Rest rooms play an important part in the design and function of every building.  This is especially important in education facilities due to the high level of usage and exposure to the public that they receive.

            The image of an organization, its future, and the morale of building occupants often centers around the condition of the facility's rest rooms.  Nothing gets complaints quicker than a rest room that is dirty, smells bad or is out of towels, soap or toilet paper.  And rightfully so.  Just think about the last time you were seated in a toilet stall twiddling your thumbs because you had just realized that there was no toilet paper.  Not a pleasant thought.

            Rest rooms are also a health and safety issue.  Pathogenic microorganisms are easily spread there via blood and other bodily fluids.  This is a serious issue for those cleaning as well as for those using the rest room.  Slip, trip and fall accidents, vandalism and assaults are also common in many rest rooms that are poorly designed, maintained and supervised.

            Improperly cleaned, maintained and monitored rest rooms create financial liability for contractors, companies, individuals, and districts.  Over the last few years there have been several lawsuits in educational facilities regarding the organization's alleged failure to properly clean rest room and shower areas.

What Can You Do?

            We all know that cleaning rest rooms is an important function for the custodial crew.  However, in most cases not much gets done beyond occasional demands for closer supervision, more frequent cleaning, a better smelling deodorizer, and more training of the workers.  The attitude is—we clean what's there; not much else we can do about it.

            This may be the case with a rest room already in place, but what about getting actively involved early in the design phase for new and remodeled facilities?  What if we were to design and build a rest room with cleaning in mind from the start?  What might we do differently that would reduce costs, improve the quality of the environment or make the area easier to clean and maintain?

            Chances are if you seriously ask your custodians the above questions you will get a lot of good feedback.  The next challenge becomes, how do we transfer all the good ideas to those who are in a position to see that some of the best ones become a reality?  One possibility is to suggest that the district form an architectural review committee whose sole purpose is to review, monitor and guide the designers, engineers and architects who will design, specify and oversee the construction of your new or remodeled building.

            One of the best ways to get a committee formed is to document in writing some of the problems that were built into your existing facility and what problems and costs they have created over the years.  At the same time keep in mind that it is not enough to talk about what's wrong—the focus needs to be on what can be done right or better this time and how much money can be saved.  To get upper management's or administrative attention you need to talk about how the useful life of the facility can be extended, and how much safer, healthier, and appealing the building will be if cleaning and maintenance concerns are designed in, not added on as an afterthought.

            My estimate is that doing so can double the life of some surfaces, areas and furnishings and reduce the cost of cleaning by at least 30% over the useful life of the building.  Take a look at your current budget, and see how much money we are talking about over a 35 to 45 year life cycle of a building.  This is cold hard cash that could go toward the education of the students instead of unnecessary cleaning.

Let's Get Specific

            Here is a list of some easy things that can be done without a lot of cost, and that will quickly pay for themselves while in the long run making a big difference in rest room cleanliness.

·        Use large, dark in color ceramic tile that is impervious to soil and stains on floors and lower walls to reduce the amount of grout and to facilitate easy cleaning with a wide variety of systems.

·        Use epoxy adhesive and grout on floor and wall tile areas

·        Adequately slant floor to multiple floor drains for fast run off of liquids; use drains that are self priming.

·        Use easy to clean and repair, graffiti-resistant partitions, such as high quality stainless steel or glazed ceramic tile with dark epoxy grout. Avoid particleboard that is sensitive to water or metals that will quickly rust.

·        Provide wall mounted hot and cold water access in each rest room.

·        Place as much of the chrome and piping behind the walls as possible.

·        Automate the fixtures and lighting with sensors.

·        Replace paper towels with electric hand dryers mounted high off of the floor.

·        Keep items such as stall legs, toilets, urinals, trashcans, etc. off the floor for easy cleaning.

·        Provide extra ventilation so odors are quickly removed.

·        Provide extra lighting in all areas so the room does not appear dark and dingy.

·        Install urinals slightly higher so there is less splattering.

·        Install self cleaning and disinfecting tile on floors and walls to help prevent odors due to bacterial growth.

·        Provide electrical outlets at least 18 inches off the floor every 8 feet around the room.

·        Install a specialty floor covering that is impervious to urine, such as quarry tile or epoxy, below urinals.  Provide adequate floor slant towards one or more centrally located floor drains under the urinals.

·        Avoid dispensers that have sharp edges or require separate or multiple keys to open. Also avoid built in dispensers that are expensive, difficult to use and refill. In most cases the maintenance crew should install dispensers after construction. This allows for flexibility in product selection.

·        Install automatic, no-touch lights, faucets, urinals and toilets.

·        Install jumbo-roll, covered toilet paper dispensers to reduce service frequency.  Mount them high on the partition.

·        Locate custodial closets in, near or between sets of rest rooms for easy access.

Here are a few tips for custodial closets:

·        Provide adequate space for storage of equipment and supplies. Don’t clutter the space with water heaters, electrical panels and fire alarm systems.

·        Doors should open out. Wall mounted shelves and handle holders should be available.

·        Install a floor drain and a seamless vinyl, epoxy, or quarry tile floor.

·        Install a floor mounted mop sink.

·        Make sure there is an electrical outlet.

·        Provide adequate ventilation and lighting.

·        Closets should be located in or near rest rooms or in common halls for easy access.

·        Locks should be coded and easy to change for improved security.

·        Chemical proportioning systems should be utilized to eliminate waste and improve worker safety.

            These are just a sampling of possible cost saving measures that can be utilized when buildings are constructed or remodeled. Building with cleaning in mind has not been an issue in the past, but this will change as costs increase and research continues to confirm the health benefits of a soil-free indoor environment.

            Use the above lists as a primer to work with your custodial and maintenance staff to come up with additional ideas that will result in rest rooms that are easier and more cost-efficient to clean.

            In future articles we will deal with procedures, equipment and chemicals that will help you find additional savings while improving the level of cleanliness.