresh flowers, photos galore (featuring a laminated floor graphic that looks like a rug), a false window, a piece of furniture for storage, and many amenities.

The result? Our customers gushed with gratitude and praise. This effort generated more enthusiasm than our most expensive marketing efforts in 25 years. It influenced repeat business, differentiated us from our competition, and sparked my ongoing passion for better restroom spaces everywhere. In a recession, when costly advertising may be out of the question, an economical bathroom upgrade is marketing money well spent.

Never underestimate the power of a powder room!