How to maintain good toilet hygiene
Toilet hygiene practices are vital. They help you maintain good personal health and hygiene. These are the practices you should embark on to guarantee your health, safety and that of anyone using the toilet at any given time.
The toilet is a humid area with the potential for germs and bacteria to thrive on them. These bacteria, like Salmonella and E. coli, can exist in toilet areas like the seat, floor, flush, door handle, and brush. The toilet usually has a foul odour due to the action of the bacteria that absorbs the toilet’s organic waste and releases the odour gas.
Sometimes, it becomes an unbearable odour for those using the toilet. The area can become extremely dirty and a breeding ground for diseases. And this is more reason why good toilet hygiene is vital.
However, below is a few tips on good toilet hygiene.
How to maintain good toilet hygiene
Toilet hygiene is a type of hygiene for the toilet activities and the user.
1. Close the door any time you are in the toilet.
Closing the door is about showing respect and privacy when using the toilet with other people. So, close the door at all times.
2. Sweep the toilet regularly.
Create a routine to clean the toilet at intervals. Make sure you stick to it. Pick up any trash and empty them into the dustbin.
3. Provide a waste bin.
Proper waste disposal is essential in the toilet. A waste bin can help to manage waste in the toilet areas. Waste bins should be labelled so that the users can identify them. You can use a waste bin for waste from toilet tissues, sanitary pads and napkins.
4. Avoid pee splash.
Position yourself properly for the pee in the urinal. If you stand to pee, avoid splashing back, and aim carefully to pee.
5. Disinfect the areas where people touch the most in the toilet.
People can come in contact with door knobs, faucets, flush handles, light switches, stall locks, and walls. Ensure you apply the disinfectants in those places for some minutes before cleaning those areas because it will take several minutes to kill the pathogens.
6. Clean the floor of the toilet.
Use the floor cleaning solutions to clean the floor of the toilet. You can scrub the baseboards, floors, tiles and grout. Pay more attention to the areas around the urinals.
7. Wipe from front to back.
When you want to clean up yourself after using the toilet, better wipe from front to back. It will help to prevent UTIs. Make sure that you use soft toilet tissue for this purpose. Rough or hard ones have the potential to cause an injury to your body.
8. Clean the toilet seat if necessary.
Before you use the toilet, You can clean the seat, and after using it, if you find out that there is a splash of urine in it, no problem, clean it up immediately. Use the toilet seat sanitiser for that particular task.
9. Clean the mirrors in the toilets.
Ensure that the mirrors in the toilets are clean with clean tissue paper or a clean towel.
10. Clean the lights.
Clean the lights in the toilet areas as well. Use a clean towel or a clean tissue to do so. Your target should be to make every object in the toilet neat, clean, and free of dust and dirt at all times.
11. Flush the toilet after every use.
Flush the toilet before you leave. You should not be in a hurry. Make it a habit of flushing the toilet after use.
12. Put the toilet seat down.
Ensure that the toilet seat is down after use. It will ensure there is no escape of the gases from the toilet.
13. Ventilate the toilet
Ventilation will provide more air in the toilet and prevent the growth of black mould. Some have a ventilation system in place. Then, if there is any water spill on the floor, make sure that you mop it immediately to reduce the risk of slipping and falling in the toilet.
14. Always remember to replace the toilet tissue.
Replace the toilet tissue whenever it is empty. Do not wait for the next person to do so.
15. Close the lid of the toilet before flushing it.
Bacteria are released whenever there is a flushing of the toilet. So, make it a duty to close the lid to prevent bacteria from escaping to the surroundings.
16. Clean your toilet brushes.
Your toilet brushes can harbour bacteria from time to time. Wash and disinfect the toilet occasionally. Also, you can change the toilet brushes at least once every six months.
17. Wash your hands.
Wash your hands after every toilet use. Through ingestion, germs can enter into your mouth. So always remember to wash your hands after using the toilet.
In conclusion
Maintaining toilet hygiene is paramount to promoting good health and preventing the spread of germs in the environment. It is not too much when it is about human life. These simple toilet hygiene can save your life from contracting diseases and reduce the risk of illness. Taking care of the restroom will promote a healthy and safe place for you and others.
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Onyeka Emma is a QHSE Professional with more than 10 years of experience in occupational health and safety, which spans many industries such as construction, beverage, oil and gas, etc. He has many health and safety certifications, including NEBOSH IGC, ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and ISO 45001:2018 Lead auditor certificate. A member of IOSH, ISPON, and Nigeria Red Cross Society. He is interested in business, entrepreneurship, Speaking, and motivating people to do better for themselves. He enjoys leisure with a good motivational book.
