Irrespective of who we are, toilets are an integral part of our lives. The advent of technology and new lifestyles have changed people’s traditional outlook of toilets. Its status has also evolved from being associated with cold, unhygienic spaces, where we merely rush to relieve ourselves.
People’s expectations for the humble toilet have also grown as a result of frequent reports of infectious outbreaks inflicting our world. It is no surprise then that this has somewhat heightened people’s concerns for cleanliness and hygiene and more so when it comes to the thought of using the toilet someone else had previously used.
The biggest challenge associated with toilets is not building them but maintaining them after they are built. In the past, toilets were usually given the least considerations be it when it came to design, improvements or maintenance. Toilets were usually looked at as cost centres and any attempts at improving the toilets were made grudgingly. However, over the years, more and more businesses have come to realise that this little room in the building can make a big impression on their business.
There was a survey conducted in 2002 in the United States on how guests gauge the cleanliness of hotels. In this survey, nearly three quarters of the respondents said it was by the condition of the toilets. To further highlight the importance guests placed on toilets, eighty-four percent of those surveyed said that they would inspect the toilet and supplies within fifteen minutes of entering a room. Interestingly, clean toilets were also very much preferred to other room amenities such as internet connection.
Most notably, management and not the cleaning staff is the key when it comes to having clean toilets; management must show that they value clean toilets. Beyond words, there must be a systemised maintenance and cleaning regime in place and expectations communicated to the cleaning staff through training. Further to this, support must also be given in terms of providing the appropriate equipment and cleaning agents.
In this age of germaphobia, emphasis should be made not just in getting the toilets cleaned but cleaning the toilets hygienically. In this respect, for example, mops that are used for toilets should not be allowed to be used for areas outside the toilets to prevent germs spreading from one surface to another. Similarly, cloths that are used to clean toilet and urinal bowls should be of a different colour so that they are not used to clean fixtures and fittings such as the vanity tops and wash basins. In line with this, emphasis should also be made on maintaining the cleanliness of the implements, especially the mops and cloths.
Consideration too should be paid to contact surfaces. Examples of these are the toilet seats, door handles and floors. Like dirty equipment they can serve as transmission routes for pathogens. These areas should be cleaned and sanitised. Cleaning staff should be taught to use sanitisers according to the manufacturer’s instructions and not any manner which pleases them.
In tackling odours, attention must be given to the urinals and toilet bowls including the areas that are subject to drips and splashes such as the floors grouts and cubicle walls near these fixtures. The major source of odours in toilets is caused by the breaking down of urine by bacteria resulting in the discharge of ammonia into the environment and the growth of unsightly urine scales on urinal and toilet bowl surfaces. To control odour, it is common practice to complement the daily cleaning and disinfecting regime with deep cleaning regime on a regular basis. Odours in toilets can be accentuated too if the ventilation systems such as the fans and air vents are accumulated or clogged with dust.
Apart from the ones caused by guest, stains in toilets can occur due to neglect, as in the case of odour and urine scales forming on urinals and toilet bowls and by cleaning staff using the wrong chemicals or using the right chemicals wrongly. Besides training, the general principle is to remove these as soon as possible before they become permanently etched.
Finally, damaged or vandalised dispensers promote a negative impression of neglect by management. So too it can be upsetting to guests when consumables such as hand soap are not available in toilets, particularly when hand washing is the key to prevent transmission of germs. In this respect, it is always wiser to offer guests with dispensers that are made of durable materials and with larger capacity and supplemented with regular checks and replenishments.
World Toilet College (WTC) in 2006 developed the Restroom Specialist Training Course. This course equips cleaners with the necessary skills in order that they can take ownership and maintain toilets independently. The Restroom Specialist Training Course achieves this by adopting a “Total Approach” to toilet maintenance. The course comprises of five core competencies that are essential for restroom maintenance. In this course, cleaners are taught restroom service quality, daily cleaning and inspection of restrooms, semi-skilled repairs, periodic cleaning and specialised cleaning (removing odours and stains) of restrooms.
WTC is the training arm of World Toilet Organization (WTO), one of the organisers of the upcoming World Toilet Summit & Expo 2008 (WTSE 2008). Held from 4 to 6 November at The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel, Macau, the event is the only dedicated platform focusing on solutions for toilets for the masses. These include public toilets under the responsibility of government agencies in most countries, hotels, hospitals, schools and underdeveloped areas.
Participants can expect an action-led conference with humanitarian, government, and private sectors sharing their perspectives on improving the current sanitation situation. It is coupled with a comprehensive exhibition featuring the latest technology and services in sanitation and cleaning solutions for urban and rural areas. Held around the world since 2001, the event is jointly organised by WTO and MP Asia, in partnership with Asian Development Bank.
Visit: www.worldtoiletevents.com
Contact:
Expo: Vincent Yap: vincentyap@worldtoiletevents.com
Jaslyn Tan: jaslyntan@worldtoiletevents.com
Summit: Ginn Lee: ginnlee@worldtoiletevents.com
Media / Visitors: Jody Teo: marcom@worldtoiletevents.com
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