Do you know the Value of Clean? Well, remember the last time you went into a public restroom in a retail establishment and realized that they might not value their customers?  You know what I mean — one of those scary bathrooms where you thought you might catch something if you touched anything. Would you go back to that store or restaurant?  According to the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA), 94 percent of people would avoid a business in the future if they encountered dirty restrooms! While many business owners tend to view cleaning as a cost-center, P&G Professional studies have shown that cleaning can actually be a profit-generating activity.

People value going into a business that looks and smells clean, especially in the restrooms.

There are food chains who have built their brand promise as an inexpensive, consistent meal delivered in a clean environment. The last time you took a road trip with your whole family, did you stop at a gas station when your kids said they had to go and roll the dice on whether the bathroom was clean, or did you make them hold it until you saw a business you knew and trusted?

PG Professional provides the cleaning products from brands you know and trust, like Mr. Clean, Comet, Febreze and Dawn, but formulated for professional settings, both large and small. 95 percent of Americans would return to a business if they think it is clean and they’re more likely to recommend the business to their friends and family*. So keeping your retail business clean and smelling good could be another value proposition.

Here are a few steps to help you maintain a clean business environment. Create a checklist for employees responsible for maintaining your clean brand. Use an hourly check-in sheet in the restrooms that employees must sign to maintain accountability. Leave a sign in the restroom inviting visitors to notify a manager if the bathroom is not tidy.  Below is an example of a cleaning checklist.

Create a 7-Point Cleaning Checklist for Employees

• Clean Sinks and Countertops Maintenance people should spray the sink and all countertops with an antibacterial disinfectant and then wipe the surfaces down with a wet paper towel, which should then be disposed of.

• Empty Wastebasket The bag in the wastebasket should be thrown away and replaced with a new bag. Any garbage contained inside the wastebasket, but outside the bag, should also be thrown out. Periodically, the wastebasket should be wiped down.

• Disinfect Toilets & Urinals The toilet bowls and urinals should be wiped off or scrubbed out. The toilets should then be sprayed with a disinfectant like Comet Disinfecting Cleaner, and wiped down, both inside the bowl and outside. Urinal cakes should be replaced, if needed.

• Replace Toilet Paper Rolls, Toilet Seat Covers All toilet paper rolls that have less than one-fifth of their paper left should be removed and replaced with a new roll. The toilet seat cover dispenser should be refilled with new covers.

• Refill Hand Soap and Wipe Down Mirrors All hand soap dispensers should also be refilled to capacity. Mirrors should be sprayed with glass cleaner and wiped clear of all obvious smudges or stains.

• Replace Hand Towels and Check Drying Machines The hand-towel dispenser should be opened and examined for blockages. Once is it determined that the machine is operating correctly, it should be refilled to capacity. Electronic hand drying machines should also be checked to make sure they are working correctly too.

• Polish Fixtures & Sweep and Mop Floors All fixtures, including the knobs on the door, the toilet seat cover dispenser, the electric hand dryer, the paper towel dispenser and any other objects people might touch should be cleaned, disinfected and polished so that all visible stains are removed. All floors should be swept and then thoroughly mopped. A “Caution” sign should be placed outside and inside the bathroom until the floors are dry.

If you train your employees to use these cleaning steps, maintain hourly check-ins and a full daily maintenance schedule, your customers will know for sure that your business is a shinning example of the “Value of Clean.” Don’t forget P&G Professional products when you stock up on cleaning products for your business. They are specifically formulated for use in a commercial environment and if you trust these brands in your home, why not in your business too!