Better Washroom Maintenance

[Music] The value of a clean washroom is hard to estimate. The condition or cleanliness of a washroom can influence a visitor's thinking about how the entire business is run. Proper care of the washroom is a big employee morale factor. A well-maintained washroom is a safeguard to health. And it's in the washroom that your job of maintenance is more noticed by more people than in any other aspect of your job. Now, how can this job be done better and easier? To clean a washroom and keep it clean, two basic things are needed. A rigid schedule of maintenance and the right materials and equipment. Depending on washroom traffic, a schedule of once a day is usually sufficient with in between policings as needed, but be certain the schedule is adequate. This is one job you want to be sure doesn't get ahead of you. As for the proper materials and equipment, you'll need mop buckets, a mop ringer, mops, cellulose sponges, a putty knife, a floor brush and dustpan, a trash cart, and clean cloths. Your materials will include washroom supplies to refill dispensers, drain pipe cleaner, glass cleaner, disinfectant, cleanup spray, and foam bowl cleaner. Make up an effective solution of disinfectant cleaner about 20 to1. It's best to use hot water. Now, let's get everything together and to the washroom. Washroom maintenance should be done either in off hours time or when traffic is at a minimum. First, empty all waste recepticles, the waste baskets, ashtrays, and in the women's washroom, the sanitary napkin recepticle. Pick up any waste material from the floor, papers, chewing gum, which may be picked up with your putty knife, and sweep periodically. It's a good idea to pour drain pipe cleaner down the drain of each sink. The chemical will do its work while you do yours. Now refill all dispensers, paper towel, toilet tissue, seat cover, and soap dispensers. Be sure all are in good working order. As you refill these dispensers, wipe their surfaces clean. Now, spot clean the walls to remove marks and smudges. Periodically, you'll want to do a thorough washing of walls and ceilings, but this is not necessary on a daily basis. As you spot clean, be sure to note leaky faucets, burned out light bulbs, or any other irregularities which need attention. Spot cleaning should include the tops of the stalls, window ledges, heating vents, any and all surfaces on which dust or dirt accumulates. Next, make the mirrors shine with your glass cleaner. Periodically, you'll want to clean the windows as well. Now to the sinks. Again, using your disinfectant cleaner solution. Be sure to clean the fixtures as well as the bowls, hardware, and pipes under the sinks. Use clean water for rinsing and wipe the water spots off with a clean cloth. Looks good. Two of the major sources of offensive odor in your washroom are the toilet and the urinal. These must be given special cleaning and disinfecting attention. A foam bowl cleaner is especially well suited to this job. The foam clings to the urinal, keeping the active Prince away the foam and all that it has removed. Now to the source of most disease carrying bacteria and washroom odors. With your disinfectant cleaner, clean top and underside of the toilet seat as well as exterior bowl surfaces and fixtures. Rinse, wipe, and leave toilet seat up. If the toilet is floor mounted, also sponge floor area between wall and fixture, the area that is not accessible to the mop. In cleaning the bowl, a hand mirror is useful. With it, you can see stains and encrustations up under the rim. Using your swab, force the water level down in the bowl. Press the water from the swab and apply your foam bowl cleaner. Lather the bowl, being sure to get the foam up under the rim. Lather down all sides and into the lower bowl level. Because it is not a runny liquid or a powder, the foam bowl cleaner covers the entire surface and holds on until its cleaning disinfecting job is done. Economically speaking, a great deal less is needed for each thorough job. Flush and swab rinse cleaning and disinfecting agents on the surface for a longer time. Be sure to work the foam into all the recesses and around the water outlets. A good foam bowl cleaner is effective against stains, soil, and encrustations. If several urinals are to be cleaned, lather each with your foam bowl cleaner, allowing the foam to stand longer for an even more effective job. Periodically, remove the grid and clean the drain pipe opening with your foam bowl cleaner. Then flush and swab again, making certain to get up under the rim around the water outlets and into the lower bowl level. Finally, flush again and press the water from your swab. A final check with the mirror is always a good idea. Now to the last remaining source of odor, the floor. With your disinfectant cleaner solution, mop around toilets and urinals. Your disinfectant cleaner will eliminate odor-causing bacteria hidden in the grouting and on floor surfaces. Now, mop, rinse, and pick up the entire floor area, working toward the door, and you're done. Well done. As for policing the washroom between regular cleanups, discover for yourself how often it's needed. How often do the dispensers need refilling? How often are there new smudges? How often should fixtures and chrome be touched up? How often do the waste receptacles need emptying? Occasional spraying with a disinfectant ensures continuous sanitation. Little emergencies always pop up. You are the one best qualified to set your washroom schedules because you know the extent of their traffic. Remember, your building and your job are probably judged by the condition of your washrooms. And the health and morale of everyone who goes in is dependent on what you do with your schedule, materials, equipment, and better washroom maintenance. [Music] [Applause]