Commercial restrooms are breeding grounds for germs and bacteria. Cleaning them according to the proper schedules and procedures is crucial to keeping your business sanitary, preventing cross-contamination, and remaining compliant with any national standards your business adheres to..
Professionals follow step-by-step commercial restroom cleaning procedures to eliminate all germs and bacteria and promote the highest sanitation standards. Learn the steps the experts use for cleaning commercial restrooms, then contact JAN-PRO Cleaning & Disinfecting for commercial cleaning in Atlanta.
How Often Should You Clean Commercial Restrooms?
The schedule you should follow for cleaning your commercial restrooms depends on the amount of traffic they experience. You may be okay cleaning a low-traffic bathroom once per day, while high-traffic restrooms may require two, three, or even four cleanings daily.
The goal is to follow a schedule that prevents your bathrooms from ever showing visible signs of dirt and grime. Bacteria and germs still build up between cleanings, but bathrooms should never look visibly messy.
Of course, sometimes big messes occur, and you should have the protocols in place to address these messes as soon as possible. If you find that major messes occur often or that your restrooms become dirty quickly, you may need to up your cleaning frequency.
Commercial Restroom Cleaning Procedures: Step by Step
The best commercial restroom cleaning procedures remove germs, bacteria, dirt, and grime from restrooms as efficiently as possible. These are the steps professionals follow to clean commercial restrooms.
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- Wear Personal Protective Equipment
The first step is to put on gloves, a mask, and any other personal protective equipment indicated on the cleaning products’ labels. This gear can prevent you from coming into direct contact with any of the germs and bacteria in the restroom and protect your skin against harsh cleaning chemicals.
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- Alert Patrons and Post Signage
Next, announce your presence in the restroom and determine whether any patrons are currently in the facility. You should not begin cleaning the opposite sex’s bathroom until it is empty. Ideally, any bathroom will be free of patrons when you begin cleaning.
Put a sign on the door saying that the restroom is temporarily closed for cleaning, and place wet floor signs in appropriate locations. If someone slips on the bathroom floor and a wet floor sign is not present, you could be liable for their injuries.
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- Declutter the Space
If there is any visible trash or clutter throughout the restroom, pick it up and place it in the waste bin before you begin cleaning. Now is also a good time to remove any decor from the counters, creating a bare surface to streamline the cleaning process.
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- Pretreat Urinals and Toilets
Follow the labels on your cleaning products to pretreat urinals and toilets. Most cleaning products perform best when they have a few minutes to penetrate the toilet bowl before you begin scrubbing. Follow the time requirements on the label.
Pretreating these facilities now can allow you to accomplish a few other commercial restroom cleaning procedures before you scrub the toilet bowls.
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- Dust and Sweep
When cleaning any area, work from the top down. This allows you to sweep any dust or debris that has fallen to the ground as a final step.
Begin by dusting all horizontal surfaces in the bathroom, including the counters, paper towel dispensers, changing tables, and any other fixtures. Then dustmop or sweep the floors to remove loose debris.
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- Clean and Disinfect Non-Porous Surfaces
Next, spray liquid disinfectant on all non-porous surfaces in the restroom, including:
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- Counters
- Door handles
- Toilet flush handles
- Door push plates
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Be sure to disinfect all high-touch surfaces throughout the restroom. Saturate these surfaces with the liquid disinfectant and allow the cleaner to penetrate for a few minutes before wiping it away with a damp sponge.
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- Clean and Disinfect Toilets, Urinals, Sinks, and Surrounding Floor
Next, spray liquid cleaner on the outsides of the toilets and urinals, along with the sinks and faucets. Never use the same cloths to wipe toilets and other fixtures to prevent cross-contamination.
Allow this disinfectant to saturate for several minutes, according to the label, and then wipe it away with a damp sponge.
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- Scrub the Insides of Toilets and Urinals
Now that the toilet cleaner has had time to soak, use a toilet brush to scrub the insides of toilets and urinals. Be sure to scrub the underside of the toilet seat. Additionally, be careful not to splash the toilet cleaner outside of the toilet; if you do, re-clean the area with disinfectant spray.
