How to Make Sure Public Restrooms Are Safe and Hygienic
When it comes to using a public restroom you likely have some pretty strong feelings. You might be one of those people who thinks that it’s no big deal. But you also might be one of those people who really doesn’t like the idea of these bathrooms while you’re out.
After all, there’s no way of really knowing how safe and hygienic they are, right? Well, there are actually a few things that you should know about how to stay safe and a few things that you can check to make sure that the bathroom you use is hygienic as well. It’s about more than just faucet handles and flush handles.
What Are the Risks of Unsafe Public Restrooms?
When it comes to using a less than sanitary public restroom your risks are actually quite high. Often we go into the bathroom, do what we need to do, and leave. But do you really think about what could be in there? And what you could be touching?
First, an unsafe bathroom could mean that there are actual physical safety risks, such as water on the floor or broken toilet seats. Water means a slip and fall hazard, which could be minor (you stumble a little but catch yourself) or major (you fall and hit your head, break a bone, or other serious injury). Broken toilet seats could also mean falls and minor to serious injuries.
Unsafe could also mean that there are health risks in the bathroom. If it’s not kept clean you could be exposing yourself to a whole lot of potential health problems and illnesses. This includes bacteria that can easily grow on the floors, toilets, hand dryers, faucets, soap dispensers, stalls, door handles, and even the walls in a bathroom.
Physical injuries are difficult to deal with and experience, but they are much easier to treat in many ways. However, illnesses and bacteria may get into your body without you even realizing it. And from there, they could make you extremely sick, or even leave you susceptible to even more bacteria and viruses.
What all this means is, there are plenty of ways that you could be hurt by using an unsafe public restroom. And whether you’ve really thought about it before or not, it’s important that you know what to do to protect yourself going forward.
How to Stay Healthy in Public Restrooms
Okay, so what do you do to make sure that you are safe and healthy when using a public restroom? There are several things that you can do and ways to keep yourself as protected as possible.
- Be aware of your surroundings. Before you even walk into that restroom make sure that you look at the floors and the overall condition of the space. If it’s in bad shape you may want to look for a different restroom or at least be very careful when you walk inside.
- Use toilet seat covers. Using the toilet seat covers that are often provided in public restrooms helps to reduce the bacteria that you’re exposed to. Using toilet paper on the seat can help if you don’t have access to toilet seat covers.
- Only touch what you need to. Make sure that you’re touching as few surfaces as possible to reduce the spread of germs, and try not to grab hold of anything with your full hand, which increases the surface area that is in contact with germs and bacteria from coughing, tissues, and other germs or general exposure.
- Wash your hands with soap and hot water. If you have control over the water temperature (you won’t always in a public bathroom) make sure that you use hot water along with plenty of soap to wash your hands. This will help to kill off more potential bacteria that you have come into contact with. Proper hand hygiene is one of the most important things in the prevention of health problems.
- Don’t touch anything on the way out. If at all possible, don’t touch anything after you have washed your hands. If you need to turn off the water do so with an arm instead of your hands. Drying your hands with a paper towel is the better option for sanitary reasons, but make sure you only touch the paper you’re going to use. You can also use that paper to open the door to get out of the bathroom before throwing it away.
- Sanitize your hands if necessary. If you do have to touch something else between washing your hands and getting out of the bathroom use a quality hand sanitizer to get rid of germs after you’ve walked out of the bathroom. Make sure you use something with at least 60% alcohol to get actual benefits. Aerosols are generally not as effective as gels or other liquid based sanitizers so try to keep these on you at all times.
How to Identify and Avoid Unsanitary Conditions in a Public Bathroom
When it comes to using a public restroom, there are some things that you can keep in mind to identify a potential problem before something bad or inconvenient happens. And that starts with being aware of your surroundings.
Always make sure you look at the bathroom before you walk into it as this will help you identify unsanitary conditions. We’re not going to focus on general safety in this section because we’ve already looked at it, but make sure you’re looking for signs that something is unsanitary as well.
