It's estimated that at least 22 million school days are lost every year because of colds caught by students and faculty, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There's still no cure for the common cold, but there is a time-honored way to prevent it: handwashing, ideally with good old soap and water. It's still the best solution. Having clean hands also is one of the most effective ways to prevent gastrointestinal illnesses, which account for absences by students and teachers. In fact, handwashing also is promoted as the best way to prevent MRSA, one of the antibiotic-resistant "super bugs." That hard-to-treat infection once was limited to hospitals and nursing homes, but now it has become a public health problem, with outbreaks especially found in schools, and among amateur and professional athletes. It starts as a skin infection, resembling a spider bite, but it can progress to the bloodstream or heart, and can cause pneumonia or death. Despite what research and common sense say about keeping hands clean, many other surveys show that students and adults are notoriously lax about hand hygiene, even after using the toilet. Add to that the countless surfaces and objects students and teachers touch in the course of a day. How can schools and universities help encourage handwashing? They can select washroom locations strategically; incorporate attractive and inviting designs; and install easy-to-use, hands-free, vandalism-resistant fixtures. In this article, the author provides some restroom design ideas to encourage more students and faculty to use and respect school restrooms.