Restroom Cleaning Makeover

Contributed by Anand Perala 

In the sweltering summer heat of South Florida, Crystal Barbary and Rachel Price embarked on a four-day intensive cleaning mission at the bustling Intermodal Station in West Palm Beach. The station has long been a main transfer hub for passengers and operators of Palm Tran and Tri-Rail. But for years, the restrooms had a less than stellar reputation. That all changed in July of this year, when Chandler, Campbelle, and Daschle (CCD), a consulting and staffing firm, took over cleaning services. They quickly turned things around dramatically, and people immediately took notice.

“It’s like night and day since the new cleaners started,” says Noel Velez, a bus operator at Palm Tran.

"When we saw the restrooms, we knew we had our work cut out for us. This is a very busy restroom, but we rolled up our sleeves and got to work right away," recalled Barbary, a custodian with CCD who started in 2021. To bring the restrooms up to a sanitary and welcoming condition, they spent four days sweeping, scrubbing, spraying, wiping and mopping during the first week of July, 2023.

Since that initial power-cleaning, Barbary, along with her co-worker Rachel Price, have taken up the task of maintaining the restrooms’ cleanliness and hygiene standards, going above and beyond to ensure that everyone who steps into the facilities can do so with peace of mind. They keep it well-stocked with soap, toilet paper and paper towels.

"We clean it several times a day, sometimes even twice hourly during peak hours," says Barbary. "Our goal is to create a clean and safe environment for everyone who uses the restrooms."

For many Palm Tran bus operators, the Intermodal Station is one of the few places they can use the restroom during breaks in their shifts. Since the new cleaning crew started, CCD has been the talk of the town in the Palm Tran bus operators’ lounge. 

Price, affectionately known as “Ms. Rachel” is particularly adored by many Palm Tran operators for her compassion, dedication and motherly demeanor.

“It’s amazing what a great job Ms. Rachel is doing,” says Aisha Marbury, bus operator at Palm Tran. “It used to be hard to use the bathroom at the Intermodal, but now it’s so clean, I actually don’t mind waiting.”

“Ms. Rachel is so kind and polite. If you ask for help she’ll help you,” remarked Molene Innocent, another bus operator.

Many of the operators at Palm Tran came to know Ms. Rachel when she cleaned the buses at the height of the pandemic in 2020. At that time, Palm Tran hired CCD crews to sanitize each bus with greater frequency to limit the spread of COVID. 

“I’m just doing my job,” says Price, in response to hearing the compliments. “We receive a lot of thank-yous, and I do appreciate it, but I’m just old school. I do the job and put service first.” 

Price is also known for providing extra bar soap to people at her own expense. Price and Barbary are also known for their compassion for people experiencing homelessness, many of whom rely on accessible restroom facilities. Ms. Rachel and Crystal have embraced this responsibility, ensuring the restrooms are well-stocked with soap and cleaned thoroughly after each use. They make sure everyone can use the bathrooms, which also includes making sure that people don’t camp out too long.

"We don’t judge, we work to have the facilities be in the same condition we’d want them for ourselves,” adds Barbary. "We’ve heard positive comments from homeless people as well, as they can now use the facilities without fear, and it’s provided a sense of dignity. It's incredibly rewarding to know we've made a positive difference in their lives."

CCD’s remarkable efforts at the Intermodal Station have transformed it into a model of cleanliness and hygiene, where patrons can comfortably attend to their needs.

"The improvement is undeniable, and we owe it all to Ms. Rachel and Crystal's hard work and dedication," says Thomas Galassi, facilities manager at Palm Tran. "They've set a high standard that we hope other facilities will follow.”