Best designed restrooms for 2019

Public restrooms tend to be places to avoid. The problem is when you need to go, you need to use them. And what are usually the worse restrooms among them all are airport toilets (excepting the ones on the airplanes, which are even worse).

The supply company Cintas runs a competition each year for the best designed restrooms in the country. It's hard to believe, but two airport bathrooms are finalists this year, the ones at Seattle's Sea-Tac and New York LaGuardia airports.


(i) Finalist at LaGuardia Airport, and (ii) Finalist at Sea-Tac Airport

Why are they up for consideration? For the most part they are designed to help you avoid touching as many surfaces as possible. The one in LaGuardia's remodeled Terminal B is designed for use without having to touch it, with motion-activated sinks, soap dispenser and flush values. The one in Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's new North Satellite Terminal also features hands-free design. It is also eco-friendly. The water that flushes your waste away partially comes from harvested roof rainwater that can capture up to 750,000 gallons of water a year.