Periodic Detail Restroom Cleaning
Your plan for maintaining clean restrooms should include periodic cleaning tasks that either take a little more time than daily cleaning or require the restroom to be closed for safety. These detail restroom cleaning tasks include but may not be limited to floor scrubbing, dispenser maintenance and high dusting. Detailed fixture cleaning is another essential task and steam cleaners are ideal for this task.
The reason it is a good idea to include these tasks in your overall restroom cleanliness plan is that they serve as preventive maintenance. By scheduling this periodic restroom ‘deep cleaning’ you reduce the chances of having to perform restorative cleaning, which requires more time and effort.
When to Perform Periodic Detail Restroom Cleaning
Because many of the tasks involved with periodic deep cleaning of restrooms take more time than typical regular cleaning, it is a good idea to schedule this work when the restroom is at a low traffic time or when it is possible to close down the restroom all together. Wet floors and equipment can also be potentially dangerous for restroom users. Plus having the restroom closed allows the cleaning staff to work uninterrupted.
What Should Be Included?
Periodic detail restroom cleaning should include anything that cannot be done during regular daily cleaning. There are always those tasks that simply are not possible to accomplish or do not need to be done every day. A perfect example is floor scrubbing with a compact auto-scrubber. Every type of floor requires some type of scrubbing from time to time. It is not usually practical to scrub a restroom throughout the day and for most facilities floor scrubbing on a daily basis would be overkill. But weekly or bi-weekly makes sense.
Every facility is different and has different traffic patterns. The times and the tasks that are needed will very. The important thing is that periodic detail restroom cleaning is included in your overall restroom cleanliness plan.
When it comes to deep cleaning restrooms, there are several tools that can make the process easier. Before mechanical scrubbers and high pressure cleaning systems, we were pretty much relegated to using a hand brush to deep clean floors and baseboards.
While the elbow grease methods still works, the use of restroom cleaning equipment makes the deep cleaning process much faster, safer and produces much better results.
Restroom Floor Scrubbing
Rotary floor scrubbers are very versatile when it comes to cleaning floors. In a restroom setting, they are able to quickly deep scrub tile and grout, loosening built up soils to be easily removed. For this application, it is most effective to use a brush rather than a pad. The longer bristles are better able to get down in the uneven surface of the floor. When partnered with the correct cleaning chemicals, a rotary scrubber can make a big difference.
Square floor scrubbers are also a good option. These machines have an oscillating head rather than a rotating head. Providing more of a vibrating motion, square floor scrubbers make it easier to control when scrubbing in tight areas like restroom stalls. Also, because they are square, corners are much easier to get into. Turf pads are an excellent choice for grouted areas when using a square machine.
Edger scrubbers can be a big help as well. They look similar to a line trimmer, but have a small brush on the base. This makes it possible to get behind toilets and into other tight areas that a rotary or square scrubber cannot.
Restroom Cleaning Equipment for Floors and Beyond
Another type of restroom cleaning equipment are touch free systems. These employ high pressured water, that blast away dirt and soils. Using a controlled stream of water, you are able to deliver cleaning chemicals directly to the areas you need to clean, both to the floor and to the fixtures in the restroom. Areas like stall walls, toilets, urinals and sinks can be quickly and easily cleaned without the user having to touch them. These systems use detailed procedures to do both deep cleaning as well as daily maintenance.
Steam cleaners are another method of deep cleaning. Using steam rather than water, difficult soils can be removed without chemicals. Although this is a slower method, it can produce great results on hard to clean areas.
Using mechanical equipment to deep clean restrooms provides a cleaner facility, extended maintenance cycles and happier, safer employees.
Every trade has its tools and restroom cleaning is no different. Having the proper tools will always make tasks easier, faster and provide better results. So when it comes to above the floor restroom cleaning, such as dusting, wiping and scrubbing, it just makes sense to have the correct cleaning tools for the job.
Dusting Tools
I have always thought of dust as job security for cleaning. No matter where you clean, there will always be dust settling on surfaces. Restrooms have lots of places that dust can be found. Partition walls, window ledges, counter tops and fixtures are just a few of the examples. Controlling dust during cleaning is the key to overcoming it challenges. The old traditional feather duster is only a quick fix that usually just makes more work for later. The better option is to use a damp microfiber cloth or pad to grab and hold the dust. It is important to not use an overly oily chemical for dusting. The residue left behind by the oil can for a dust trapping film on the surface. This will build up over time and be difficult to remove. The film can also discolor surfaces.
If you are more of a traditionalist, there are microfiber dusters that look similar to feather dusters that work very well. But keep in mind, that they do not catch all of the dust. Much of it will still be stirred up into the air.
The best option for removing and controlling dust is to use a vacuum. Back pack vacuums make it very easy to remove dust from surfaces at all heights. By containing the dust in the vacuum bag, it will not settle back on to surfaces you will need to clean again later.
Wiping Tools
There is only one type of material that is guaranteed to work for wiping surfaces in a restroom and that is microfiber. Because it grabs and holds dirt and soils so well, microfiber cloths, pads and mops make cleaning much more effective. Microfiber is made of synthetic fibers that can also help to prevent the spread of bacteria.
When setting up your microfiber cleaning processes, it is also a good idea to use a color coding system to reduce cross contamination. Designating specific colors for specific tasks and surfaces help with staff training and provide a safer working environment.
Scrubbing Tools
Brush technology has come a long way in the last few decades. Synthetic materials provide a cleaner, more effective means of getting those hard to clean areas without the spread of bacteria. Because they use plastic rather than natural materials, soils can be rinsed away easily and bacteria cannot thrive on them.
Scrubbing pads are also a great option along with the newer technology Magic Erasers. These provide optimal scrubbing power without damaging surfaces.
Above the floor restroom cleaning is an important factor in the overall cleanliness of a restroom. Having the best tools for the job will make all of these tasks easier, safer and more effective.