7 Easy Steps To Keep Your Portable Restroom Fresh And Clean
Keeping a portable restroom fresh and clean is no easy task and it can be particularly challenging in the case of long-term rentals and multi-day events where usage is very frequent.
By its very nature, a porta potty is a veritable banquet for germs and pathogens. They abound within the interior walls and major points of contact and must be washed and scrubbed away thoroughly and often.
Diligent, professional maintenance applied in tandem with superior odor neutralizing products can accomplish wonders and transform any portable restroom into a sparking clean facility.
This article briefly digs into industry research and statistics, explores a bit about proper hygiene and maintenance of portable toilets and provides seven simple steps to help PT suppliers keep their cabins tip top and fresh smelling!
Portable Sanitation Industry Research And Statistics
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA) the average American flushes more water down the toilet each day than we use showering, washing dishes, washing clothes or any other single activity.
In 2017, the portable toilet industry gleaned US $5 billion.The construction industry has been an important factor in the rising demand for porta-potties, which is expected to increase at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12 to 17% up to the year 2022.
Research on portable toilets and public restrooms has been spotty, but there have been a few independent studies over the years that are worthy of mention. One in particular was conducted at the University of Missouri and was published in a guide entitled: Portable Restroom Requirements at Special Events and Crowd Gatherings.
Its focus was construction and recreation and the benefits to the economy and public health resulting from the use of properly situated portable sanitation units at special outdoor public events such as festivals, concerts etc.
Another older study on portable toilets (2006) conducted by Greed and Siu indicated that the chances of pathogen transmission are very high in public facilities even if they appear to be clean. This is largely due to the nature of the beast, so to speak, because the exchange of body fluids among total strangers using the same facilities carries a high risk of contamination.
The study also discovered that this problem is seriously augmented by poor ventilation and maintenance, which attract disease-carrying insects and vermin.
Hygiene And The Portable Restroom Industry
The importance of bathroom hygiene has only come to the light in the last seven or eight decades. Little was known before then of the germs and pathogens that lurk on the walls, sinks, in toilets and inside the floor drains of public restrooms, and maintenance was an erratic affair.
All that has changed with scientific research and portable toilet rental companies recognizing the need to alter the way things were done in the past. This has given rise to a modern society where waste must be covered up as much as possible and liquid solutions that pose no harm to the environment but effectively kill pathogens must be employed.
The past standard for porta-potty maintenance involved the use of formaldehyde, which is now a thing of the past and has been deemed both carcinogenic and unsustainable. The phasing out of formaldehyde has led to the development of “greener” solutions for porta-potty chemicals.
Now, instead of killing off all microbial life in the tank, the eco-friendly approach is to introduce beneficial enzymes and microbes that feed on odor-causing bacteria and to provide a pleasant fragrance.
(Click the picture above to learn why PT operators prefer our septic bio waste degrader).
Today’s standard porta-potty is a far cry from the older models. Most portable toilets have a white translucent roof, which allows natural light to penetrate, non-slip floors for safety and a ventilation system that redirects foul odors up and out of the holding tank. It is not unusual for a simple model to even have a separate urinal and an anti-bacterial gel dispenser. Luxury and executive portable toilets for more fashionable events which are often known as restroom “trailers,” are large units that feature flushable porcelain toilets, partitioned stalls, sinks with running water, mirrors and hand towels.
Factors That Affect Proper Maintenance
Surco chemists are well aware that the effectiveness of porta-potty maintenance can be greatly affected by weather. During the warmer months of the year, the insides of a porta-potty far exceed outside temperatures, which creates the perfect setting for bacterial reproduction.
This in turn creates the foul, offensive odors for which poorly maintained porta-potties are infamous. Technicians substantially increase the ratio of water to chemicals during the summer, and also at those times when a unit is expected to receive heavy traffic, such as an outdoor fair, concert or festival.
Cold weather also presents its own set of problems. Frozen turds and a tank that is a solid mass of smelly and disgusting ice is not a task for the faint of heart. On these occasions, operators add a salty brine, which reduces the tank’s freezing point.
According to PRO Monthly, maintaining this ratio is important and adding a cake of rock salt to the urinal stabilizes proportions because as the urinal is used, the cake releases more salt into the tank.
The Porta-Potty Holds Many Unexpected Secrets
Believe it or not, another big problem with porta-potty maintenance are the things that users leave behind or accidentally drop into the tank that clog up vacuums. One porta-potty worker who shall remain anonymous wrote about finding cell phones, glasses, drug paraphernalia, guns and knives and even a wallet full of cash and expensive pieces of jewelry floating within the putrid swamp.
Surco Portable Sanitation Products Origins And Solutions
We have been a global supplier of odor-control products for the modern portable toilet industry since 1946. Clients from all over the world demand our superior state-of-the-art portable toilet odor-control products.
