Your office’s washrooms will need particular attention and a specific cleaning regime in order to effectively disinfect the area. The toilets are one of the most germ-ridden places in your office as 1. This is where waste is disposed 2. It has some of the most touched surfaces in the building. Everyone needs to use the toilet, therefore everyone will be touching the same handle, toilet handle/button and hand dryer etc when using the facilities. With germs so easily being able to be spread, you need to ensure you know how to properly clean your financial building’s washroom.
Personal hygiene
You cannot have an effective cleaning schedule without good personal hygiene- the two simply go hand in hand. You will need to ensure personal hygiene best practices are in place in your office so that your employees know how to keep their area as clean as possible, therefore as safe as possible. Examples include:
- Always wash your hands after going to the bathroom
- Always use a tissue when sneezing, use antibacterial gel/ wash hands after sneezing
- Use antibacterial gel/ wash your hands after coughing
- Do not eat without washing your hands first
Environmental hygiene
Although not all germs are harmful, some can significantly impact your health- there is too much risk to your employee’s lives to not adopt a thorough cleaning schedule for the entire of your office, including the bathroom. There will be specific cleaning products that were made specifically to tackle the toilet, therefore ensure you are ordering the correct products for the job. As a general guide, products that are disinfecting, germicidal or sterilising are the best to use as they are most likely to kill bacteria rather than just look clean. However, consider a range of factors before purchasing a product, for example:
- Nature of cleaning activity
- How often the bathrooms are used
- Common habits of employees
- The materials in your toilets
Every business will have a different cleaning schedule depending on their needs, desires and resources. However, the following should be considered as a basic guideline to ensure optimum cleanliness for your office washrooms.
Step 1
Preparation. Ensure all equipment is out, ready to use and clean. If you are using dirty equipment it will only spread germs further than getting rid of them. Always ensure you have appropriate signage displayed that cleaning is currently taking place and that employees cannot enter. Or, have appropriate sectioning between where the cleaner is working and the usable toilets. If these are not displayed you could impose a health and safety risk to office workers and risk causing them harm.
Step 2
Always allow the cleaning agent to sit on surfaces for at least 30 seconds before wiping. This allows the product to successfully kill germs. This is required for all surfaces in the washrooms, especially the most used aspects such as the toilet seat, toilet handle/button, taps, soap dispenser, hand dryer, door handle etc. Remember to wipe dry with a fresh, clean and dry disposable cloth.
Step 3
Empty bins and collect debris. As well as physically being free from germs, visually they will also need to be clean. It can cause a bad impression on the business if employees and visitors have to use a messy bathroom. We advise to visually clear the washrooms whilst the products are sitting on the surfaces.
Step 4
Do not miss the other areas of your bathroom, e.g. doors, windows, mirrors etc. Bacteria can easily be spread by the toilet flushing, clothing and by touch, therefore, the entire of the washroom will be contaminated and will all need to be cleaned. Ensure you are taking the time and effort to properly clean every aspect of the office toilets.
Step 5
Finally, clean the floor. This will need to be the final part of your cleaning as your other cleaning techniques would have resulted in the floor receiving more dirt and germs. Always sweep/hoover before using wet products as the physical dirt will only be moved around the floor rather than actually being removed.
WINNS Services has been established for over two decades providing cleaning services to clients. We pride ourselves on exceeding expectations and working with clients to offer the best solution to their queries. If you are wondering whether you would benefit from our professional cleaning services, call us on 01702 719100 or email us at info@winnsservices.co.uk