This might mean toilet paper or paper towels on the floor, dirt or other debris on the floor, dirty sinks or toilets, or even overflowing trash cans. If you see any of these things you want to avoid the bathroom if at all possible and find somewhere else to go.
Any of these signs mean that no one is actually paying attention to the bathroom and you could find yourself exposed to a lot of bacteria and harmful germs if you do use it for yourself.
How You Are Covered When Renting VIP To Go Restroom Trailers
What if you’re the host, and you want to make sure that your guests will enjoy safe and sanitary toilet conditions? How can you make sure that you’re getting quality bathrooms if you host an event or for any other reason need some type of bathroom facility for general use? The best thing you can do is make sure you hire a restroom trailer that arrives to you clean, is easy to clean and is always maintained the right way.
VIP To Go offers several different types of restroom facilities that are great for any size gathering, from small 2-station trailers for 100 – 150 people all the way up to 10-station trailers for 500 – over a thousand people. You can also find sink trailers, bunk suites, shower trailers, and ADA trailers to make sure all of the needs of your guests are met.
What’s even better with this service is that you’ll not only get the restroom facilities that you need, you’ll also get basic amenities or even luxury options. For those who want simplicity, all of the trailers come equipped with hands free operation, so there’s no need to touch the toilets, sinks, or towels.
Luxury models even come with upgraded features that make the experience more comfortable, including TV’s, music, and even internet access within the trailer. All of these features make sure that you get what you need, and then some.
FAQ About Safe and Hygienic Public Restrooms
When it comes to safety and hygiene there are likely a number of questions that you have about public restrooms and more. So, we’re going to take a look at some of the most commonly asked questions and what you need to know.
Are public restrooms safe to use during COVID-19?
The short answer is yes. These bathrooms are still just as safe to use during COVID as they ever were. But it’s still important to be careful and to keep your hands clean. This means making sure you only touch what you need to and that you wash your hands well with soap and water after using the facilities.
According to the CDC, or Center for Disease Control, you should continue to wear a mask and be careful about everything you touch, even in the bathroom to avoid the novel coronavirus or any other virus.
What should I know about using a public restroom in a safe manner?
One of the best things that you can do is make sure that you are aware of your surroundings and that you are watching for the most sanitary options. Not all public restrooms are the same, so make sure you look for one that is clean and well-maintained.
Also, make sure that you’re taking care to close the lid on toilets that have them to keep everything that flushes inside the toilet bowl. This includes the spray of microscopic droplets or particles that could cause health problems later on.
Are public restrooms clean?
There is no easy answer to this question because the answer depends on where you are and what type of bathrooms you’re using. Some facilities are better about keeping their public restrooms clean than others and this goes for the ones inside of buildings and the portable restrooms you may find elsewhere. Looking around you is the only real way to know if the restroom is at least reasonably clean. Assume that if you can see anything dirty then it’s probably not clean under the surface either.
What do I need to watch for in public bathrooms?
You need to make sure that you’re watching out for obvious signs of feces and urine in the bathroom, but also other signs of pathogens. Any type of bacteria could increase the risk of transmission of norovirus and a whole lot more. Make sure you keep your eyes open for anything that might show the bathroom is not being cleaned the way it should be.
Conclusion
When it comes down to it, there are plenty of things you’ll want to understand about public restrooms, but the most important is to recognize that these bathrooms vary. Some will be clean and you’ll feel comfortable using them. Others might seem acceptable but you may not know what’s really going on at a germ or bacteria level.
That’s why it’s important to always keep an eye on your surroundings, and to make sure you’re using the restrooms that look the best to reduce the risk of poor sanitation or health problems.
Want to rent a restroom trailer that will be safe, sanitary and hygienic? Get a free custom quote or contact us for help in selecting your preferred portable restroom.
