Use A Restroom Cleaning Checklist

Any restroom cleaning process should be coupled with spot and regular inspections by supervisors, at least once a day, depending on traffic, says Traudt.

This includes not just inspecting the restrooms to make sure that they are clean and well-stocked, but also checking the maintenance closet and the maid cart to make sure they have the correct amount of cleaning tools and solutions available to staff.

A restroom cleaning program should incorporate checklists that are used not only when cleaning and restocking is accomplished, but also when someone inspects the maid carts and cleaning closets for the correct amount of supplies and cleaning tools, says Traudt.

“At the end of the day, it all goes back to a documented system and inspections and accountability by supervision and giving [employees] the right tools,” says Traudt. “When we have our training classes, we always start with positive thoughts and why this is so important.”

Some employees are unmotivated to clean the restroom because they feel it is beneath them, so management must focus on the “big picture” reason why it’s an important part of the job.

In a restaurant, for example, “the food can be horrible, but if the bathroom is clean, then people will come back and eat again,” Waddell says.

Brendan O’Brien is a freelance writer based in Greenfield, Wis. He is a frequent contributor to Sanitary Maintenance.