Corners and Crevices: The Nastiest Restroom Areas

True or false: The toilet seat is the dirtiest part of the restroom.

Regardless of what patrons may think, the toilet seat—unless visibly soiled—is probably cleaner than many other surfaces in the restroom and is a less-likely source of cross-contamination compared to other high-touch point areas in the toilet stall, such as the flush handle, stall door handles, or handicap grab bar. 

From urine- and mold-prone surfaces to tough-to-clean stains, here we explore some of the grossest and most difficult-to-clean areas of the restroom. 

Gross Area No. 1: The Toilet Bowl 

When cleaning the toilet, the focus should always start below the toilet seat, according to infection control expert J. Darrel Hicks, as it’s important to clean from the dirtiest area to the cleanest.

To get started, take a compact mirror and use it to look below the rim where the toilet’s water ports are located. This is the area that passes water when someone flushes the toilet. When you do this, you will probably see a buildup of mineral deposits, stains, or even black bacteria. Buildup like black bacteria is not only a source of germs and decay, but it can cause odor issues in your restroom, as well. 

Cleaning tips: When cleaning the toilet bowl area, make sure the bowl brush remains inside the toilet until you are done cleaning, Hicks says. Using the brush to clean the outside of the toilet will only bring more germs onto the toilet seat and outer bowl. If you are trying to remove a stubborn stain like hard water or rust, a pumice stick may come in handy. You may also want to try an acid-based bowl cleaner or a calcium, lime, and rust remover. 

Gross Area No. 2: Surfaces with Bodily Fluids 

While this gross area is pretty vague and can apply to a variety of restroom surfaces, the rule of thumb is pretty similar across the board: Leaving bodily fluids to rest on surfaces or in receptacles can lead to more bacteria growth and putrid odors. This applies to feminine hygiene receptacles—a commonly missed area, Hicks says—urinal mats and screens, or any other surface that is prone to urine, fecal, or blood exposure.

Cleaning tips: Clean early and often. Change feminine hygiene receptacles at least once daily, with increased frequency depending on your restroom’s foot traffic. Employees should check to make sure the bags have not leaked, and clean the inside of the receptacle if necessary. 

Change urinal mats and screens at least every two weeks. When replacing the mats and screens, write a date on when they next need changing. This will help to remind employees when it’s time to make a switch and provide a quality assurance checkpoint for supervisors during inspections. 

Of course, when cleaning any of these areas, make sure your employees have access to and are trained to use proper personal protective equipment, such as gloves. 

Gross Area No. 3: Grout 

Grout is prone to developing mold and other bacteria because of its exposure to moisture, whether from standing water, vapor in the air, or urine. This can lead to discoloration and odor control issues among other problems.

Cleaning tip: Avoid using mopping systems that leave moisture behind in the grout lines to prevent mold from coming back. Additionally, apply steam to the grout while using a brass wire brush to remove the mold. Last, improve air circulation in the restroom and any shower areas to help encourage drying of wet surfaces. 

Article by Cleaning & Maintenance Management.

Avoiding Hazards with a Safe Janitorial Company

It is unfortunate that many professionals in our industry have been taught to believe the subject of health and safety is all about compliance with regulations.

When a facility service provider abides by prescribed regulations, the action is seen as something that needs to be done in order to follow the law. However, simply remaining compliant does not teach employers how to develop a health and safety program, nor does it offer suggestions on how to create a culture of health and safety in the workplace.

It has been said the establishment of a safety regulation is usually the result of a person losing their life. In other words, many regulations are created in response to a situation that has caused a person to die or become seriously injured or ill and to ensure that situation and outcome do not occur again.

However, there is more to health and safety than just following the law. There is a philosophy of health and safety based on the recognition, assessment, and control of hazards; this philosophy is easy to remember with the acronym REACH, although we won’t discuss each of the below steps in this particular order.

R stands for Recognition

E stands for 

A stands for Assessment

C stands for Control

H stands for Hazards.










Article by Cleaning & Maintenance Management.

Avoid Getting Sick At Work

Going to work is not easy to avoid, so whether we like it or not, we’re exposed to bugs that cause the flu and norovirus day in and day out.

Common areas, such as office kitchens and break rooms, are often breeding ground for illness-causing bacteria, and cleaning crews should give those places as much attention as they do to the restrooms, which are surprisingly not the worst culprits for bacteria, according to an article in the New York Post.

