One of the chief concerns when performing regular restroom maintenance is making sure that the cleaning staff leaves it as bacteria-free as possible. Cleaning is the surest way to avoid the spread of illness from person to person in a restroom. Cleaning toilets and urinals inside and out is standard. Then high-touch point areas such as toilet flush handles, doorknobs, faucet knobs, soap dispensers, and paper towel dispensers are sanitized.
The Dangers of Toilet Plume
However, one area that can be easy to overlook is all the areas AROUND a toilet or urinal. This includes walls and partitions all around the toilet. That’s because the very act of flushing sends a large cloud (referred to as toilet plume) into the air. This includes bacteria and other contaminants from the fecal matter, urine, and other material being flushed. This can lead to contact transmission risks because pathogens can survive on surfaces for weeks or even months1.
So How Far Does This Stuff Spread?
You might be surprised at how far and wide this toilet plume of material is spread. Although this can vary greatly by the type of toilet used, one study showed it’s at least 2.7 feet vertically2, and the consensus is that the particles can be spread up to 6 feet. You’ve probably heard that you should close a toilet seat before you flush to help prevent this, which is a great tip at home. But many public restrooms lack a toilet seat lid, and certainly, urinals don’t have this feature. The solution, then, is to make sure you sanitize after cleaning every time.
How To Fight The Dangers of Toilet Plume
An EPA-registered sanitizer like H2Orange2 Hyper-Concentrate 112 can be the perfect solution for your restroom cleaning and sanitizing needs in its heavy-duty dilution. Just follow these steps:
- Clean the toilet and surrounding area as usual.
- Spray down the area with heavy-duty (red bottle) H2Orange2 Hyper-Concentrate 112.
- Allow the toilet and surrounding surfaces to remain wet for at least five minutes.
- Simply wipe up excess liquid OR let air dry.
If you’re interested in learning more, contact an EnvirOx Consultant today for more information on our products.
- Johnson, D. L., Mead, K. R., Lynch, R.A. & Hirst, D.V.L. (2013). Lifting the Lid on Toilet Plume Aerosol: A Literature Review with Suggestions for Future Research. Am J Infect Control, 41 (3). 254-258.
- Barker, J. & Jones, M.V. (2005). The Potential Spread of Infection Caused By Aerosol Contamination of Surfaces After Flushing A Domestic Toilet. Wiley Online Library. Retrieved from onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2672.2005.02610.x