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Serving the Maryland, Washington D.C. & N. Virginia Areas

Serving the Maryland, Washington & Virginia Areas

How to prevent the spread of germs in office restrooms

office restroom

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought attention to the prevention of germ-spreading like no time in recent or even distant history. People are more aware of how prolific the coronavirus can be in public situations. Especially office buildings where hundreds of different people walk through every day. And in office restrooms.

Many of these office dwellers also use their public restrooms. Which were already hotbeds of germ infestation long before COVID-19 came along. The nature of the pandemic necessitates a few extra considerations in keeping both the exposure and the spread of germs contained in public restrooms.

Some of us prefer not to use public restrooms at all if we can help it, and that’s certainly a good idea at the moment. But it’s not always possible. If you must use your office restrooms, there are a few simple ways to keep germs from spreading from that place to the rest of your work area.

Wash your hands the right way in office restrooms

Way back in the early days of the pandemic, experts spent a lot of time talking about the importance of handwashing in stemming the spread of COVID-19. As repetitive as the advice may have sounded, it was extremely wise. There’s no better weapon against the rampant spread of germs and related diseases than washing your hands.

It’s doubly important to do so after using a public restroom. All germs move about very easily on the smooth surfaces you find in a washroom or toilet — especially those connected with the coronavirus, as we’ve learned.

Experts agree that 20 seconds is about the right about of time it should take for a complete hand-washing cycle — wet, lather, and rinse. When using a public restroom, make washing your hands the very last step, and try not to touch any other bathroom fixtures or surfaces before you’re out the exit door.

Don’t use an air-blowing hand dryer

Since most of the focus on how COVID-19 gets spread has centered on contacting skin or touching, it might seem logical that one should use the electric, air-blowing hand dryers many public restrooms have rather than paper towels or tissues. You only have to touch the start button, which you can do with a clothed elbow, and rub your hands underneath the rapid current of warm air.

It’s the last part that’s the problem: the air. The coronavirus and other germs like it can also be transmitted through airborne means. Especially since the air from hand dryers comes out at great velocity. It can spread the virus quicker and farther than a disposable towel does. Use a napkin or paper towel to dry off your hands after washing them. If you’re in a situation where you can just let your hands dry off without a towel, that can work too.

Instill a daily cleaning routine

Office restrooms cleaning is nobody’s idea of fun. Most employees would prefer to work on tasks that have something to do with business operations rather than sanitary duties. Still, for dependable and consistent protection against the spread germs, nothing works quite as well as a regulated schedule of bathroom cleaning with a checklist.

One solution is to make bathroom cleaning a cyclical event that everyone in the office must do at least once. Offices with higher headcount will find it easier to get employees to clean the restroom once a month, or even longer, than smaller ones.

A professional cleaning service can, of course, take this responsibility completely off your employees’ hands with a full-on daily cleaning during business off-hours.

Use the right cleaning products

Some consumer-grade cleaning products are advertised as being multi-purpose. They work just as well in the bathroom as they do in the kitchen. But the cleaning challenges of restrooms are entirely different from any other part of the office. They need cleaning solutions that are specifically formulated to work in bathroom and toilet environments.

Use a high-grade, powerful cleaning agent expressly intended for restroom cleaning. One that’s stronger and more effective against the germs and substances that only appear in bathrooms.

A professional cleaning company will always have those types of cleaning products at hand. Their professional-grade solutions will likely be more effective than any cleaner you can pick up at the supermarket.

Contact RJC Commercial Janitorial and Cleanroom Solutions at 800-582-2105 to discuss what your future  janitorial services looks like.

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