Whether you are in charge of restroom sanitation for a large school system or commercial facility, the dangers of contamination exist on all fronts. Careless restroom users present one set of challenges, but your organization's cleaning system may be creating just as many dangers that can be avoided. Here are the three of the biggest restroom health hazards for your concern, and how to create a safer environment in your restrooms.
1. Offensive odors Intense odors quickly make public restrooms undesirable, but what is causing the smell should be of more concern to administrators. According to Dr. Tom Keating of CLEAN (Citizens, Learners and Educators Against Neglect), an organization dedicated to health safety in school restrooms, the situation in US school restrooms is nothing short of "a national disaster." Part of the problem is ignoring the cause of offensive odors. Instead of worrying about masking the smell, cleaning staffs should address the cause of the odors, which may be the presence of harmful bacteria festering in the organization's restrooms.
2. Fecal-oral disease transfer. After a visit to the restroom, users may end up with microscopic fecal matter on their hands without knowing it. These contaminated hands may touch everything from stall doors to soap dispensers and restroom doors. Worst of all, restroom users who enter just to look in the mirror or get a paper towel may end up contacting these highly contaminated surfaces without thinking to wash their hands. If that person touches his or her mouth, eyes or nose with a contaminated hand, there's the possibility of fecal-oral disease transfer, one of the most common forms of disease transfer.
3. Potential for cross-contamination. The third and no less dangerous of the restroom health hazards is often traced to poor cleaning practices. Naturally, contaminants make their way to the floors and surfaces of public restrooms. When not cleaned properly, those contaminants get tracked to other areas of the building, putting other occupants at risk. Even worse, unaware cleaning workers often reuse their cleaning tools in other areas of the building, spreading restroom contaminants along the way.
No-Touch Cleaning
Research by environmental health scientists suggests that a public restroom is a high-risk environment. An ideal cleaning method would allow staff to enter restrooms, sanitize surfaces and floors, then leave without bringing the pollutants to other parts of the building.Kaivac No-Touch Cleaning include a system of chemical metering and injection, an indoor pressure washer, and a powerful wet vacuum in a single package. Public restrooms present many health hazards, and it's vital that risk of contamination be kept to a minimum.
To learn more about Kaivac's approach to restroom cleaning, click here.