How to clean a bathroom and toilet hygienically

Why bathrooms need a system

Toilets and bathrooms carry the highest germ load in most buildings. The risk isn't only the toilet itself — it's cloths and gloves carrying germs from the toilet to the basin, the door handle or the next room.

Order of work

1. Put on gloves and check you have the right colour-coded cloths for the site.
2. Remove waste and replace consumables.
3. Clean from clean to dirty and high to low: mirrors and fixtures, then basins and taps, then showers.
4. Clean toilets and urinals last with their own equipment — typically red — including the seat, hinges, flush button and the outside of the bowl.
5. Apply disinfectant where your procedure requires it and leave it for the contact time.
6. Clean the floor last, working towards the door.

Don't forget

• Door handles, light switches, soap and paper towel dispensers.
• Change gloves and clean your hands before moving to the next area.
• Keep toilet equipment separate when you store and launder it.