Most of us have been brought up to pick up after ourselves and leave a room that you are sharing with others clean and tidy.

However when it comes to toilets in public buildings such as retail centres/shops and leisure facilities, and even offices, many adults also seem to think that someone coming into clean means they can leave a trail of devastation behind them that a mini tornado would be proud of.

As a commercial cleaning provider to many different types of UK businesses – large and small, GCC comes across a number of crimes against washroom etiquette on a daily basis.

In some cases, where the toilets are used by the general public, although still unacceptable, you can understand why these are open to misuse but you’d probably be amazed how often we come across this in toilet facilities that are only used by other people who work there – ie colleagues!

Swathes of toilet paper is left on the floor (often used…), wash hand basins are left filled with (dirty) water, assumed water puddles are left on the floor as well as abandoned wrappings and used tissues left on counter tops and window sills. And don’t get me started on people who don’t report a blocked toilet, bother to flush or have no concept of using a toilet brush and toilet cleaner if needed.

Apart from the obvious dreaded feeling of what might be lurking behind a closed toilet door, the impression to staff and visitors is that your company doesn’t care about the well-being of the people using your facilities – so how much attention will you pay to the work you are doing for them?

Whether a member of your team carries out your cleaning as an additional responsibility, you employ a cleaner on your payroll or if you employ an external commercial cleaning company – day-to-day cleaning is expected but putting up with others’ lack of washroom manners is not.

Apart from the unpleasant scene that can often lie behind the toilet door, the spills and surfaces need to be cleaned thoroughly to kill bacteria and prevent cross-contamination of surfaces whilst cleaning. Does your cleaner understand the relevance of colour coded mops, buckets and cloths? Do they have Method Statements of which area to clean first, how to clean them thoroughly, which commercial grade products and equipment to use and how to use these safely?

When choosing your commercial cleaning London cleaning provider, remember that their efforts not only impact on the health of your staff and visitors but it can also impact on staff and client acquisition and retention.