Whether public or private, your bathroom says a lot about who you are--green Janitorial Services can help.
Janitorial Services and What Your Restroom Says About You
Your business's restroom can say quite a bit about you and your company.
Important aspects to consider are:
- Smell
- Cleanliness
- Supplies
If Your Bathroom Stinks, So Will Your Profits
Fifty percent of those who visit restaurants said they would tell their friends and family about a negative experience with an unclean or unsanitary restroom, and 46 percent said they would avoid going to a restaurant because of a bad experience with a restroom that they had themselves or one they heard about from others.
-How Your Restroom Can Help or Hinder Your Restaurant Business
We've all been there, the roadside rest stop--last one for 100 miles, and you need to use the restroom.
You grab the key attached to a hubcap from the patron and wind your way through a poorly lit hallway to a filthy door that doesn't look like it has been cleaned since the Carter administration.
As you reluctantly enter, mentally reminding yourself to pay particular attention to the hand you were forced to use to open the plague infested door, the first thing that hits you isn't the cleanliness of the room (or lack thereof), whether it has soap (can soap be dirty?), or if those four pieces of square tissue left in the dispenser will be enough to get the job done (nope).
No, the first thing you notice is the smell.
The smell that tells you exactly what you need to know about where you're about to place your backside, and approximate how long it has been since any surface in this forgotten wasteland has seen the business end of a scrub brush and cleaner.
In short, the owner shouldn't expect a flowering review from you on Yelp.
Keeping in mind that everyone has varying standards of clean, close your eyes and walk into your business's public restroom.
Now, breathe in deeply through your nose.
Can you smell anything?
If you can, even if you find the smell pleasant, you may have a problem.
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What Should Your Bathroom Smell Like?
Perfumes from air fresheners only mask smells from bacteria and can cause various respiratory issues within sensitive groups.
Harsh chemical smells, though a reliable indicator that the room has at least been cleaned recently can also cause adverse respiratory reactions.
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Ideally, your bathroom should not smell like anything.
The easiest way to allow, even green cleaning chemicals to properly evaporate and leave the clean smell of nothing behind is with proper ventilation, preferably an open window.
What You Can Do
According to a study conducted by the CDC:
- Set the HVAC fan to run continuously.
- Test the efficiency of the HVAC system outdoor air intake.
- Exhaust the bathrooms and locker rooms to keep odors from
entering the office. - Limit the use of air fresheners, room deodorizers, and
cleaners. - Record any work-related complaints or problems from
employees and quickly investigate these issues and record any
actions taken.
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How Often Should You Clean?
A bathroom cleaning schedule should be directly proportional to several factors:
- The number of people that use the facilities.
- How often the facilities are used.
- The type of environment the facility exists in, i.e., hospitals, schools, office, or restaurant.
- How inviting you wish your business to be perceived as, and;
- How much recurring business and quality workforce you want to retain.
As cited earlier, even the impression of a dirty bathroom can be enough to turn away a substantial amount of business, and filthy private office bathrooms, especially when facilities are limited in a small business, can be a tipping point in employee morale and productivity.
That's why Starbucks, for example, requires that restrooms be cleaned and stocked at least three times daily — and, again, whenever the restaurant's seating area is cleaned, says spokeswoman Lisa Passe.
Restroom cleanings are done even more frequently in high-volume stores, Passe says.
Bathroom Supplies
OSHA has standard guidelines regarding an employer's obligation to provide specific sanitation supplies to employees, even those on the go.
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That's fairly standard, but let's be honest, no one is going to fault you for going that extra mile on the toilet paper quality, the cleanliness and extra comfort of your bathroom, nor your preference to provide something a little more appealing than industrial strength hand sanitizer and paper hand towels moonlighting from their day job as sandpaper.
Regardless, the point is to keep the facility well supplied and readily accessible by all occupants.
Running out of toilet paper and soap with no immediate remedy isn't the story you want an unhappy customer telling the public on an online review site, and the health implications of those types of recurring issues with employees can be financially devastating over an extended period.
Takeaway
- The cleanliness of your bathroom can have an immediate impact on how your business is perceived.
- A poorly cleaned restroom has been shown to have a significant adverse impact on employee morale and customer churn.
- Maintaining well-supplied facilities isn't just a courtesy, in many instances, it is the law.
- Strong or foul odors won't just turn people away, they could have a profound effect on the respiratory health of your staff and customers.
- Maintaining a regularly and thoroughly cleaned restroom should not be the responsibility of your employees.
- Hire professional janitorial services to maintain your business profits and reputation as well as your worker and client health.
If you would like to learn more about the benefits of professional janitorial services for your business, contact us today for a free quote!
In Bakersfield CA, call 661-395-3009
In Fresno CA, call 559-473-1790
