As most men know, when using a urinal, there is always the possibility of splash-back. This is when urine, mixed with water, splashes back onto the user, the floor, and the surrounding walls.

This splash-back can cause some serious problems. Of course, gentlemen don't want the splash-back on their clothing, and as this urine/water combination lands on floors and walls, it causes corrosion. Not only does this damage those surfaces, but it can also produce many of the malodor problems found in men's restrooms.

This is why Brigham Young University developed the Splash Lab. Here, researchers study what causes splash-back at urinals. With this understanding, they also reported ways on how to prevent it.

Here's what they found:

• As urine enters the urinal, it breaks into individual droplets.

• The droplets flatten out as they are splashed against the walls and the base of the urinal as well as onto the water in the urinal.

• Splash-back is at its worst when the urine stream is angled perpendicular to the urinal wall.

According to one of the researchers, Randy Hurd, the best option to prevent splash-back is to "aim at the sidewalls of the urinal." He also suggests that gentlemen stand closer to the urinal. The thinking is, this will at least block some of the splash-back from getting on walls and floors.

But what about the man's clothing?

Fortunately, there are new options the researchers did not consider that can help prevent splash-back as well as keep men's rooms cleaner, healthier, and with a pleasant fragrance to boot. A new generation of bright and colorful urinal screens are now available that have a patent-pending design allowing the screen to be installed in any position and in most any type of urinal and still help prevent splash-back.

By eliminating splash-back, surface areas around the urinal stay cleaner and far more sanitary. Clothing stays clean and dry, and the corrosive buildup of urine on walls and floors is halted, making the restrooms easier to clean and maintain.

Further, the added fragrance makes the restroom feel cleaner. It's often how a restroom smells that people remember after using a public restroom. This is true in all types of facilities, but most especially food service locations and hotels. This is likely why so many hospitality facilities are now installing this new generation of urinal screens.

For more information on Impact's complete line of washroom care products, contact an Impact representative.