Why Restrooms?
We’ve all been to less than clean public restrooms and used them out of need, not want. Dirty restrooms smell, are suspect, and can actually increase your risk of getting sick. Why is the restroom such an area of concern when it comes to protecting your facility from COVID-19? Research found that in an average hour of use that there were 500,000 bacterial cells per square inch on the bathroom surface. If there was ever a place that the coronavirus would by lying in wait, a restroom would be it. Many commercial cleaning companies put heavy focus on making the restroom look clean but sometimes do not take the time to actually disinfect it properly. Restroom disinfection is a critical component of curbing the spread of covid-19 and other infectious diseases.
Cleaning without disinfection can lull you and your building’s occupants into a false sense of security when in actuality your restroom is the perfect place for an outbreak to get a foothold in your facility. Don’t settle for substandard restroom cleaning, especially during a pandemic, find commercial disinfection services that will safeguard the health of you, your staff and your customers.
Understanding How to Properly Disinfect a Restroom
Restroom cleaning requires a specific set of procedures and processes to be done at a highly professional level. Cleaning must go beyond what you can just see on the surface.Here are a couple of good examples of what your commercial disinfection service should be doing in order to reduce your restroom’s bacterial and viral loads:
- The use of color-coded microfiber cloths to prevent cross-contamination of surfaces.
- Disinfecting high touch surfaces such as dispenser handles, paper towel dispensers, soap dispensers, door handles, push plates, fixture handles, and stall latches.
- Service Systems that provide documented proof of properly disinfected surfaces.
- Documented delivery systems to make sure that nothing gets missed.
- Use of Hospital Grade Disinfectants that have been approved by the EPA.
The onset of a pandemic should not be the trigger for your disinfection service provider to start using these best practices, however. Proper disinfection techniques are used in preventing the spread of the vast majority of illnesses and pathogens and whether or not you are in a pandemic should not stop your commercial disinfection provider from protecting your health. Good cleaning and disinfection is important ALL of the time, but never so much as now.
Consistency is King in Disinfection
It only takes one exposure to the COVID-19 virus to put your life at risk. That is why it is absolutely critical that your disinfection service provider is cleaning your restrooms the right way each time. Consistency is born out of professional training and clear communication. Having professionally trained cleaning staff in your building that has a complete understanding of the science of cleaning, why it matters so much, and their role in it is the first step in providing a service that is unerring in efficacy. Second, open and clear communication between you, as the Facility Manager, and your disinfection company is necessary to address problems as they come up and allows you to work together to adapt and change systems that aren’t getting the results you want. Problems that are left unchecked easily spiral out of control and little mistakes could be the different between life and death for someone that is in your building. Don’t take a risk with unproven or ineffective cleaning service - partner with the best and rest assured that your restrooms are as clean and healthy as is possible.
Cleaning Beyond the Basics
All too many commercial cleaning services put all the importance on things that are readily visible. Mirrors, counters and the tops of toilets are easy to see and therefore get cleaned most regularly. But there aren’t really the surfaces that we should be worried about. Bacteria and viruses do well in damp, darker areas like the base of the toilets, in the grout and on appliances like soap dispensers, handles and other fixtures. These little nooks and crannies repopulate other surfaces quickly and often have the highest concentration of pathogens and microorganisms that put your patrons at risk. If your office disinfection service provider isn’t putting sufficient effort into all of the little and big details of your restroom cleaning, it is not nearly effective as it could be. Don’t let carelessness and mistakes put anyone at risk, work with a commercial disinfection service that is going to take the health of you and your staff seriously. Likewise, consider a restroom cleaning checklist.
The Right Disinfection Service Provider for the Job
The pandemic is a challenging time for everyone, but certainly not a job that Stathakis isn’t up to. We know how to clean your restrooms for health because we’ve been doing it for the last 40 years. Not only are we experienced industry professionals but Stathakis has always understood the importance of health and safety. We regularly update our cleaning techniques to meet the EPA and CDC guidelines and have a professionally trained cleaning staff to make sure that these guidelines get implemented properly in your facility. Now is not the time to take a risk on an unproven or underperforming disinfection service, partner with a company that is going to take the health and cleaning concerns of your building seriously and implement the industry proven practices to help safeguard you, your team and your customers.
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