The Importance of Proper Cleaning Practices in Office and Commercial Restrooms

What comes to your mind in terms of shared spaces with coworkers? Most people don’t have an issue when it comes to sharing a kitchen or relaxation facilities. When the office or a commercial restroom is taken in consideration, however, things happen to be a little bit different (and slightly more paranoia-inducing).

Though the bathroom isn’t the dirtiest place in the office, most people are concerned about germs and the potential for infections spreading in the bathroom. There are many bacteria found in the bathroom but few of them pose an actual health concern. The common cold virus and the hepatitis A virus can both spread through contact with infected surfaces, which is why bathroom cleaning should never be left to chance.

Professional restroom cleaning is imperative, especially when it comes to facilities that are shared by numerous employees or that service customers. There are several reasons (beyond germs) why hiring a professional team to complete the task is one of the best choices.
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How People Perceive your Business

If you run a business like a restaurant or a night club, for example, you know well enough that the restroom will be used by thousands of people. Even if a small portion of these people doesn’t stick to keeping cleanliness, you’ll end up with the restroom from hell.

Unfortunately, other customers will form an opinion about your business on the basis of bathroom cleanliness. Numerous studies point out that restroom hygiene impacts business reputation. If restrooms aren’t maintained in an ideal condition, customers start thinking about negligence and the management’s lack of commitment to providing a stellar service.

How do clients rate restroom cleanliness? An interesting study was carried out to determine which factors had the biggest impact. The factors that had the biggest impact on client perception included:

• A sticky or dirty floor (an indicator of a dirty restroom according to 93 percent of the 3,130 questioned individuals)
• Unpleasant odor coming from the restroom (88 percent)
• Toilet paper and towels on the floor (80 percent)
• Lack of toilet paper in the bathroom cubicles (67 percent)
• Lack of soap in the sink dispensers (55 percent)

​It’s easy to see how something as simple as missing toilet paper or empty soap dispensers can create the wrong impression. As a business owner or entrepreneur, you know how difficult it can be to change those first perceptions. Thus, a focus on maintaining restrooms clean can actually be a little bit simpler when it comes to getting repeat customers and building loyalty.
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Restroom Hygeine and Employee Morale

Just like it has the impact to influence your customers, the condition of the restroom also affects employees. Good restroom hygiene indicates that an employer is interested in the wellbeing of workers. Something as simple as proper cleaning can have a positive impact on employee morale and motivation.

Restroom hygiene, the proper cleaning of touch points and the availability of soap are also crucial for reducing the risk of infection spreading in the office. It’s one of the ways to bring down absenteeism, especially during flu season.
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Good Practices:  A Few Tips and Suggestions

Needless to say, frequent professional cleaning is the best way to go. This is particularly true for larger commercial facilities and offices that are shared by a big number of employees.

There are, however, a few things that you can do between cleaning days to make sure that the bathrooms remain in a relatively good condition. Here are some of the essentials to stick to, whether it comes to a commercial or an office restroom:

• Hang signs: hanging signs that urge people to keep the place clean is one of the simplest possibilities for improving hygiene in the restroom. Sometimes, all it takes is a little reminder. The signs should shed some light on the most common problematic behaviors. In some offices, the problem could be employees leaving trash and towels on the bathroom floors. In other instances, the problem could stem from people forgetting to flush or trying to flush hygienic products down the drain (which should be disposed of in a trash bin).
• Do frequent inspections: check the equipment in the restroom to make sure everything is functioning. Some of the essentials to pay attention to include the fixtures, hand dryers, soap dispensers and paper towel dispensers. If you notice an issue, request professional repairs immediately. The longer you ignore the problem, the more difficult it would be to deal with.
• Refill supplies frequently: it’s very easy to refill the liquid soap and the toilet paper. You don’t need professional assistance to take care of such restroom issues.
• Lead by example: wipe the counter after you’ve used the sink and make sure that you’ve left no wet spots behind. Pick up your trash. Leading by example is one of the best options for motivating colleagues to take proper care of the shared office spaces, including the restroom.
• If necessary, modify the restroom cleaning schedule: some companies stick to a few professional cleanings per week in an attempt to minimize expenditure. If you notice, however, that the bathroom gets dirty very fast, you may want to reconsider the schedule. Investing in frequent professional cleaning will pay off in the long run.

Proper restroom cleaning is about more than germ control. Don’t make compromises and pay attention to every facility in your office or commercial building. Every room contributes to the overall image of your business. If you’re serious about establishing a certain reputation and getting to grow, you’ll need to start with the restroom and focus on keeping it clean.