Even before there was a pandemic, public restrooms' safety and cleanliness have always been subjects of debate. Now that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way everyone around the world lives, the use of public restrooms has become a more skeptical issue. We wrote this mini-guide to help cleaners and people in charge of public restrooms clean and disinfect them properly.
Below is our quick guide on how to clean and disinfect public restrooms.
The distinction between cleaning and disinfection
First, it is essential to know the difference between cleaning and disinfection for restrooms since both processes matter to the health safety of a public restroom.
Cleaning is the process of removing oil and germs from a surface such as a counter, floor, or washbasin. Effective cleaning is done with the use of general cleaners that rids surfaces of germs and dirt. This is important to the process of disinfecting restrooms because public restrooms carry the danger of both the COVID-19 infection and disease harbored by germs and dirty surfaces.
Disinfecting and Sanitizing refer to the process of killing germs and diseases in order to reduce them. The major distinction between cleaning and disinfection for restrooms is that while cleaning removes germs, disinfection and sanitization kill germs and diseases. The period for which disinfected surfaces are kept wet with a disinfectant is called “dwell time.”
To ensure that a public restroom is safe for its users, it has to be cleaned and disinfected.
Cleaning and Disinfection: The Process
A general-purpose cleaner should be used to clean the surfaces of public restrooms, followed by applying an approved disinfectant on the cleaned surfaces. It is important that cleaning be done before disinfection. This ensures that germs are removed before the surface is disinfected, further killing whatever germs and diseases are left on the cleaned surfaces.
High touch areas (areas that receive a lot of contacts) have the most germs in public restrooms, including COVID-19.
Areas that should be targeted during cleaning and disinfection include:
Faucet handles
Flush handles
Countertops
Soap dispenser levers and containers
Door handles, latches, and edges
Baby changing tables
Toilet seats
Toilet paper dispensers
Toilet bowls
Surfaces like mirrors, walls, and floors in the lobby or common areas might only require cleaning with general-purpose cleaners or hot water. Disinfecting these surfaces is not necessary unless blood or body fluid is found on them. Mirrors can be disinfected just for good measure.
Note that using dirty cleaning and wiping equipment could spread germs and diseases on new surfaces when cleaning or disinfecting a surface. You should clean and rotate the cleaning equipment used for cleaning when you notice that they have become dirty.
To ensure that public restrooms are disinfected properly and lower the risk of COVID-19 infection, you should allow a commercial disinfecting company such as SafeFromSpread to do it effectively for you.