Many facilities are now retrofitting their restrooms. Among the reasons they are doing this is to help keep restrooms cleaner and healthier, reduce water consumption, and find ways to lessen cleaning needs.  In most commercial facilities, cleaning workers spend more time cleaning restrooms than any other area of a facility.

If you are retrofitting your restrooms, here are six ways to keep restrooms cleaner, healthier, and reduce water consumption.

1.       Install more touch-free devices. Most facilities have been going touchless for years. Toilets, urinals, and faucets no longer need to be touched for the fixtures to operate. But why stop there? Soap dispensers and paper-towel dispensers should also be touch-free. Installing these systems helps eliminate cross-contamination, making handwashing much more sanitary. What’s more, many of these systems can be adjusted so they only release a measured amount of soap or paper per user-request. This minimizes costly waste.

2.     Select waterless urinals. Every couple of years, studies are conducted that determine the market future and growth of waterless urinals. No-water urinals, now available from many manufacturers, have proven to be odor-free and sanitary. Plus, many administrators select them because they cost less to purchase and install than traditional urinals that require flush valves, which can be costly and require extra plumbing, which is not needed with waterless urinals. The big benefit of no-water urinals, of course, is significant water reduction. 

3.     Consider plastic partitions. Many older restrooms have metal partitions. These can be heavy, requiring them to be bolted to both walls and floors, which makes cleaning the floors a challenge. Soil build-up around the bolted connections is very common, as well as unsightly. Further, metal partitions can be easily scratched, which means they are more vulnerable to vandalism and graffiti. Plastic partitions, on the other hand, weigh less, so they need only be connected to surrounding walls, making it far easier to clean the floors. In addition, many plastic partitions are designed to be graffiti- and vandalism-resistant, so stalls and the entire restroom continue to look their best.

4.     Install new floors. New flooring can make a significant difference, not only in the appearance of the restroom but also in cleaning and maintenance. For years, many camp, park, and rec restrooms have had tile-and-grout restroom floors installed—often with small tiles. Although such floors can be attractive and provide slip-resistance, keeping them clean and sanitary is all-too-often a never-ending battle as they age. When installing new restroom floors, select seamless, one-piece epoxy flooring or a similar floor surface. These floors have waterproofing capabilities, can be pitched for drainage, are durable, and are much easier to clean and to keep clean.

5.     Select automatic sanitizers on toilets and urinals. These systems are often programmable and designed for use on many existing fixtures. They release a disinfectant after each flush of a toilet or urinal, coating the fixture and surrounding surfaces. They keep the fixtures cleaner and healthier, reduce odors, and can shorten cleaning frequencies throughout the day. 

6.     Purchase toilet-seat cleaning systems. Taking toilet cleaning a step further, restroom users can also do their part to help keep toilets cleaner and healthier. With some systems, a wave of the hand over the toilet activates a mechanism that automatically and quickly cleans, disinfects, and dries the toilet after each use. The entire process occurs without contact, ensuring sanitary conditions.