tackling trouble areas The Cleanliness Of Your Restrooms These 10 tips will keep your restrooms clean and your image sparkling. By: Charles Cestaro Is A Tell-all Tale Keeping a public restroom clean is no easy challenge. But, take it from me — a dirty restroom is the quickest way to flush your image right down the toilet. For 35 years as the owner of Servco Industries, I have seen and cleaned literally tens of thousands of the dirtiest restrooms. Dirty restrooms often tell a story about your store or company, and they also pro-vide insight into how much you pay atten-tion to detail. After all, if your public restrooms are dirty, what other sanitizing nightmares are lurking in the non-customer areas? A great example of an organization that sets customer service and cleanliness as a top priority is Disney World. Their restrooms are often impeccable even though they have massive foot traffic and get considerably more usage than do most retail stores and other facilities. It’s obvious that Disney World is com-mitted to making sure that their staffs have been effectively trained to keep the rest-rooms spotless. Their message comes through loud and clear that they accept nothing less than perfection. Herein are a few key elements that lead to successful restroom care and mainte-nance. Each task and product plays an impor-tant role in the final outcome. To effectively clean a restroom of any size, you will need the proper tools and a method by which you will perform the services. The following is a 10-point list of the best ways to keep your restrooms clean and your reputation sparkling. ■ Restroom cleaning tip one Always use the same workers to clean restrooms, and never use an unskilled worker to clean. Train them on how to clean efficiently and effectively, and have management sign off on the work for quality assurance. If needed, consult professional training videos. ■ Restroom cleaning tip two Use a well-stocked custodial cart with all items to be used to clean the restrooms. Make sure that there are buckets and mops — and only use a two-bucket/ringer combo. All products that are used both during the day shift and for after-hours cleaning should be on the custodial cart. Have that cart readily available and close by in the event of a restroom mishap. ■ Restroom cleaning tip three Use cleaning products that are germi-cidal in nature on all fixtures. Chemicals to be used on fixtures often yield the best results when they are foam-based; the hang time of the foam helps to fight bacteria and germs found on these surfaces. ■ Restroom cleaning tip four Always make sure that ceiling vents and fans are immaculate and working well. Often, these are caked with soot from months — even years — of being over-looked. ■ Restroom cleaning tip five When cleaning fixtures, always remember to clean the sides and base of all items; pay special attention to undersides of urinals and bases of toilets. These areas are normally the first place that buildup occurs, which leads to foul odors. To minimize cross-contamination, use disposable wipes so that the same rag used to clean a toilet seat is not later used to clean a vanity top or any other surface. ■ Restroom cleaning tip six K No-touch cleaning systems are growing in popularity because they make quick work out of transforming a dirty restroom into a clean and hygienic place. 32 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • November 2012 Image courtesy of Kaivac Inc.
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