Portable toilets are easily one of the niftiest inventions ever. Imagine the inconvenience of going to a musical festival and then having to walk two blocks to find a restroom.
Or if you’re working in the construction industry imagine the delay in productivity if workers continuously have walk long distances to use the restroom. These days, one of the first things to go up at a construction site is the site toilets. Having facilities close by doesn’t cause any unnecessary delay in productivity.
Quick Tips to Keep Your Portable Toilet Fresh
Often construction sites are located in areas where there are no bathrooms. Portable toilets are the solution. However, setting them up on site is only the first step. They will also need to be cleaned and maintained to keep them hygienic. Several tips will help you keep your portable restrooms clean and fresh. Let’s look at a few of them.
Invest in Compatible Cleaning Chemicals
One of the easiest ways to keep portable toilets clean is to invest in cleaning tablets that are compatible with your particular type of toilet’s septic tank. Cleaning tablets are made up of bleach and other chemicals that keep toilets clean and germ-free.
The general rule with portable toilet chemicals is simply blue, pink, and green. These chemicals are listed as follows:
- Blue is a powerful deodoriser.
- Green chemicals used for the water tank.
- Pink chemicals ensure an easier flush.
That Special Blue Liquid
If you’ve ever looked into a portable toilet, you have no doubt seen that blue swirling liquid. That blue liquid is probably the only thing making your portable loo experience tolerable. But, what exactly is it? In short, it’s just a very powerful deodoriser. These days the magic blue liquid is made of a variety of environmentally friendly chemicals.
These chemicals dissolve odor-causing bacteria and some biological additives also speed up the decomposition of organic matter like toilet paper. This means tanks don’t need to be emptied as often as they don’t fill up as quickly.
Fresh Air is Your Friend
Since portable toilets are small and compact there isn’t much room for air to circulate. Keeping them closed for the duration that you’ve hired them will mean no fresh air is ever let in. The air inside the toilet will become stagnant and very unpleasant.
The simplest way to deal with this is to open the units a few times a day and just let them air out. Find something to lean against the door to keep it open after you have given it a good clean. This will allow the unit to not only dry out but also circulate air.
Sanitise the Most Touched Spaces
Another essential cleaning component to your toilet cleaning arsenal is a strong sanitiser. You can use a wipe down sanitiser to wipe down the most commonly touched surfaces. Alternatively, you can spray the whole interior with a water and sanitiser solution.
Be sure to wipe down the taps, toilet seats, as well as the door, handles on both the inside and the outside. Fortunately, most germs are easily cleaned off with a strong bleach solution!
Stock the Toilet With Necessary Sanitation Supplies
If you need to rent more than one portable toilet, it’s probably because you’re expecting a lot of people to use them. Toilets are one of those places that can get extremely dirty in a hurry. The theory is that if you keep your toilet clean and stocked with the items that people might need, they will respect the cleanliness of your portable unit.
Ensure the portable toilets are stocked with toilet paper, paper towels and soaps if there are basins inside. You might also want to add some hand sanitiser. If your portable restroom has space, add a smaller dustbin that closes for people to chuck baby diapers or cleaning wipes not suitable for flushing. Put up a sign encouraging people to use the dustbin for items that should not be flushed.
How Many Portable Toilets Do You Need?
Another way of making sure you don’t end up with a total mess on your hands is to ensure that you don’t have too few toilets. The general rule of thumb is that for every 10 employees, there should be one toilet.
For special events, calculate the toilets based on the highest expected attendance. It’s also a good idea to have at least one handicapped toilet available. The good news is that most toilet hire vendors have different restroom options to rent, including handicapped toilets.
One hand wash station for every four toilets is also a requirement. These stations should have sanitiser, soap and paper towels available.
How Often Should Portable Toilets be Cleaned?
Ideally, your rental company will be able to help you determine how often your toilets need to be emptied and cleaned. It depends on the amount of usage as well as the climate you’re using them in. In general, the rental company will check the levels at least once a week. The general cleaning though should happen several times a day if there is consistent use.
Conclusion
Hiring portable toilets is the best way to ensure that your employees or visitors have the most comfortable experience. It’s also crucial to ensure that the toilets are cleaned regularly and remain hygienic. It will go a long way to boosting your reputation!
