The objective of restroom odor control is fairly basic — get rid of bad smells and keep customers happy. But whether to use an artificial odor-control system, such as a user-activated or metered aerosol system, is a bit more controversial. Preferences differ from person to person, so we asked housekeeping executives in a variety of customer facilities what they want their building service contractors or in-house staff to use.

I. Aldape Jr., director of custodial operations at Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, isn’t too enamored with the idea of artificial odor-control products.

“I do not believe in mechanical odor-control systems, as they tend to hide or mask the odors, thus hiding the odor -causing situations, eventually creating hygiene, sanitary and eventually health problems,” Aldape says.

BSCs who use odor-control chemicals should use them with caution, says Lea Buburuz, corporation cleaning consultant for the British Columbia (Canada) Buildings Corporation in Victoria.

“A lot of folks are allergic to the odor-control odors themselves, and often [the scents] are worse than the odor itself,” Buburuz says. “The auto-control ones can malfunction, and then you have a real problem.”

Instead, Buburuz prefers thorough cleaning to artificial odor control.

“An example would be our ferry-system terminals, where the washrooms are cleaned before and after every sailing,” Buburuz says.
The ferry runs between Vancouver Island, smaller islands and mainland British Columbia. Trips run every hour during the high season and every other hour during off-peak times, from about 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, seven days a week. The ferries serve thousands of travelers daily, and the restrooms see similar traffic.

Janitors are instructed to check each restroom and clean them with a germicidal cleaner before and after every sailing. Additionally, they do a detailed top-to-bottom cleaning at the end of the shift, when ships stop running. This includes washing the walls and scrubbing everything with a high-quality detergent.

“More monitoring and better cleaning is my preference,” Buburuz explains. “The theory is that clean washrooms make happy customers. Odors are generally related to soil or residue of some sort, so we should get rid of the cause and not treat it with cover-ups.”

When you can’t be there immediately
Sometimes, however, odors in properly cleaned and maintained restrooms are unavoidable. The good news is that many transient odors will dissipate over time, but in the meantime, there must be a way to mitigate the aesthetic problems they cause.

“It’s a time issue,” explains Christine Himpler, director of housekeeping for the Hilton-San Francisco. “We can’t be cleaning areas every 30 seconds — when we can’t be there, a timed device is important.”

Hotel housekeepers do clean guest rooms with a deodorizing disinfectant, and spray the rooms with a neutral deodorizer. However, if guests request their rooms to be scent-free, Himpler is happy to oblige; she suggests BSCs keep their chemically sensitive customers in mind, and be ready to give up the sprays if necessary.

Buburuz also allows cleaners to use artificial odor control, but limits them to devices that don’t spray chemicals into the air.

“The [odor-control devices] I allow are in urinals, where we use a block contained in a mat,” Buburuz says.

Even though he personally doesn’t like the idea of artificial odor control, Aldape is testing metered dispensers for his facility due to user complaints.

“I have several dispensing units in strategic locations on campus on a trial/test basis,” Aldape says. The test uses an LCD-activated aerosol dispenser with neutral fragrances.

“So far, we have not had any complaints on the dispensers nor the scent we are using, but have had several positive remarks,” he says. “However, I am still not convinced — although I am keeping an open mind — that we need to pursue this system. Time will tell if we decide to keep the dispensers or not.”

During the test period, he has discovered some lapses in restroom cleaning that might explain the user complaints, but he might keep the dispensers if the users really want them.

“I believe that odors are as a result of either organic/bacterial origin, poor cleaning procedures or mechanical/ plumbing malfunctions,” he adds. “I prefer to ensure that the restrooms are well ventilated, and that good, solid cleaning and disinfecting procedures are used on a routine basis to eliminate odors.”

Which Scents Make Sense?
There are a wide variety of scents available for odor-control chemicals — fruit is well represented, as are outdoor scents. Just about everyone has a personal preference, but users agree that the scent should be subtle, so they don’t draw attention to the fact they’re probably covering up an unpleasant smell .

"We use a ‘linen’ scent," Christine Himpler, director of housekeeping at the Hilton-San Francisco, says. "It’s not overpowering. You don’t want to walk into a restroom and say, ‘Oh! My goodness! Fresh fruit!’ It needs to be a subtle, clean scent."

Another way to ensure odor-control devices do not draw attention to themselves is by choosing a scent that’s not easy to recognize. For instance, a strong pine or mango fragrance is immediately recognizable, whereas something more subtle will be more likely ignored. If nobody notices a scent — pleasant or unpleasant — in the restroom, then the odor-control program is doing its job.

"We use ‘Ocean Breeze,’ as opposed to a forestry scent, so nobody notices it," says Larry Armstrong, director of general services for the Carnegie Museums in Pittsburgh.

To determine which scents are appropriate for which customers, try them out and solicit feedback. I. Aldape Jr., during an odor-control pilot program at Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, asked his staff for their opinions.

"We are testing the ‘Irish Linen’ sent, which my staff like," he says. "The ‘Sea Shore’ sent is fairly decent, according to my staff. All the other scents are not as amiable to the senses as these two."




POSTED ON: 8/1/2003