Areas like refrigerator handles, sink faucet handles, and the buttons on vending machines and elevators should be washed down every night to help prevent the spread of bacteria.


Article by Cleaning & Maintenance Management.

Studies Help Settle Great Debate Over Health Benefits of Carpeting

CHICAGO - U.S. Products - January 29th, 2014 — For decades, facility managers and owners have pondered the health benefits or detriments of installing carpeting, but recent studies are swaying the argument in favor of carpeting.


Each year approximately 100,000 people in the U.S. die due to hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This is often greater than the number of people who die annually from AIDS, breast cancer and automobile accidents combined.

This astoundingly high number has remained at this level for years even though many medical facilities have taken steps to reduce it.

However, one surprising way medical administrators may be able to reduce the number of deaths may be right under their feet: carpeting.

For instance, a recent study conducted by Airmid Healthgoup Limited, a leading biomedical research organization, found that properly maintained carpets (using high performance vacuum cleaners and cleaned using hot water extractors) can trap foreign allergens that could have potential negative health impacts and improved overall air quality far greater than hard surface flooring.

This follows a 2008 study, "Carpet, Asthma and Allergies — Myth or Reality," by Dr. Mitchell W. Sauerhoff, that found carpeting has the ability to hold and trap (sequester) contaminants, a feature not possible with hard-surface floors.

"We can have as many as 50 direct and indirect contacts with floors every day," says Joe Versluis, national sales manager for U.S. Products, a leading manufacturer of hot-water carpet extractors. "If contaminated floors are touched and then we touch other surfaces, this begins cross contamination and the way disease and infections can spread."

Both studies parallel other research dating back more than a decade comparing carpet and hard-surface flooring and coming to similar conclusions.

"This is not a surprising result," according to Sauerhoff, "since one of the properties of carpet is that it ... [traps and holds] biomaterials that would otherwise be resuspended into the breathing zone."

Unfortunately, many healthcare facilities may be unaware of the healing benefits of carpeting.

"Hopefully, medical administrators will revisit these studies to help reduce the staggering number of HAIs in this country," suggests Versluis.

Study: Carpet Actually Improves Indoor Air Quality

DALTON, GA — A series of studies funded by Shaw Industries indicates that effectively cleaned carpets can trap allergens and other particles, resulting in fewer particles escaping into the air and thus contributing to the maintenance of indoor air quality, according to a press release. 

"These studies challenge the long held belief that carpet must adversely impact indoor air quality as it pertains to allergy and asthma sufferers," said Dr. Bruce Mitchell, chief executive officer (CEO) of Airmid Healthgroup Limited, the independent bio-medical research organization that conducted the study.

The studies aimed to determine the depth of allergen penetration in carpet, the levels of allergens found in the air and the impact of carpet cleaning on allergen removal, the release stated.

According to the release, after cleaning the carpets, a meaningful reduction in allergens occurred in the carpet and the surrounding air.

"These findings add to the existing body of research that indicates that well-maintained and effectively cleaned carpets can be a viable choice for asthma and allergy sufferers," said Paul Murray, vice president of sustainability and environmental affairs at Shaw.

Click here to read the release in its entirety.

FDA Questions Antibacterial Soap Safety

WASHINGTON — On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that it would require soap manufacturers to demonstrate that the substances were safe or they would be required to take them out of the products altogether, according to the New York Times.

The proposal was applauded by public health experts, who have been urging the agency to regulate antimicrobial chemicals for years, warning that they risk "scrambling hormones in children and promoting drug-resistant infections," the article stated.

According to the article, the proposed rule does not require producers of the soaps to take them off the market immediately; the FDA has given companies a year to "produce data showing that the chemicals are both safe and effective."

If companies cannot prove that their products are safe, the chemicals will need to be removed, the article noted.

The rule will be open for public comment for 180 days, and does not currently apply to hand sanitizers, which will be considered separately, the article added.

Click here to read the article in its entirety.

Most Hands Are Not Being Washed Long Enough

IRVINE, CA — U.S. research is indicating that only 5 percent of those who use a restroom wash their hands long enough to kill the germs that cause infection, according to the United Press International.

The study, which was published in the Journal of Environmental Health, indicates a third of the people involved in the study didn't use soap and an alarming 10 percent didn't wash their hands at all, the article stated.

According to the article, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that it takes 15 to 20 seconds of vigorous hand-washing to effectively kill germs, but the study found that, on average, people are only washing their hands for roughly six seconds.

Click here to read the article in its entirety.