No one wants to catch Covid-19 or any other of the thousands of viruses and bacteria lying in wait on door handles, light switches, faucets or the toilet seat. 

High-traffic common areas like restrooms must be kept germ-free at all times. During the Covid-19 pandemic, especially, preventing germ transmission and maintaining clean high-touch surfaces in restrooms within a facility are essential.

On the one hand, there may be less foot traffic in public restrooms as people may try to avoid common areas during this time. But when you gotta go, you gotta go. And no one wants to catch Covid-19 or any other of the thousands of viruses and bacteria lying in wait on high-touch surfaces such as door handles, light switches, faucets or the toilet seat. 

According to a WebMD article, public restrooms are a warehouse for a variety of germs including streptococcus, staphylococcus, E. coli and shigella bacteria, hepatitis A virus, the common cold virus, and sexually transmitted organisms.

The role of a facility manager is to make sure cleaning is done right and keep visitors and employees safe. High-touch surfaces, the spots we touch the most, need special care. After all, health authorities say the best defense to keeping the novel coronavirus – and other viruses — out of our homes, schools, or places of work is proper cleaning and hygiene.

GBC Facility Services offers these important reminders of 5 high-touch surfaces you must remember to clean in public restrooms and tips on the right ways to prevent germ transmission:

Door handles

Most people think the toilet seat is the most unsanitary spot in public restrooms. Think again. More people use the door to enter and exit the bathroom. Germs waiting for the next person to push or turn the handle can be wiped out with proper cleaning and disinfecting.

Restroom stalls

You don’t usually think about it, but restroom stalls are the perfect place to harbor germs. Facility managers must make sure the door latches, toilets, stall walls and floors are wiped down. Toilet plume, the spray filled with microscopic bacteria that releases when the toilet is flushed, can linger in the air and stall for up to six hours. 

 Grab rails

Grab rails are there to help those who need assistance in lowering to or getting up from the toilet seat. They are there for safety. If not disinfected and cleaned properly, these rails will harm the very people who need them. Toilet plume, as well as being a high-touch apparatus, makes grab rails an important surface to clean in public restrooms.

Dispensers and dryers

Touchless soap dispensers and dryers help combat germ transmission. But not all public restrooms have them. Every cleaning checklist for public restrooms must include a cleaning and disinfecting plan for the “push” dispensers and hot air dryers. If your facility is unsure about installing paper towel dispensers, consider this 2018 study that shows how hot-air hand dryers collect bacteria from the air and deposit them onto freshly washed hands. A paper towel dispenser can be one way to help keep bathroom users dry their hands without spreading germs. 

Light switches

Some public restrooms require users to manually turn lights on and off. It is important for facility managers to remember that light switches – just like door handles, stall walls, and toilets – need cleaning and disinfecting, too. Light switches are often overlooked high-touch surfaces in restrooms especially when they are not visibly dirty. 

GBC Facility Services: Restroom cleaning best practices

It only takes one person to touch an infected surface and unknowingly spread the virus around a facility. When disinfecting high-touch surfaces in restrooms, it is critical to follow best practices and a cleaning agenda: 

• Clean and disinfect all common areas, with a focus on frequently touched surfaces. It is important to clean first then disinfect to best kill or inactivate germs on surfaces.
• Use high-pressure cleaning and decontamination procedures. High-pressure cleaning cleans areas that brushes can’t reach and minimize the need to touch contaminated surfaces.
• Stay educated about industry-appropriate cleaning protocols and approved products. Know when and how to use Certified Green Seal and EPA-approved disinfectants and antimicrobial products.

Facilities that follow best practices and clean high-touch surfaces in public restrooms can help limit the spread of germs. In this time of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is especially essential to provide clean and safe facilities. 

We all want to feel safe when we use a public restroom. At GBC Facility Services, we are here to help you deal with the novel coronavirus and keep your janitorial services and maintenance upkeep, in accordance with CDC recommendations.

GBC Facility Services welcomes clients throughout the United States and Canada, offering a wide array of cleaning services, from janitorial to deep cleaning to maintenance. We developed our proprietary software to guarantee top cleaning and maintenance standards consistently. We pride ourselves on being able to correct any issues in real time. Our clients have access to service tracking and audits, which gives them the ability to have all the information needed without even making a phone call.

Give our expert service team a call today so we can help you make your facility a cleaner, healthier, more productive and welcoming environment.