WASHROOM CARE

Studies show that every tenth visitor to a building uses the restroom and that this area causes more complaints than any other part of a building!

Clean washrooms are particularly critical to leaving a favourable impression of your establishment.

Essential to your washroom maintenance program is a system which addresses:

  • CLEANING & DISINFECTION

  • ODOUR CONTROL

  • RESTOCK & RESUPPLY

This piece will deal with the first two.

Odour Control

When setting up an odour control program, it's important that you counteract, not merely perfume or "mask" restroom odours.

A true counteractant effect is based on the concept that for every odour molecule, there is another odour molecule that is its pair. In proper proportion, these odour pairs have the effect of cancelling the perception of either odour. By matching odour pairs ­ for example, lemon and fish - an objectionable odour is eliminated. It is not merely masked by adding a stronger, albeit more pleasing fragrance/ perfume.

However, since no odour at all can seem stale and therefore undesirable, you should choose products that also provide a quality of "freshness" to the air. The overall results of combining odour counteraction with this so-called "air freshened" effect are three fold:

1) Malodours are eliminated.

2) Total odour intensity is reduced.

3) The environment takes on a quality of freshness.

Odour Counteraction is Not Enough

The air quality in your restroom depends on total environment sanitation. Soil removal and disinfection are essential elements of a complete washroom care program. But many odours cannot be eliminated solely through the use of detergents and disinfectants. Thus, proper odour control is an integral part of your program. True odour control is accomplished by using counteractants and air-freshening agents.

And remember, odour counteractant properties of the disinfectant/ cleaner and the odour control system should complement one another to deliver a "consistent effect" rather than a multitude of "flavours". The objective being to achieve clean, fresh-smelling washrooms, while not "confusing" the nose!

Manufacturers now offer a variety of odour controlling agents and products to deal with most malodours you will encounter. Not only in your restroom but throughout your entire facility. The assortment of odour control programs now available allows you to select from a variety of products to meet the standards of your washroom, your facility and the public.

Cleaning & Disinfection

When choosing a disinfectant, follow these guidelines:

  • Check to ensure the product is "registered" and compare label claims.

  • Does the product carry a D.I.N. number?

  • More importantly, does it carry a Pest Control Product (P.C.P.) number to confirm the product will do what the label says it will do?

  • Has the product passed the stringent tests designed by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (A.O.A.C.)?

  • A manufacturer should support claims with written reports and technical data indicating:

  • If and how the product is registered.

  • What test methods it has used to achieve such registration.

  • Exactly what the disinfectant can do under test, and if possible, real-world conditions.

  • Check labels for microorganism effectiveness. Compare the dilution ratios for cleaning and disinfection. Check the soil load and hard water tolerances as well as odour counteractant capability. And of course ensure the odour counteractant contained in the disinfectant/ cleaner complements the rest of the products used in your washroom.

For effective, one-step cleaning and disinfection in your restroom, also consider the following:

  • If athlete's foot is a concern ensure your product carries a fungicide.

  • If herpes or HIV is a concern, make sure your product carries a proven and effective virucide.

  • For added safety make sure acid bowl cleaners carry a dye to help spot spills and residues which could be left where they're unwanted: a toilet seat for example.

When choosing "other" hard surface restroom cleaners, consider the following:

  • Are your urinal rings and blocks biodegradeable, and do they carry an odour counteractant? How long do they last? Cheapest is not always best!

  • Do your acid bowl cleaners change colour when the product is working to promote worker safety?

  • Do your cream cleansers contain highly abrasive ingredients such as pumice or silica, or are they really mildly abrasive and therefore ideally suited to surfaces we want to protect?

The Bottom Line on Washroom Care

A total restroom cleaning system includes effective odour control which complements the cleaning and disinfection elements. Though the restroom may be spotless, if malodours persist, the public will doubt the sanitation standard of the facility. And because it's very hard to fool the nose, perception may be more critical in the restroom than anywhere else. If odour control is not part of a total restroom sanitation program, then a critical element is missing.