Portable restrooms can be a lifesaver at a major event, but only if it’s maintained properly. No one wants to use a dirty restroom, and despite their reputation, there are several proactive actions that can be taken to improve the experience of a portable restroom.

In this blog post, we talk about the best practices to keep your portable restroom clean during your events!

1. Make Sure You Order Enough Units

When it comes to cleanliness and odor control, one of the basic ways to keep everything in top shape is to order enough units to accommodate your event and account for how many people you expect to attend. The Portable Sanitation Association International (PSAI) recommends that one portable restroom be provided for every 100 guests in attendance. Our service professionals will be able to give you an estimate of how many portable restrooms you need whether you need it for a construction site, a wedding, a sporting event, or a music festival.

In addition to portable restrooms, consider ordering baby changing stations and hand-washing stations to help with cleanliness.  Keep in mind also that if you’re ordering portable restrooms for a public event, you will have to follow the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines. Organizers must provide one ADA accessible portable restroom for every ten standard restrooms ordered. Be mindful of where handicap accessible restrooms are placed throughout your event. Make sure they are not placed on a curb or in a location where someone in a wheelchair will not be able to get to them.

Along with ordering enough units, it’s also important not to bunch restrooms only in a few areas at your event. Spread out portable restrooms in areas where there will be high traffic counts during your event and in areas where people will not tend to congregate. Your portable restroom vendor will be able to assist you in portable restroom placement for your event.

2. Invest In Odor Prevention Products

In addition to having enough units for your event, make sure to invest in odor control supplies for each of your portable restrooms. All units should be checked regularly regardless of how frequently they have been used or not.

In general, most professionals recommend products with the deepest blue colors in them to help control odors and mask sights. The best blue liquid odor control products are deodorizers of four main components: biocides, dyes, fragrances, and surfactants.

Biocides inhibit the growth of odor-producing bacteria called gram-positive bacteria that are responsible for many of the unwanted odors in our life. Biocides help shut down the growth of these bacteria that can create unpleasant smells.

Dyes refer to the blue color restroom deodorizers are used to help mask or disguise the contents of a portable restroom. With a unit that is not overused, you should not be able to see the contents of the tank.

Fragrances mask the residual odors created and each deodorizing product can come with a variety of scents. Surfactants are used to help fragrances dissolve into water and create a homogenous mixture.

3. Make Sure to Have Enough Sanitation Products

If your event involves food and drink, whether it’s a sporting event or a music festival, it’s very important to make sure that you have enough sanitation products and handwashing stations to keep everything clean and prevent the spread of diseases. TDS can provide hand-washing stations that do not require on-site water sources and are self-contained.

Along with hand-washing stations, be sure to provide enough hygiene supplies for your attendees. Make sure that toilet paper rolls, paper towels, hand sanitizers, feminine hygiene products, and disinfectant wipes are on hand and are replenished as necessary. These supplies are valuable in order to help keep guests clean and happy. They also encourage guests to help keep the portable restrooms neat and clean!

In addition to personal hygiene products, it is also a good idea to have cleaning supplies for the portable restroom itself on hand. Have quality mops, mop pads, and towels available to use for cleanup just in case there are spills that need to be addressed at the moment.

4. Have Restrooms Serviced Professionally

For a multi-day event, the best way to keep portable restrooms clean is to hire professionals to efficiently and thoroughly clean them between use. Consult with your portable restroom provider to determine the best cleaning and emptying schedule based on the number of your guests and the length and type of event you’re holding. The best practice is to have each toilet serviced after each day of use.

Along with keeping bathrooms professionally serviced, when cleaning, make sure touchpoints, or areas that people touch most often, are properly cleaned and disinfected. Cleaning touchpoints is important because while some guests are going to keep completely hygienic throughout your event, there may be many more who are more lax in this department.

The recommended way to completely sanitize touchpoints is by employing the eight-fold method. This method refers to folding a clean rag twice and using one side to wipe down a surface touchpoint and turned over to clean another surface touchpoint. The rag should then be unfolded and refolded so unused sides of the rag can be used to wipe down surfaces in the portable restroom. Using the eight-fold method prevents the transference of dirt and bacteria onto a clean surface. To make this easier, your team can use numbered microfiber towels that have markings to help figure out which part of the towel should be used next.

Lastly, though we may do all we can to make sure that portable restrooms are clean and sanitary, it is very important to air out your portable restroom periodically. The space inside of a portable restroom is relatively small and smells inside have nowhere to go. Even a half hours’ worth of airing out can do wonders for the smell inside of a portable restroom. Find a time when people are less likely to use a portable restroom and air them out for at least half an hour.

When maintaining portable restrooms, it’s best to be thorough and precise. If you need a portable restroom for your next event whether it be a single day or multi-day, Texas Disposal Systems is equipped to provide your business with high-quality portable restrooms as well as hand washing stations, fencing, holding tanks, and everything you need to make your event a success. Contact our service professionals to get a quote today.