Let’s face it: everyone has had an encounter with a dirty commercial bathroom. The biggest complaints tend to be lack of toilet paper, a foul odor, broken stall doors, clogged toilets, and a generally dirty appearance. One survey found that over 90% of Americans would consider a commercial restroom dirty if it had sticky or dirty floors.

To increase commercial restroom cleanliness, cleaning companies should follow the following practices: 

  • Stock plenty of toilet cleaning products
  • Offer training to cleaning staff
  • Make a cleaning log
  • Install automated smart solutions

Commercial Bathroom Germs: Facts And Fiction

All bathrooms are high-risk environments, but commercial bathrooms are even worse as they have a large number of users. Viruses and bacteria are often found lurking around commercial restrooms, including norovirus, shigella, E. coli, and streptococcus.

Interestingly, the often-blamed toilet seat is not the primary culprit in spreading germs and making users sick. Common touching areas such as door latches, flash handles, soap dispensers, and faucet taps are even dirtier than the toilet seat.

Because of the degree and nature of germs in commercial bathrooms, it’s best to hire professional commercial cleaning services to tackle this massive job. Whether you run a gym, clinic, child care centre, office space, or a retail business, you need to implement strict professional cleaning, most especially in frequently touches surfaces.  

The Impact Of A Dirty Bathroom

Bathrooms become dirty due to several reasons, including an understaffed cleaning crew, managers not being aware of any existing bathroom issue, or an unexpected rise in foot traffic. Whatever the cause, a dirty restroom will have a damaging impact on the following:

  • Health And Safety – A study found out that there are more than 77,000 unique types of viruses and bacteria after swabbing four commercial washrooms. Although this is shocking, with the right cleaning tools and equipment, you can efficiently eliminate these viruses. A dirty restroom also creates safety hazards. For instance, spills that are not cleaned instantly intensify the risk of a fall accident happening.
  • Customer Loyalty – Many clients won’t return to a business if the restroom is unclean during their visit. And in this digital age, customers can convince other potential customers to avoid a business through social media.
  • Budget – Lack of regular washroom cleaning and maintenance would lead to expensive repairs. Clogged toilets will result in costly plumbing repairs. Inadequately cleaned countertops and floors can be damaged and require fixing more frequently.
  • Business Image: The cleanliness of your commercial or business establishment is crucial to your business’ reputation or image. If your customers find your place dirty, they would think that you don’t enforce strict rules and excellent customer service. You can’t deny the perception that poor maintenance leaves to your customers, which also reflects inferior quality in your products and services.

Required Cleaning Tools, Materials, And Equipment

When choosing cleaning supplies, you’ll come across different chemicals, such as bleach and ammonia, as well as environmentally friendly products. It’s important to buy cleaning supplies from a reputable company to ensure getting good quality and effective cleaning products. So, how do you go about preparing the right tools?

You must start any cleaning procedure with the correct tools, cleaning supplies, and protective gear.

1. Cleaning Equipment       

  • Janitorial cart
  • Dust mop
  • Dustpans
  • Mop buckets and ringers
  • Waste collection receptacle
  • Wet mop holders and handles
  • Brooms
  • Signage
  • Tank sprayers
  • Mild cleaning chemicals
  • Trigger sprayers for corrosive chemicals
  • Floor squeegees

2. Cleaning Supplies

  • Acid cleaner
  • General-purpose cleaner
  • Bowl cleaner
  • Disinfectant
  • Window cleaner
  • Drain opener
  • Paper towels
  • Toilet tissue
  • Trash can liner
  • Deodorizers
  • Hand soaps
  • Sanitary napkins
  • Toilet seat covers

3. Cleaning Materials

  • Bowl mops
  • Goggles
  • Wipes
  • Gloves
  • Sponges
  • Wet mop heads
  • Microfiber cloths

Tips On Cleaning Commercial Restrooms

It’s essential for cleaning staff to follow these tips to improve their efficiency and decrease total labor time:

1. Employ Safety Precautions

Before starting any janitorial task, make sure your staff comprehends how to use the chemicals and equipment needed for the job. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration mandates that every worker has a right to be informed about the potential chemical risks associated with the job.

Ensure your cleaning staff wear the right personal protective equipment to protect them from exposure to the chemicals. They should wear goggles, masks, and gloves to prevent chemical splashes coming into contact with their eyes and skin.

2. Prep The Restroom

When preparing for restroom cleaning, gather all the required cleaning equipment and load them onto a cart. All rags and mops should be clearly labeled to prevent them from being used in areas they’re not supposed to. Make sure your staff dilutes the cleaning chemicals par the manufacturer recommendations.

