Guide to Keeping Your Commercial Facility Restrooms Clean and Hygienic
On average, commercial facility restrooms take up about 5% of the space, but contain 20% of the dirt, and are the source of over 80% of maintenance complaints. No doubt, your business works hard to provide quality products and/or services to customers, and a dirty, malodorous restroom should not be the first impression or the last thing left on a guest’s mind.
As a business owner or facility manager, the cleanliness of your restrooms says a lot about your business. Consistent restroom maintenance will lead to a more hygienic restroom, improved restroom appearance, increased customer satisfaction, and enhanced business image.
According to a recent survey commissioned by Sofidel, a leading global provider of paper for hygienic and domestic use. A vast majority of Americans say that negative online reviews about restrooms would deter them from visiting a hotel (91 percent) or a restaurant (89 percent).
The survey, conducted online by The Harris Poll, June 14-18 among 2,024 U.S. adults age 18 and older, found that roughly three in four Americans cite dirty restrooms as the top restroom issue listed in an online review that would discourage them from visiting a hotel (75 percent) or restaurant (72 percent).
Another recent survey of more than 1,000 adults ages 18 and older revealed that 94 percent would avoid a business in the future if they encountered dirty restrooms. According to Cintas Corporation, commissioners of the survey, when asked what specific types of businesses participants would avoid if they encountered dirty restrooms, adults reported the following:
- Restaurants – 79 percent
- Hotels – 79 percent
- Health Care Facilities – 77 percent
- Supermarkets – 50 percent
- Retail Stores – 45 percent
- Gas Stations – 45 percent
- Car Dealerships – 39 percent
Top commercial facility restroom issues
Dirty restrooms, clogged toilets, foul odors, and other common bathroom issues can result in disgruntled customers and ultimately affect your bottom line. That is why It’s crucial for business owners and facility managers to make sure restrooms are properly cleaned and maintained. According to Cintas Corporation, the top restroom issues that people cited include:
- Foul odors
- Clogged and/or dirty toilets
- Closed or out-of-order restrooms
- Out-of-stock essentials such as toilet paper, soap, and paper towels
- Broken soap or paper dispensers
- Grimy sinks
“To satisfy customers, businesses must ensure restrooms are consistently stocked, clean, dry, and functioning,” explained Dave Mesko, Senior Director of Marketing, Cintas. Your customers should always be greeted with clean and hygienic restrooms. Facility restrooms need routine cleaning even if they don’t appear visibly dirty because they can still harbor germs that can make your patrons and employees sick.
A healthy, hygienic restroom requires functioning plumbing, stocked supplies, and dispensers in working order. Restrooms should be routinely checked so you can quickly address issues like clogged toilets, empty toilet paper dispensers, or slippery wet floors that can impact customer satisfaction and safety.
Products, equipment, and materials needed
To get the job done right, you will need a range of products on hand such as neutral/general-purpose cleaners, acid cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, cleaner/disinfectant, drain opener: acid or enzyme, window/glass cleaner, metal polishes, deodorizers, floor cleaner and specialty cleaners such as lime and scale removers.
You will also need the right equipment and materials such as a custodial cart, waste collection receptacle, trigger sprayers for both harsh and corrosive chemicals, mild cleaning chemicals, tank/pump-up sprayers, floor squeegees, mop buckets and wringers, wet mop holders and handles, brooms, dust mop, wet mop heads, sponges, bowl mops, microfiber cloths, wipes, gloves, and goggles.
Commercial facility restroom cleaning best practices
Apply cleaner/disinfectant to all high-touch point areas include toilets, urinals, sinks. Dispensers, door handles, etc. Allow the solution to sit on the surface for the recommended dwell time. When using cleaning products, be sure to always follow product label instructions.
Mixing cleaning chemicals containing ingredients like bleach with other cleaning products can create dangerous chlorine gas. Products are carefully formulated and should only be used at the right concentration and on the right surfaces in combination with the proper protocol.
Spot clean bathroom walls and stalls to remove visible soils. Use disposable microfiber cloths to apply the cleaning/disinfecting solution. Dry any metal surfaces that were disinfected. Apply metal polish or glass cleaner to any metal fixtures. Wipe the polish to avoid a potential buildup of polish.
Check supplies in paper towel dispensers, soap dispensers, toilet paper dispensers, and any other dispensers and refill as needed. Be sure to empty all sanitary napkin bins and trash receptacles. Apply a disinfectant to the inside of trash receptacles before replacing the liners and allow to air dry.
Apply toilet bowl cleaner to the inside of the bowls and allow it to remain for the recommended wet dwell time. For everyday use, non-acid bowl cleaners are recommended. If you are completing daily cleaning, there should not be a buildup of hard water or mineral stains on the bowls. If toilet maintenance has not been performed in an extended period of time, the bowl cleaner may need to dwell for a longer period of time.
After all above-the-floor surfaces have been cleaned, dust mop or sweep the floor from the innermost corner to the door. Make sure that all debris and soils are removed so that the floor is ready to be wet-mopped. Next, wet mop the floor with a microfiber flat mop and cleaner/disinfectant.
Consistently following these best practices will lead to a more hygienic restroom, improved restroom appearance, and increased customer satisfaction, rather than driving patrons away.
Final thoughts
Do you have the right products, materials, equipment, and manpower to keep your restrooms clean, hygienic, and looking their best? Cleanstart commercial cleaning and janitorial service will deep clean and maintain your restroom facilities using the most effective products, processes, and equipment. Contact Cleanstart today and learn more about how we can elevate cleanliness to the next level for your business.
About our services
Cleanstart has been in the commercial cleaning and janitorial business for over 28 years. We are able to provide fast, efficient, and effective cleaning and disinfection services and will customize a cleaning plan tailored to your specific needs and schedule. Daily, weekly and monthly cleanings are available as well as one-time emergency cleaning and disinfection visits.
Because we stand behind the quality of our work, we provide a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee. If for whatever reason our 5-star quality standard is not met, we will make it right by correcting the issue within one business day, at no additional expense to you.
At Cleanstart, our combination of proven processes, high standards, and uncompromising customer service take commercial cleaning and janitorial services to the next level.
✓ Over 28 years of experience in the cleaning and janitorial industry
✓ Thoroughly trained and vetted cleaning professionals
✓ Commitment to the highest quality clean
✓ Local, licensed, insured, & bonded service
✓ 24/7 cleaning options & support
✓ Customized cleaning solutions
✓ One-time and recurring professional cleaning visits
✓ 100% satisfaction guarantee
✓ OSHA, HIPAA, EPA, CDC, AORN compliant
✓ A+ BBB-rating
If you would like more information about our high-quality commercial cleaning and janitorial services, please give us a call today at (253) 921-2593 or request a free online cleaning estimate now!
Cleanstart services the following locations in the Greater Puget Sound region:
Auburn, Bellevue, Bellingham, Bonney Lake, Bremerton, Factoria, Fife, Gig Harbor, Kent, Lakewood, Olympia, Puyallup, Renton, Seattle, Tacoma, Tukwila, University Place, King County, Kitsap County, Pierce County, and Thurston County.
5013 Pacific Hwy E unit 16 Fife, WA 98424 • Phone: 253.921.2593 • Email: Caleb @ thecleanstart.com
