Decoding dispenser: What those push-button colours really mean and why they matter
As hygiene expectations rise in workplaces, schools, healthcare facilities, and public spaces, one small but important detail often goes unnoticed: the colour of the push button on a hand hygiene dispenser.
You’ve likely seen dispensers with red, white, green, or blue buttons in your facility but did you know these colours aren’t just for aesthetics?
They’re part of a colour coding system used by manufacturers to help users quickly identify the type of product inside. From sanitizers, lotions, soaps, or body wash.
And while there’s no industry standard, understanding how these systems work can help your team, visitors and everyone in your facility avoid costly mix-ups, improve efficiency, and maintain cleanliness compliance.
Why colour coding in hygiene dispensers matters
In high-traffic, high-turnover, or multi-language environments, speed and clarity matter. Colour-coded dispensers offer several important benefits:
Prevent product confusion: Helps users instantly identify contents without reading labels.
Reduce cross-use risks: Ensures hand lotion isn’t mistaken for sanitizer or vice versa.
Support hygiene compliance: Helps maintain product integrity in healthcare, foodservice, and industrial environments.
Simplify training: Great for onboarding new staff and non-native speakers.
It’s a smart visual system that empowers users and keeps operations safer and smoother.
Example: SC Johnson's colour-coding system
SC Johnson Professional, a global hygiene manufacturer, uses the following colour code across its dispenser product line:
These colours are typically located on the part of the dispenser you press, allowing for quick visual identification even from a distance.
Where is it useful?
Colour-coded dispensers are particularly beneficial in:
- Schools and daycare centers
- Healthcare and long-term care facilities
- Commercial kitchens and foodservice operations
- Industrial workplaces
- Janitorial closets and shared cleaning stations
Imagine a fast-paced worksite where one team member needs hand sanitizer, while another needs moisturizing lotion after using a harsh soap. Without colour coding, mistakes happen easily. But with red for sanitizer and green for moisturizer? There’s no guesswork.
How to Iimplement colour coding in your facility
Here are a few tips to successfully adopt or enhance colour-coded hygiene dispensing:
- Audit your current dispensers: Identify which systems use colour codes and which don’t.
- Standardize by zone or product type : Assign colours to restroom vs. kitchen vs. industrial spaces.
- Train your staff: Use wall charts or visual signage to reinforce what each colour means.
- Choose partners that support colour coding: Work with distributors [like Reliable Maintenance Products (RMP)] that stock dispenser systems with consistent coding and labeling.
Bonus tip: Align with other Jan/San colour systems
If your team already uses colour-coded cloths, bottles, or mop buckets for surface cleaning (e.g., red for restrooms, blue for glass), adding colour-coded hygiene dispensers complements your system, building a unified visual language across your cleaning program.
What RMP offers
At Reliable, we carry a range of dispenser systems from brands like SC Johnson and others that support colour-coded push buttons and product-matched refills. Whether you're setting up a new facility or upgrading your current hygiene program, we can help you:
- Choose the right product for each use case (sanitizer, soap, moisturizer, etc.)
- Match dispenser types with their colour standards
- Ensure smooth installation and team training
Conclusion
Colour-coded dispensers may seem like a minor detail, but they play a major role in promoting hygiene clarity, preventing mistakes, and improving workplace flow.
Ready to get started?
Explore our full line of hygiene dispensers and products.
Or speak with one of our product specialists about building a colour-coded hygiene system that works for your team.