Your janitorial staff should go ahead and ensure there are no guests in the restroom before placing a caution sign that states cleaning is in progress. They should block the entrance of the restroom with the cart so that potential users can see cleaning is taking place.

3. Cleaning The Toilet (Part 1)

Cleaning urinals and toilets is challenging and unpleasant. By using the right disinfectant, the task becomes more comfortable with cleaner results. To clean a toilet:

  • Start by flashing each unit. This is to make sure the toilets are functioning properly and are free of contaminants. Any malfunctioning toilet unit should be reported to a supervisor.
  • Pre-clean urinals and toilets by removing any debris around. Soak the urinal strainer in a bucket containing disinfectant solution. Removing all visible soils is important using a multi-purpose cleaner. Pre-treat the exterior of the toilet by allowing it to stand according to the wet dwell time.
  • The janitorial staff should insert the mop several times inside the bowl throat to eliminate water in the bowl and allow less dilution of the disinfectant and more of the bowl to be cleaned.
  • With urinals, debris should be removed with gloves, then place the urinal screen on a paper towel.
  • Apply the disinfectant on the urinals and toilets.
  • The cleaning staff should move on to dry cleaning and let the disinfectant stand for the required dwell time. 

4. Cleaning Toilet Partitions

To clean bathroom partitions, your cleaning staff should first wash off dirt and debris with water and soap then use a cloth to rinse it. Mild detergent should also be applied to remove spots and stains on toilet partitions. Stainless steel partitions should always be washed with water to remove the chemicals when they’re finished. When in doubt, consult manufacturer recommendations on cleaning bathroom partitions.

Remove light scratches from toilet partitions by covering them up with toothpaste or baking soda. To fix graffiti, clean the surface then use sandpaper to scratch the affected area. The sanded area should then be polished to restore its condition.

5. Dusting

While working from top to bottom, the janitorial staff should remove dust from ceilings and floor surfaces. After dusting above the floor surfaces, they should dust mop the floor, sweeping from the innermost corner to the entrance.

6. Trash Removal

Your cleaning staff should proceed and empty trash receptacles and sanitary napkin bins. They should spray a disinfectant when replacing the liner of trash receptacles.

7. Sinks And Countertops

Sinks are cleaned by first using a paper towel to eliminate debris. Your janitorial team should apply disinfectant inside the sink and external surfaces around it such as faucets and metal handles. After the disinfectant has stood for around ten minutes, the sink should be wiped using a clean sponge.

8. Cleaning Mirrors And Glass Surfaces

To clean mirrors and glass areas, a glass cleaner is used, wiping from the bottom to the top. A squeegee should be used for large glass areas to improve speed and reach.

9. Spot Cleaning

To clean bathroom walls and switches, use spot cleaning to remove dirt and stains using a disinfectant. Make sure disposable cloths are used in spot cleaning. 

10. Cleaning The Toilet (Part 2)

Now that the disinfectant has had enough dwelling time, the cleaning staff can continue cleaning the toilets and urinals.

  • Clean the toilet inside with a mop while paying close attention to the base of the flush rim. This prevents the accumulation of viruses and bacteria that create unpleasant odors and spread diseases.
  • Your cleaning staff should proceed and flush the toilet to clean the bowl. They should also rinse the mop using clean water.
  • They should flush the toilet again.
  • Your janitorial staff should then wipe the exterior of the fixture using a clean cloth. 
  • Make sure they use different disposable cloths for different parts of the washroom to avoid cross-contamination.
  • Your cleaning staff should also apply acid bowl cleaner on the flash rim to de-scale it. Remove water from the bowl by backflushing using a bowl mop. Soak the mop with the bowl cleaner and damp all surfaces, then rinse by flashing. Acid bowl cleaner should only be applied on the inside of the bowl as it can cause harm to the skin when used on the seat.
  • For urinals, a mop is used to rinse the pre-sprayed disinfectant and change the urinal screens.

11. Cleaning A Commercial Bathroom Floor

Cleaning a public restroom floor is done through wet mopping. Your janitorial staff will wet a mop using a disinfectant. This solution should be applied moderately from the mop bucket with special attention given to sinks, urinals, and toilets. The cleaning solution should be changed once it’s contaminated with soil or after every three washrooms irrespective of observable contamination.

Eliminating viruses and bacteria is your main objective because you don’t want people contracting diseases. Regularly following these tips will lead to more hygienic washrooms with better appearance and greater client satisfaction.