Keeping your restaurant restrooms clean

This past year has made everyone take a hard look at their cleaning habits and routines. Foodservice, an industry that’s always had to stick to strict cleaning regimens, has had to ramp it up even more. And as diners are filling up dining rooms once again, one area they’re going to want to see kept especially clean is the restrooms.

Even before the pandemic, studies showed that many restaurant patrons see the bathroom as more than just the bathroom. Many customers see it as a reflection of what the kitchen looks like, and some customers won’t even return to your restaurant after a dirty bathroom experience. But can you blame them? No one likes having to use a dirty bathroom. You can’t underestimate the impact of cleanliness (or the importance of clean toilets) in a restaurant restroom.

To save you everything from an embarrassing dirty bathroom complaint to reputation-damaging, online restroom reviews, here are some restroom maintenance tips.

Integrate cleanings into staff’s daily duties

If you haven’t already, get your whole staff involved. Rotating bathroom cleaning responsibilities throughout the day keeps everyone moving even during slow times, and keeps it fair between everyone.

The standard for cleaning frequency is once in the middle of the day and once at closing, with checks every 15 minutes throughout the day. A check shouldn’t take more than 30 seconds, picking up any trash on the floor, looking around for any unsightly messes, etc.

For the full midday and closing-time cleanings, it helps to create a rotation for who’s responsible. If everyone does a little, no one has to do a lot.

Stock up on the right cleaning supplies

Commercial restrooms require commercial cleaners and supplies. The first thing you want is a good, strong all-purpose cleaner. And strong doesn’t have to mean harsh – you can find many options made of all-natural ingredients, like this one.

Next, you want to make sure your toilet brushes, plungers, etc. are up for any challenge. If it’s been a while since they’ve been replaced, it’s probably time.

Then you’ll want to take inventory of your toilet paper, paper towels, and other necessary day-to-day supplies. You can shop for all of these types of supplies at TundraFMP.

Upgrade and modernize

Sometimes it’s not a dirty restroom but an old-looking restroom that’s putting people off. Look at your restrooms with a critical eye. If you’re honest with yourself, you can probably see a few items that should be updated. Maybe it’s time to move to automatic equipment, or switch out your all-plastic changing table for something with a stainless steel exterior. It might also be time to consider going more hands-free in your restrooms, something customers will be looking for now and long beyond the pandemic. Whatever you decide, remember, no amount of cleaning is going to make old equipment look new.

The problem of a dirty restaurant bathroom is an easy one to handle. Create a schedule, look for places to modernize, and you won’t have any negative customer restroom experiences to navigate.