Does your restroom smell and feel fresh and welcoming or do the malodours emanating from there make people wish they were somewhere else? The odours from your washroom are likely to permeate to the rest of your workspace affecting routine work and productivity. If you are the owner of a health club, a bar, a restaurant, a salon we are sure you understand the direct impact even the smallest mishap could have on your business and sales.
It will not be an exaggeration to say that the condition of a washroom can easily make or break many businesses. To add to that, washrooms are not easy to maintain and look after. They require various kinds of specialist care whether it is feminine hygiene requirements, a complete deep clean including of the difficult to access places to ensure complete sanitation, maintenance of dispensers and hardware in working condition or constant refilling of consumables.
With owners being hard pressed for time looking after their day-to-day business affairs, it is no wonder that thousands of businesses across Australia trust Fresh & Clean for their washroom hygiene services. You too can partner with Fresh & Clean and leave your washroom worries to us.
Your workplace has all these services being taken care of, either by a professional service provider or in-house, yet your workplace still ends up with malodours. Fresh & Clean can help you understand more about why malodours develop and how to properly remove them.
Causes of Restroom Odour
Poor Ventilation: Improper or inadequate ventilation in the restrooms is one of the most common causes of restroom odours. Without adequate ventilation, moisture in the air causes the growth of germs and bacteria which emanate these odours.
Therefore, it is essential to have proper ventilation in your restroom that helps fresh air to circulate and remove the moist air from enclosed spaces. Keep windows in the restroom open for as long as possible. Use ventilation fans to suck away enclosed air and throw it outside. While designing a bathroom, make sure to have proper ventilation.
Blocked Air Flow: It often happens that ventilation fans and ducts are installed. However, with time and use these become clogged blocking the flow of air. This too results in poor ventilation.
Your washroom cleaning routine should ensure that all vents are cleaned regularly as per a schedule so that they function optimally as designed.
Improper cleaning of walls and ceilings: A study conducted took swabs from objects in public washrooms such as walls, sinks, radiators, taps, toilet seats, mirrors. The study found that the sink was the hotbed of bacteria, however, taps and radiators were next highest number of bacteria. What was notable was that the number of bacteria on the walls was similar to that on the toilet seats.
Therefore, it is essential that a proper cleaning of walls and ceilings with a disinfectant should be done in order to avoid them becoming homes for odour causing bacteria.
Flushing: Yes, you read that right. Every time a toilet is flushed, it is the origin of the problem of odours. Let us explain that. One may not realise it, but studies have shown that with each flush, an invisible mist rises. This mist contains bacteria which go and settle on surrounding surfaces such as seats, toilet covers, walls, etc. If left unattended, these bacteria are the source of the odour problem in washrooms.
In order to avoid odours, as well as for hygiene, it is essential to spray and wipe all areas surrounding toilets and urinals with a disinfectant cleaner. Depending upon the volume of use, it may even be a good idea to do it more than once a day.
Using General Purpose Cleaners: Housekeeping people tend to carry general purpose cleaners with them for cleaning different kinds of work surfaces. These do not have disinfectants, or in case they do, the disinfectants may not be powerful enough to kill the various kinds of micro-organisms found in washrooms.
Disinfecting the washroom is a specialist job. The housekeeping staff needs to use proper germicidal cleaners which will get rid of the bacteria and other harmful germs present. It might be a good idea to get a professionally managed service for your washrooms since they have the knowledge and are equipped with the latest tools for the task.
Cleaning only the easily accessed surfaces: Cleaning washroom is tricky. There are different kinds of surfaces which require different tools and cleaning agents. Then there are some areas which can be hard to reach and tend to get overlooked. These areas tend to become great breeding grounds for bacteria.
Regularly clean these areas with proper disinfectants and wipe them dry afterwards. This will keep the area clean, hygienic and smelling fresh. This is another job which a professional might be able to do better, so why not leave it to them?
Drains: These are another happy hunting ground for odour producing bacteria and need to be cleaned regularly and properly.
Bleach, which has disinfectant properties too, can be used to clean drains, in case specialist drain cleaners are not on hand immediately. A mixture of equal quantities of bleach and water can be poured down the drain. Allow it to stand for at least half an hour for the bleach to act before the drain is used. This can be repeated monthly. Be careful not to pour the bleach on the surrounding surfaces or else they would develop stains which would not look pretty.
Cleaning Closets: Finally, make sure that your cleaning tools are stored properly. Wash them properly. Dry out mops, buckets and other wet tools. Make sure all cleaning chemicals are closed properly so that they do not spill out.
A dirty janitorial cupboard could itself give rise to foul odours and make the use of the washroom an unpleasant experience.
Supplement Cleaning With…
These are some nooks and corners of your workplace washrooms where odour causing bacteria may be found. Cleaning these areas with a proper germicide will ensure that the bathroom smells as fresh as a daisy.
Supplement the cleaning efforts with air fresheners, particularly the ones that not just mask the foul smell but actually drive it away. Fresh & Clean air fresheners do just that. What is more, they do not use harmful CFC-based gases to deliver doses of perfumed air. Combine Fresh & Clean’s washroom cleaning services with their odour control service for a washroom that is sure to make its users feel welcome.
Image Courtesy: Bigbirdz