After scrubbing the toilet bowls, flush the toilets.
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- Clean the Mirrors
Next, clean the mirrors and any other stainless surfaces with glass cleaner, removing any smudges and disinfecting the surface. Spray the cleaner directly onto the mirror and then wipe it immediately with a cloth.
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- Refill Amenities
Check all of the toilet paper dispensers, soap dispensers, and paper towel dispensers and refill them. If the bathroom has any other amenities, such as feminine hygiene products, restock these as well.
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- Empty Trash
Tie off the trash bags and empty all trash receptacles in the bathroom. Be sure to empty any loose trash in the bottoms of the bins. Disinfect the trash bins before securing new bags in them.
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- Mop the Floor
Once you have cleaned and disinfected all other surfaces and the floor is free of debris, use a mop and bucket to clean the floors. Be sure to follow the label on your cleaning solution to create the correct concentration for the mopping fluid.
If the floor consists of grouted tile, use a scrub brush to clean the grout. Otherwise, start in the back corner of the restroom and mop your way toward the exit, being careful to clean every square inch of the tile.
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- Return the Restroom to Service
Finally, take a minute to review the steps above and ensure that you have completed all of the commercial restroom cleaning procedures. Then, remove the “closed” sign from the door and return the restroom to service. Do not remove the wet floor sign until the floor is completely dry.
Tips For Professional Restroom Cleaning
Following the steps above can ensure a thorough, comprehensive restroom cleaning. But there are a few best practices you should know to clean your restrooms even more efficiently and effectively.
Understand the Proper Dwell Time for Cleaning Products
Some cleaning solutions have a “dwell time,” or the amount of time you should let them set before wiping them away. Others don’t require any dwell time. Read the label carefully to maximize the effectiveness of cleaning products.
Use Multipurpose Cleaning Products
Many multipurpose cleaning products work well for a range of surfaces. Professionals incorporate these products into their cleaning stock to save time and money.
Pay Special Attention to High-Touch Surfaces
High-touch surfaces are areas of the restroom that patrons commonly place their hands on, like door handles, toilet flushers, faucets, and paper towel dispenser cranks. While these areas may not look visibly dirty, they can harbor germs and bacteria, easily spreading from person to person when patrons touch them.
Every time you clean your commercial restroom, disinfect these high-touch areas. You can also take other steps to stop the spread of bacteria, like placing trash cans near the exit door so that patrons can open the door with a paper towel and throw it in the trash rather than touching the door knob with their hands.
Follow a Cleaning Checklist
Creating a regular cleaning checklist to give to an independently owned cleaning business, or to follow yourself, can ensure that you clean restrooms in the most efficient order possible and do not miss any essential steps.
Use Commercial-Grade Cleaning Supplies
When disinfecting a facility in your business, commercial-grade cleaning supplies typically work better than household cleaners. Professionals use commercial mops, mop buckets, dustpans, and brooms to save time. When you hire a third-party cleaning service provider, you don’t have to worry about purchasing cleaning products or knowing which products to buy.
Hire Professional Cleaners
Cleaning commercial restrooms from top to bottom is a task that requires a level of expertise and elbow grease. That’s why many businesses outsource their bathroom cleaning to professionals, ensuring a job well done and dedicating their time to other pressing tasks.
Commercial cleaners can follow your desired schedule for bathroom cleaning, guaranteeing that your restroom stays in a tidy state and portrays a respectable image of your business to patrons and employees.
Seek Professional Restroom Cleaning Services From JAN-PRO Cleaning & Disinfecting in Atlanta
JAN-PRO Cleaning & Disinfecting in Atlanta follows all of the necessary procedures to keep your public restrooms clean and sanitary. Offering all types of commercial cleaning services, local franchisees can meet your business’s sanitation needs, allowing you to focus on running your business.
Contact JAN-PRO Cleaning & Disinfecting in Atlanta today by filling out this contact form, and we’ll connect you with a cleaning franchise owner near you.
Cleaning and disinfecting services provided by independently owned and operated JAN-PRO Cleaning & Disinfecting franchisees.