Can You Get Sick From a Dirty Commercial Bathroom?

commercial cleaning company office bathroom

Business owners have seemingly endless tasks and concerns on a daily basis. At the top of that list is maintaining a clean and safe environment for both employees and customers. While routine sweeping, mopping, and sanitizing may be enough for most of the commercial building, the bathrooms have countless germs and require additional attention.

Employees and customers alike can get sick from a dirty bathroom. Unfortunately, it can be nearly impossible to know what kind of microscopic bacteria and germs are living in your bathrooms and whether you’re doing enough to prevent the transmission of diseases. Sick staff members and visitors can lead to reduced productivity and destructive reviews.

So, how does someone get sick from a dirty commercial bathroom, and what can you do to prevent such an occurrence? Your commercial cleaners in Toronto have the information you need to ensure a safer and cleaner environment. Keep reading to learn more about the dangers of a dirty bathroom in your commercial building.  

How Dirty Commercial Bathrooms Cause Illnesses

Numerous germs and bacteria can be present in a commercial bathroom at any time. If you don’t properly clean your bathrooms on a regular basis, these germs and bacteria continue to multiply. When employees and customers use the bathrooms, the spread begins.

Though many people think of toilet seats as the main breeding grounds for germs, it’s actually the surfaces that we constantly touch, such as faucet handles and doorknobs, that have the highest concentrations. If an individual doesn’t wash their hands after using the bathroom, they spread bacteria onto everything they touch. Hand dryers further spread germs around the bathroom as they blow air.

You can get sick from a dirty commercial bathroom, even if you think you’re being cautious and consciously clean. Bacteria and germs live on dirty bathroom floors and transfer to the bottoms of your shoes. This allows them into your home and creates numerous chances to cause an illness.

Different Diseases You Can Catch From a Dirty Commercial Bathroom

With the many types of germs and bacteria inside dirty commercial bathrooms, there are numerous different diseases that a person can catch. The following are some common ones:

Diarrhoea

E. Coli and Salmonella germs can cause diarrhoea. They thrive in environments with poor sanitation and can live on numerous surfaces inside a dirty bathroom. 

Strep Throat

Bathrooms are commonplaces for Streptococcus bacteria, which causes strep throat. The bacteria live inside the nose and throat, and an individual can expel it onto bathroom surfaces by sneezing, coughing, talking, or touching surfaces with unsanitized hands.

Cholera

Cholera spreads quickly when given the chance, and the low sanitation levels of dirty commercial bathrooms present such an opportunity. Touching the face and mouth with unwashed hands is the main transmission method.

Skin Infections

Though we mentioned that toilet seats are less often the culprit of illness than other bathroom surfaces, sitting on a dirty one could lead to a skin infection. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can spread through simple skin-to-surface, surface-to-skin contact. It is resistant to several antibiotics and causes various infections that are not easily treatable. 

Pubic Lice

Though they usually spread through sexual activity, pubic lice can live on dirty toilet seats and spread non-sexually. Pubic lice are small and difficult to spot but cause a noticeable itch.

Food Poisoning

Individuals can get food poisoning if they or someone else who touches their food or beverage, such as a restaurant employee, does not thoroughly wash their hands. 

Stomach Cramps

Stomach cramps are another illness that E. Coli in dirty bathrooms can cause. E. Coli can live on toilet seats, sinks, and numerous other bathroom fixtures and surfaces.

Pneumonia

In some cases, failure to wash one’s hands can lead to pneumonia. An infected person can spread the germs by sneezing or coughing on bathroom surfaces. Pneumonia can lead to severe health complications.

How to Keep Your Commercial Bathrooms Safe and Clean

One of the most effective ways to reduce sicknesses from bathrooms is to thoroughly wash your hands and avoid as many surfaces as possible. Unfortunately, as a business owner, it’s challenging to force every customer to do so. While a sign that reminds bathroom users to scrub with soap and water for at least 20 seconds may go a long way, you’ll need to focus on keeping your commercial bathrooms as safe and clean as possible. 

Many businesses use a bathroom cleaning schedule in which employees take turns checking bathroom cleanliness. Unfortunately, most of the tasks included on these cleaning schedules are cosmetic-based and do little to eliminate germs and bacteria. Further, the employees likely are not trained cleaners, nor do they want to complete tasks outside of their job description.

Other commercial properties have full-time janitors who clean the bathrooms once or twice a day. While these bathrooms may appear to have clean surfaces, they probably still lack some sanitation. It requires trusted professional services to ensure your commercial bathrooms are safe and clean.

Professional Commercial Bathroom Cleaning Services 

Professionals don’t simply use a toilet brush to address dirty toilets. Instead, they utilize industry-leading cleaning products and proven techniques to eliminate hazardous germs and bacteria. Expert commercial bathroom cleaners pay attention to every detail to keep your employees and customers healthy and free of bathroom-borne diseases.

You can hire a commercial cleaning company to deep clean and sanitize your bathrooms on a weekly basis. You won’t have to stock up on cleaning supplies, as most professional companies use their own chemicals and equipment. Further, you’ll save your employees the hassle of hourly bathroom checks.

Trusting professionals to disinfect a dirty bathroom is the best way to ensure you have a healthy environment in your commercial property. Brilho offers maximum protection against the spread of bathroom viruses and diseases. If you want the same protection at your residence, inquire about our high-quality home cleaning services

Call our experts at 416-923-3300 or email [email protected] to learn more about our service and schedule an appointment with us today. We guarantee exceptional results.