The restrooms we use in our day-to-day lives are a reflection of the businesses we patronize and the level of care they take in keeping their facilities clean.
For example, if you go to a restaurant where the restrooms are not cleaned regularly or don’t have enough soap, you’re likely to walk away with a negative impression of that business.
The same can be said for retail stores, hospitals and other public places where you might need to use the restroom.
Here are 10 steps that any business can take to ensure their commercial restrooms are clean and well maintained:
1. Install soap dispensers that can be refilled from the top of the unit
One of the best things you can do to reduce cross-contamination is to install soap dispensers that can be refilled from the top of the unit. That way, when someone uses a dispenser and it runs out of soap, they won’t have to open up the entire unit or take off a lid in order to fill it. Instead, they just pull down on a lever at the top, fill up their pump with liquid soap or gel hand sanitizer and then put everything back together again with no mess left behind.
2. Automate cleaning of trash cans and receptacles
One of the most common mistakes that businesses make is to neglect their trash cans. If you have employees and customers using the restroom, trash cans will fill up quickly, so it’s important for them to be emptied regularly. A good schedule is emptying trashcans in the morning before your business opens and after it closes at night.
3. Replace urinals with easy to clean bowls
Urinal bowls are easier to clean than urinals. Urinal bowls are also a better option because they don’t have as many crevices or corners for bacteria to grow in.
Urinals are notorious for being smelly, so the less you have of them in your restroom, the better!
4. Provide double paper towels in the restroom
Double paper towels are more efficient and economical than using single paper towels. They are better for cleaning up messes, and they add a layer of protection for the user’s hands. The barriers provided by double paper towels help to reduce the amount of bacteria transferred from one person to another.
5. Make hand sanitizer available between sinks
Hand sanitizer is effective at killing germs, and it’s also a great tool for avoiding cross contamination when you’re not able to wash your hands.
Because alcohol-based hand sanitizers are not as harsh as antibacterial soaps, they’re ideal for use after washing hands with soap and water.
6. Provide hand dryers
Hand dryers provide the best effect, because they are hygienic and easy to use – hand dryers are effective because they dry your hands quickly and you don’t have to think too much about bacteria, as is the case with towels.
7. Clean daily, sanitize weekly
Daily cleaning is crucial for restroom hygiene, as it helps to remove buildup on surfaces and reduce the spread of germs. Weekly sanitization is also important to kill germs, especially those that may not be easily removed by daily cleaning efforts.
Cleaning tips:
– Use disinfectant cleaners on urinals every week; these cleaners come in liquid form and are sprayed onto surfaces with a jet sprayer (you’ll need a separate one for each type of surface you’re cleaning)
– Clean toilet bowls using bleach once every three weeks or so; many people use bleach tablets specifically designed for toilets instead because they dissolve quickly, but either way should do the trick!
8. Use water-efficient fixtures
You can save water and money by using fixtures that are more efficient. You can help conserve resources even further by asking your plumbing contractor about flow restrictors or aerators—these devices reduce the amount of water used in each flush cycle by slowing down the speed at which the toilet refills after flushing it (which means fewer total gallons used over time).
9. Eliminate rust stains
The presence of rust stains is sign that your commercial restroom has not been properly maintained. It’s essential that you remove these stains as soon as possible because they can be an eye-sore for your customers and customers won’t want to spend their time in a dirty bathroom.
In order to get rid of rust stains, do not use bleach or acid-based cleaners as they will only make matters worse by stripping off any remaining paint from the walls. Instead, use water on a soft paper towel or cloth and gently rub off any rust with some elbow grease.
10. Fresh air
Maintain good ventilation in public restrooms by keeping doors closed when not in use, using exhaust fans where possible, and regularly cleaning ceiling vents with compressed air or a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment removed from its nozzle.
