Industry Buzz: 5 Tips for Locker Room Cleanliness

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” And most of the time, I’d agree. However, there is one instance in which I will judge an establishment’s aesthetics, and it involves the bathrooms. If a place’s bathroom isn’t clean and tidy, my judgement of the business tends to go way downhill.

Is that fair? According to Clean Link, yes. It states that around 50 percent of consumer’s complaints of businesses are related to unclean bathrooms.

So, how can you ensure your bathrooms are up to consumer standards? Use these tips for guidance.

1. Bathrooms should be checked at the top of each hour by staff, to ensure that paper towels are stocked and that no major spills have occurred throughout the last 60 minutes. You’d be surprised by how much of a mess can be made in even less time than that.
2. Execute a daily, weekly and monthly cleaning schedule that covers all areas of your locker rooms, including ceilings, floors and the tops of lockers.
3. Define what “cleanliness” is, as your opinion may differ from that of your members. If you’re not sure, ask them. See if there are any areas you’re overlooking that they have taken issue with.
4. Keep in mind that cleanliness doesn’t just involve looks — it involves smells as well. A locker room can be absolutely clean from a sanitary standpoint, but if there are unpleasant smells, members won’t feel that it’s clean.
5. Don’t overlook the small stuff. You’d be surprised by what members notice, whether it’s a dustball that’s managed to escape the cleaning crew for weeks on end, or an area of grout that’s been stained an unpleasant yellow color.

What have you found is the best way to keep your bathrooms in tip-top shape?