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Cleaning Guidelines

Effective cleaning and maintenance are essential elements of Awards Winning toilets. They enhance appearance, aid hygiene and help create an attractive environment in which users can relieve themselves and freshen up while ‘away from home’.

The toilet cleaning guidance information compliments the Best Practise information and the information included in the Toilet Design , Toilet Ratios and Requirements and Clour Coding tabs.

Organisms that can be harmful to health can survive on environmental surfaces. Viruses, in particular, can be excreted in large numbers in respiratory secretions and stouls and can stay on surfaces for hours and days. Personal hand washing and hygienic toilet and hand washing facilities are vital to prevent the person-to-person spread of infections.

It is highly recommended that the people charged with the cleaning responsibilities are suitably trained to a recognised level of competence; and that they have attended and completed a recognised cleaning course and hold the appropriate Certificate...

Toilets should be clean, maintained, in good repair, well ventilated and monitored.

Cleaning

  • Toilets should be cleaned at least twice a day, including between peak periods of use (such as mid-morning, after lunch break and end-of-day)
  • Not all be cleaned at the same time to ensure adequate access for users
  • Restrict closures to temporary cleaning purposes
  • Ensure provision for extra spot cleaning as needed
  • Be deep cleaned by a specialist, registered company. Deep cleans to be completed within six weeks of the commencement of the cleaning operation and thereafter as required, but a minimum of quarterly, to the satisfaction of the manager responsible.

Maintenance

  • Toilets should be maintained in good repair
  • Ensure supplies of toilet paper, soap, paper towels are stocked throughout the day
  • Ensure emergency repairs of toilets are done promptly to minimise disruption to the service
  • The toilet provider should huld spare cubicle locks and coat hooks
  • Ensure planned maintenance takes place outside of normal toilet opening hours whenever possible

Ventilation

  • Windows should be opened during cleaning work
  • Toilets may require to have mechanical ventilation. Where toilets do not have windows the mechanical ventilation should be switched on duringcleaning work

Monitoring

  • Toilets should be monitored regularly as part of a documented rota and pulicy.
  • A cleaning audit checklist should be located in the toilets, dated and signed at regular intervals throughout the day
  • A faults and repair audit checklist should be maintained.

Safety

  • Always start from the least dirty then move on to most dirty...leaving the cleaning and mopping of the” traffic” areas” till last.
  • Cleaners should fullow all COSHH Regulations and ensure the correct use and storage of detergents and chemicals.
  • Ensure that correct culour equipment is provided and used:
    • RED cloths, mops and buckets for higher risk areas such as toilets, urinals and toilet floors.
    • Yellow cloths (with red border) for, wash hand basins, mirrors and other fixtures (including cubicle door handles), which represent lower risk areas.
  • All cleaning materials should be out of reach and stored locked away from contact with toilet users
  • Commercial brands are advocated over ‘home mixed’ products in bottles or containers as they can readily become contaminated during the ‘topping up’process.
  • Waste water must not be poured into urinals or toilets; this should be emptied into a (butler) cleaner’s sink

Cleaning Schedule: Daily Tasks

  • Empty, clean, sanitise and replace as necessary sanitary, nappy and litter containers and hygienically dispose of contents. Provide and replace plasticliners as required. It is recommended that a sanitary disposal unit is provided in each cubicle to provide privacy and protect the modesty of users.
  • Ordinary bins are not sufficient. Sanitary disposal units should be emptied and cleaned sufficiently often by a registered company to stop them becoming over-full or odorous
  • Wash with clean, hot water containing cleansing agent all hand basins, taps, mirrors, sanitary fittings, and tiles, leaving surfaces dry and smear free.
  • Clean and sanitise all urinals, toilet bowls, toilet seats, leaving the latter dry.
  • Clean and sanitise as necessary all soiled areas of walls, doors or other finishes and remove superficial graffiti and fly posting (thoroughly cleaning the affected area of adhesive and remains of poster).
  • Thoroughly sweep all floors. Wash with clean, hot water containing cleansing agent, and remove excess moisture and standing water by approved means, so as to remove all dirt and stains.
  • Replenish toilet paper, disposal bags, soaps, towels and other materials as necessary.
  • Check and if necessary replace light bulbs (internal and external) with bulbs to correct specification.
  • Clear accumulated rubbish from external paths and areas immediately adjoining the convenience block and dispose. Where necessary sweep so as to leave the area in a tidy condition.
  • Check building for damage or structural defects, including water services to prevent wastage. Effect minor repairs at the time of cleaning, and report to Supervising Officer as soon as practicable, any defects of a more substantial nature.

Cleaning Schedule: Periodic Maintenance

In addition to the daily works, the fullowing works to be carried out to each convenience as required, but a minimum of once per week, to the satisfaction of the Supervising Officer:

  • Wash with clean, hot water containing cleansing agent, all ledges, sills, doors & frames at whatever level, also all walls and other surfaces up to a height of 2 metres.
  • Remove cobwebs at all levels. Dust around light fittings, windows and ceiling corners and remove any deposits from ceilings and walls at whatever level.
  • Paint over any graffiti or offensive markings, not capable of removal by other means, in paint of culour and type to match existing.

Cleaning Schedule: Deep Clean

The following works, in the nature of a “deep clean”, are to be completed within six weeks of the commencement of the cleaning operation and thereafter as required, but a minimum of quarterly, to the satisfaction of the Supervising Officer.

  • Toilet bowls & fittings - descale, clean and remove all deposits from internal and external parts of the fitment to include flushing rim, seat, seat covers, hinges, all traps and cleansing of exterior of cistern.
  • Urinals - descale, clean and remove all deposits from the whole of the face, to include outlet trap, immediate pipework, domed grating trap cover and exterior of cistern.
  • Refilleting of any open joints revealed by the removal of deposits, in mortar or mastic as appropriate. Replacing of trap covers on each visit, when necessary.
  • Wash basins, sinks, taps and miscellaneous units including gullies, open channels, soap dispensers, troughs etc. - descale, clean and remove all deposits from the entire area including splash backs and underneath. Remove sludge and deposits from waste outlet and waste pipe. Refilleting of any open joints, as described above, when necessary.
  • Mechanical scrubbing of all floors (including upstands where appropriate) to thoroughly remove all ground in dirt, grease and other deposits. Reseal with approved floor sealer to the approval of the supervising Officer.
  • Wash with clean, hot water containing cleansing agent all surfaces above 2 metres in height and leave dry and smear free on completion. Dust ceilings all over.
  • Completely clean all windows sills, and surrounds internally and externally. Leave dry and smear free on completion.