A Clean Public Restroom Means Repeat Business

Every business faces the significant challenge of keeping a public restroom clean and sanitary. And it is crucial. It’s possible customers will never return if restrooms are not clean and sanitary. Therefore it’s very important to keep public restrooms clean.

This is especially true in the restaurant industry, where customers are much more cleanliness savvy than in the past. But many business owners underestimate how restroom cleanliness affects their bottom line

According to a recent Harris Poll survey, 86 percent of those surveyed say that clean restrooms are as important as a clean kitchen. Seventy-five percent report they would not return to a restaurant that had a dirty bathroom.

Another survey revealed that 94 percent of those asked would not patronize a business that had a dirty restroom, irrespective of the industry.

Mops Cross-Contaminate

Roy and Beth Davis, owners of Full Sweep Cleaning in Taylorsville, Utah, and parents of 11 active children (and counting!) say that “with a family our size, we understand the constant challenge of keeping the bathrooms clean and sanitary. We’ve also learned that just because a restroom looks and smells clean, doesn’t mean it is clean and sanitary.”

Studies have shown that the standard methods of cleaning with mops and rags, essentially smear soils on surfaces. They can also cause cross contamination. In other words, they don’t remove soils, odor-causing bacteria, or harmful pathogens such as Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, MRSA, E.coli, Salmonella, and influenza. Instead, they spread them.

Enter Spray-and-Vac Cleaning for Restrooms

Full Sweep Cleaning utilizes a Kaivac spray-and-vac cleaning system called No-Touch Cleaning by Kaivac. These systems are proven to be as much as 60 times more effective at removing contaminants from surfaces than mops and rags. “It is the most effective restroom cleaning tool on the market,” says Roy. “This cleaning machine is highly versatile and it thoroughly cleans any restroom hands-free.”

By “hands-free,” Roy means the cleaning professional does not have to touch potentially contaminated surfaces. This protects the health of the worker and, almost as importantly, helps improve the self-esteem and professionalism of the cleaning worker.

The Kaivac system works by applying a metered amount of cleaning solution to restroom fixtures, walls, partitions, and floors using a low-pressure spray.

Then, using the high-pressure spray setting, the machine rinses the same areas with fresh water. “We also pressure clean grout lines and areas that mops can’t reach. This way we can flush out soils in these areas, leaving the restroom thoroughly clean.”

The same areas are then vacuumed using the machine, leaving the floor and the restroom dry and ready for use in minutes. “The result is a hygienically cleaned restroom,” adds Roy. “One that not only gives the appearance of cleanliness, but really is clean an odor free.”

About Full Sweep Cleaning

Roy and Beth started a restaurant cleaning business in 1996. Full Sweep Cleaning’s business model is centered around cleaning public restrooms. However, they have grown into a full-serve cleaning company. They believe a clean building starts with clean restrooms.

Frequently Asked Questions: Clean Restrooms and Repeat Business

How much does restroom cleanliness affect whether customers return? Significantly. A Harris Poll survey found 75% of people would not return to a restaurant with a dirty bathroom, and 86% say a clean restroom is as important as a clean kitchen. A separate survey found 94% would not patronize any business, regardless of industry, that had a dirty restroom.

Why do mops and rags actually make restrooms less sanitary? Mops and rags smear soils across surfaces instead of removing them, causing cross-contamination. Studies show they spread rather than eliminate odor-causing bacteria and harmful pathogens such as Staphylococcus, MRSA, E. coli, Salmonella, and influenza, even when a restroom looks and smells clean.

How much more effective is spray-and-vac cleaning than mopping? Kaivac's No-Touch Cleaning spray-and-vac systems are proven to be up to 60 times more effective at removing contaminants from restroom surfaces than mops and rags, according to cleaning contractor Full Sweep Cleaning, which uses the system across its restaurant restroom accounts.

What does "hands-free" restroom cleaning actually involve? Hands-free cleaning means the cleaning professional applies a metered low-pressure chemical spray, rinses fixtures, walls, and grout lines with a high-pressure freshwater spray, then vacuums the area dry — all without touching contaminated surfaces, protecting both worker health and the restroom's actual hygiene.

Recommended Kaivac Solutions for Clean Restrooms and Repeat Business

To protect repeat business with truly hygienic restrooms, Kaivac recommends:

• Kaivac No-Touch Cleaning® Systems: The spray-and-vac line referenced throughout this article and used by the featured case-study contractor.
• KaiVac 1750: Kaivac's most popular No-Touch system, a strong default fit for restaurant-scale restrooms.
• KaiBosh™ Disinfectant: Hospital-grade disinfectant that targets the named pathogens (MRSA, E. coli, Salmonella) this article specifically calls out.