Although everyone recognizes a clean restroom when they see one, not everyone realizes all the steps that go into a thorough cleaning. Replenishing toilet tissue and paper towels regularly is a necessary step, as well as cleaning obvious messes. But cleaners may disagree on how often the entire floor should be mopped, or the stall doors wiped down.
Setting a standardized restroom cleaning method will ensure a thoroughly clean restroom. Follow these steps from J. Darrel Hicks, an expert in infection control and author of “Infection Control For Dummies.”
- Establish a “standard of appearance” for restrooms so cleaners know the level they are expected to achieve in cleaning.
- Have cleaners follow a specific cleaning process with clearly defined steps.
- Choose the correct cleaning products for restroom surfaces.
- Train employees on the importance of cleaning for health, not for appearance.
- Remove graffiti as soon as it appears.
- Install the largest paper dispensing system possible.
- Buy the best quality paper goods and products your budget will allow.
- Service restrooms often. Specify the number of cleanings per day, dependent on restroom traffic.
- Don’t use a cleaning schedule on the restroom door. Instead, provide a phone number that restroom visitors can call if the restroom requires service.
- Conduct thorough cleanings to avert the need to disinfect after every cleaning, as clean surfaces can’t harbor microbial growth for very long. Thorough cleanings also allow disinfectants to do their job. A soiled surface can absorb a disinfectant’s active ingredient, provide more places for germs to hide, and change the chemical nature of the disinfectant.
- Remove germs rather than killing them. Use the least amount of the mildest product that will do the job.
