The best way to improve restroom appearance by cleaning for health.
Not only is a clean restroom a crucial element for maintaining customer satisfaction, it is also a matter of concern for public health. Illness-causing bacteria and germs can be found on many bathroom surfaces, and these contaminants can be easily spread to customers, which can also lead to the contaminants spreading beyond your store’s restroom.
Most retailers would agree that maintaining a clean restroom is important, but few realize that even a restroom that looks clean can pose potential health threats, and it does not take long after a restroom is cleaned for contaminants to re-emerge. According to a report by BETCO, in order to ensure that the restroom in your store remains a clean environment, you must modify your cleaning strategy in a way that will not only create an aesthetically pleasing environment, but one that also helps to prevent the spread of germs.
BETCO suggests taking the following steps to improve your restroom’s cleanliness.
- Pre-Clean Surfaces — Rather than spot-cleaning and simply removing debris and stains, you should ensure that surfaces are cleaned with germ-killing products, despite how “clean” the surface looks.
- Research Your Products — The products that you use to clean are important. Ensure that products are being used properly and effectively.
- Eliminate Odors, Don’t Mask Them — The odor is not the problem, but rather it is the source of the odor. Finding the source and eliminating it will actually eliminate odors as well as creating a healthier environment.
- Clean the Floors — A great deal of bacterial species breed on restroom floors. Purses that transfer from the floor to the counter can spread these contaminants to counters, hands and so on. Removing scuffs and stains will make the restroom look clean, but only disinfecting the floors can actually promote a healthier environment.
- Clean Glass and Mirrors — Glass and surface cleaner should be used to remove soils, stains and streaks, as well as to break down grime on mirrors and sink surfaces.
- Encourage Hand Hygiene — Not only should one wash his/her hands after using the restroom, but also after cleaning in the restroom. Washing your hands between cleaning tasks will help to prevent the spread of germs from one surface to another.