Our enduring success lies in our rich history of innovation and keen understanding and application of industrial science. Our main advantage over our competitors lies in our in-house 85,000-square-foot Technology Center, which is comprised of a team of experts and equipped with the very latest in gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, head space analysis, distillation, extraction and quality control technology.
Our expertise and knowledge is backed by more than 70 years of unparalleled customer service. Every odor neutralizing formulation is the best of its kind, far exceeds industry standards and contain our molecular vaporous odor neutralizing additive, Metazene.
Portable sanitation, portable toilet (PT) supply companies and potential distributors can be confident when they choose to either purchase or sell our products because we have had decades to develop and provide the best scientific solutions for malodors in portable toilets and restroom trailers.
7 Simple Steps To Keep Portable Toilets Clean
The following are 7 simple suggested solutions for keeping the average portable toilet clean and fresh smelling at all times.
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Disinfect The Inside of Portable Restrooms
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One important aspect of portable toilet maintenance relates to preparing the tank for future use. Refilling the tank with an additive that breaks down and disinfects waste is the usual procedure. To completely cover the inside of the restroom itself, a wide spectrum, anti-microbial fog is employed. Equally important as the product itself is the allowance for proper application and drying time.
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Allow Time For Portable Toilets To Air Out
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Keeping porta-potties closed unless they are in use might seem like a good idea, but it isn’t. While there’s no question that the smell can be overwhelming at times, much of the reason this is so is because the stench has no outlet. Leaving the door open for even a half-hour can make all the difference in the world. This is particularly important when the porta-potty receives a great deal of traffic and has been rented for an extended period of time.
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Utilize The Deepest Blue And Best Odor Control Products
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We offer the most rounded and complete odor-eating arsenal to combat malodorous conditions within portable toilets. A few standouts are our liquid blue Potty Fresh Plus, which is the most powerful product of its kind on the market today. It offers superior odor control at all times of the year and is kind to the environment. Additionally, our dry toss deodorizing packets offer the deepest blue color in the industry, stronger fragrance and more potent biocides than those found anywhere else. Learn more about our odor control 5-pack of products PT suppliers utilize to ensure complete, effective odor control and air freshening.
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Add An Extra Layer Of Odor Control With Fresh Straps
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This calls for the most effective blue chemicals, spray down deodorizers and our long lasting portable toilet Fresh Straps, which are loaded with fragrance that freshens portable toilets. They last for up to sixty days and they are fitted discretely on the portable toilet stack.
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Keep Exteriors Presentable With An Anti-Graffiti Cleaner
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Surco recently introduced the Tag Off Graffiti Remover, which is extremely, effective when used in conjunction with a Magic Eraser scrubbing sponge and a power washer. It is the most efficient graffiti-related product on the portable restroom market today, and it is designed to eradicate pencil and pen marks from bathroom surfaces that can be up to three years old.
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Make Sure Odor Control Supplies Are Well-Stocked
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All porta potties should be checked regularly without regard to how frequently they may or may not be used. Being well stocked at all times means replacing empty toilet paper rolls and cleaning tablets when necessary, refilling the hand sanitizer and replacing the air-freshener. Surco can arrange for regular product shipments so that there is never a shortage of necessary supplies.
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Keep Touch Points Wiped Down And Clean
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Some parts of a porta-potty are dirtier than others for the simple reason that they are touched more often during use. These points include: door handles, hand sanitizer dispensers and toilet paper holders. In dealing with these problem spots, a squirt of hand-sanitizer does nothing at all because hundreds of people are touching the very same points one after the other imprinting their microbes and pathogens upon them constantly.
Cleaning these troublesome points requires consistent effort and it is best achieved with a powerful cleaning solution and the application of what is known as the eight-fold method. This entails folding a clean rag over twice and using one side to wipe down the touch point. Then it can be turned over to clean another touch point. This tedious task can be made easier with a micro-fiber towel that is marked to indicate its different sections.
In Conclusion
Maintaining a portable restroom requires a strict agenda that is followed to the letter and superior products that provide superior, eco-friendly odor-control and freshness.
For portable sanitation companies, purveyors of portable toilets and potential distributors or redistributors who use their own private labels, joining the Surco family can only lead to good things.
Our customer service is unrivaled within the industry and someone is always there to offer guidance and support. Submit an order for any of our odor control products or call our team today, (800) 556-0111 or (412) 252-7000, and find out what they can do to keep your portable restrooms as clean and fresh smelling as they can possibly be.
Sign Found on a Portable Restroom: Toilet camera is for research only. ~ Anonymous
Become A Distributor Of Our Odor Control Products
We are actively looking for existing portable sanitation product suppliers or individuals the world over who want to expand their entrepreneurial wings to represent our odor neutralizing products. Regardless of where you reside throughout the world, South America, down-under, the European Union or any other country, learn more about why we’re the most reliable portable toilet odor control product supply company to partner with, further explore our top deodorizing products or submit an inquiry to become a distributor of our products.