Keeping Office Restrooms Clean
A Janitor's Guide to a Hygienic Public Bathroom
As a commercial cleaning company, Prestige Janitorial Services works with businesses across all sectors. From retail to manufacturing to healthcare, our janitorial staff serves every type of industry you can think of. While these sectors differ drastically operationally, there is one cleaning requirement that is the same in every field—the office restroom!
Every office building has one, and it seems every office struggles to keep on top of its sanitization needs.
You can keep your employees and customers safe from the spread of viruses all day long—and especially on their bathroom breaks—read on for our janitor's guide to the best bathroom cleaning practices.
Regular Bathroom Disinfection
When it comes to public restroom safety, the number one item on every office manager's to-do list should be regular disinfection. Ideally, every day, your public restroom facility will be cleaned and disinfected from top to bottom.
Even better, you should have someone charged with disinfecting the bathroom's high-touch surfaces periodically throughout the workday, too. Doorknobs, faucets, and flush valves are the main culprits of transmission and the high-priority surfaces that need a thorough wipe-down multiple times a day.
Remember, the cleanliness of your bathroom is also a reflection of your brand. Customers want to feel safe on your premises, and the condition of your public bathroom is a telltale indicator of whether you're doing your part to keep them safe. A dirty, messy bathroom is a red flag to employees and patrons alike, and cutting corners could cost you.
Invest in Touchless Taps
Investing in touchless faucets is an easy, effective solution to unnecessary viral transmission. While everyone knows that handwashing is an essential practice, not everyone knows to use a paper towel as a barrier between their skin and the faucet handle. Touchless taps can eliminate this oversight altogether.
What's more, it's not only your sink faucets that can benefit from smart technology. Hands-free tech is making a whole host of high-touch areas hands-free. If your budget allows it, we encourage business owners to install:
- Motion-sensor soap dispensers
- Motion-sensor paper towel dispensers/hand dryers
- Touch-free toilet flush valves
- Self-opening or foot-style trash cans
A touch-free bathroom experience is more sanitary and safe for all users.
It's not a bad idea to post handwashing instructions above those touchless taps, either. You know the rules: wash for at least 20 seconds, scrub underneath those nails and above those wrists. While handwashing technique should be second nature in 2021, a friendly reminder never hurt anyone.
Social Distance—Even in the Loo
You may be worried about touching the same porcelain sink as a colleague, but what about standing less than six feet apart from them at separate sinks? As a business owner, you'd do well to increase visual signage encouraging people to stay an appropriate distance from one another. Like in many small offices, you may find that the size of your communal bathroom isn't conducive to social distancing. In which case, you might consider posting a maximum capacity sign.
Discourage Restroom Line-Ups
When the restroom is at full capacity, it's natural that people would queue up to wait their turn. However, social distancing protocols need to apply in the restroom and outside of it, too. Consider asking employees and patrons to come back in a few minutes' time or placing markers on the floor six feet apart to indicate where it's safe to stand and wait your turn.
Stock Up on Restroom Supplies
Contracting the virus is an ongoing, ever-present concern. Consequently, handwashing is on the rise, and now, more than before, people are extra conscious of lathering up.
As a business owner, you may find that the quantity of hand soap, sanitizer, and towels that were sufficient before, are no longer. The last thing anyone wants to find on a post-lunch bathroom visit is an empty soap dispenser, so consider revising your restroom inventory numbers. You should always have back-up supplies ready in a pinch.
Now, this is not to say we endorse toilet paper hoarding. Be sensible and socially responsible—no one needs to jam-pack their supply closet with a years' worth of rolls (stock for a couple of months should be plenty).
Plus, make sure you select your products based on CDC and WHO guidelines. Some sanitizers are more effective than others, and you want the best cleaning power on your side.
Easy, Hands-Free Entry
When Possible, Keep Doors Open
Not all restrooms are conducive to this suggestion, but where possible, prop doorways open to avoid unnecessary hand-to-doorknob contact. For instance, large public lavatories often have privacy stalls and spacious entryways with more than one door. If it's possible to keep a door open while maintaining user privacy, do so.
Obviously, if your office toilet is a single-use room or a small space right next to the cubicles, this is not a viable option. If that's the case, place a trash can next to the door so that your staff can easily use and discard paper towels to open and close the door on the way out.