Keeping your portable toilet as clean as possible is an integral aspect of protecting the health and safety of everyone who uses it. Porta potties become sullied by daily use, and because they don’t leave the worksite when you do, they’re uniquely susceptible to unauthorized use and vandalism. That’s why weekly cleaning rituals are crucial. Fortunately, when you rent portable toilets from ASAP Site Services, we take care of the weekly clean-up for you.
That said, it’s worth understanding the ins and outs of portable toilet cleaning so that you can gauge for yourself whether your portable toilet is up to snuff.
So, without further ado, here’s how to get a porta-potty to shine like new.
How to Clean a Portable Toilet
Because portable toilets are unique pieces of equipment, they require distinct and regular cleaning methods. Portable toilet cleaning needs to take into account a few factors:
- Organic waste
- Manufactured waste
- Germs and bacteria
In other words, portable toilet cleaning is a combination of cleaning, sanitizing, and eliminating associated odors. From there, it’s necessary to restock materials and perform a bit of proper maintenance.
To that end, here’s how to clean a portable toilet.
Step #1: Remove Waste From the Tank
The first step of portable toilet cleaning is to remove the waste from the toilet tank. For this, a waste suction machine is needed. Essentially, these are special vacuums that are used to pump the waste out of the tank and redeposit it in a waste storage container on a truck.1
Waste suction machines will remove most (if not all) of the waste from the tank, but there may still be heavier debris left behind. If there is leftover debris, this will need to be removed.
Then, the tank is filled with the infamous blue chemical solution that fights odors and bacteria between cleanings.2
Step #2: Clean the Porta Potty
Once the waste has been removed, the next step of portable toilet cleaning involves washing down every interior surface. This step is very important as it can help reduce the development of certain health hazards, like:
- Mold
- Germs
- Bacteria
The good news is, a pressure washer makes this step incredibly easy. An antibacterial spray can be used to clean all surfaces before the entire structure gets rinsed thoroughly with the pressure washer.
Step #3: Sanitize & Deodorize
Portable toilet cleaning isn’t just about eliminating visible signs of use. It’s also about thoroughly sanitizing the porta potty to prevent the spread of germs and other harmful bacteria. Additionally, it’s also important to deodorize the porta potty so that it smells as fresh as it looks.
For this step, the following supplies are used:
- Sanitizing spray
- Toilet deodorizer
- Deodorizing spray
The sanitizing spray should be used on all surfaces, but especially those that users are most likely to touch, like the door handle, faucet knobs, and the toilet seat.
To deodorize the porta potty unit, empty some of the toilet deodorizers into the toilet bowl. This will help keep it smelling nice despite frequent use. Spritzing the interior with the deodorizing spray can also help with this.
Step #4: Restock Necessary Supplies
Once the portable toilet has been cleaned, sanitized, and deodorized, it’s time to restock the supplies. These supplies include all the standard bathroom necessities, like:
- Toilet paper
- Hand towels
- Hand soap or sanitizer
Keeping these supplies on hand ensures that they’re available when you get to the restocking step. Moreover, it’s a good idea to stock extras, if possible. This helps avoid situations where users become stranded in the portable toilet without the supplies they need.
Step #5: Repair Broken Parts
Finally, the last step of portable toilet cleaning is to check for damaged or broken parts and repair them as needed.
Depending on how the portable toilet is used, the maintenance aspect of the process may be more or less extensive. How frequently the toilet is used and by whom are the biggest factors here. For example, portable toilets that are used by only a handful of members of a work crew are likely to stay in better condition than those that are used by attendees at a fair or festival.
Repairs are generally needed on the parts of the portable toilet that see a lot of action. That means areas like door handle, soap or hand sanitizer dispenser, sink faucets or pedals, and the toilet seat. You’ll also have to look into how to winterize a porta potty.
For the Cleanest Portable Toilets, Choose ASAP Site Services
Keeping the portable toilets at your work site clean, sanitary, and odor-free guarantees a safe and functional restroom experience for your team. But you don’t have to keep up with the work on your own.
When you rent from ASAP Site Services, we’ll come every week to give your portable toilets the deep clean they need so that nothing gets in the way of the work that needs to be done.
Sources:
- How Stuff Works. Servicing Porta-Potties: How Porta-Potties Work. https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/everyday-innovations/porta-potties3.htm
- Mental Floss. How Are Porta Potties Cleaned? https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/642730/how-are-porta-potties-cleaned