Floor & Urinal Drains., Ways to control odors.

[NauvooSaint]

- If possible, remove the covers on floor & Urinal drains a few times a year for cleaning. After removing the hair/gunk build-up that isn't always visible in normal operation, I soak them in a bucket with cleaner before replacing them.

- Use of an odor control chemical with enzymes can be helpful. Since floor drains have a water trap, it's a good idea to flush them with water and/or the enzyme chemical to keep the trap filled about once a month. If the trap becomes dry, than sewer gases can come through your drains causing unpleasant stinkys. This is important anywhere you find drains that don't get regular usage. ie: classrooms, custodian closet, kitchen, Lab Rm. sinks

- Restroom Wash Fountains/Stations can also be a source of odors under the basin & behind the panels. I encounted quite a mess under these when I first started in my school.

Bradley.

[dadeedwain]

The urinals at the rest area were so bad when I started there I would gag when I cleaned them. In the past twenty-five years there has been so much acid bowl cleaner used on the floors under the urinals some of the grout lines are a half inch deep.

What I do is suck as much of the water, urine, dirt and debris up with a shop vac as possible, mop and then spray my enzymye product on the floor making sure I get the grout lines real good. You forgot to mention to properly clean the walls around the urinals especially the walls under them since these areas hold bacteria and oders as well.

And yeah I know, before somebody mentions that the floors should be regrouted, I've complained to the state maintenance guy for over three years about the defective flush handles. There are two that leak which drips down the wals and keeps the floors under the urinals wet and full of water. It would be nice to see them fixed before they tear the building down in 2011 but I'm not holding my breath.

Duane

[NauvooSaint]

I know what you mean. My first custodial employment was with a professional cleaning contractor as a supervisor of a traveling project crew. We extracted/cleaned carpet and restroom tile among other things.

My school restrooms right now really need the grout cleaned as they have build-up & many years ago someone had the idea of applying floor finish/wax to ceramic tile floors. The wax has been removed for the most part on the surface of the tile, but not ias much in the grout lines. We haven't been able to get stripper for this purpose as yet.

Unfortunately, the district custodial supervisor isn't supportive of allowing me to use an acid restorer and the district doesn't have a 'Spinner wand' used to powerwash/vacuum the soils at the same time. It's all part of being 'Green' and not wanting to use acids or harsh chemicals. We do use a 'Compass' machine by Windsor, but it doesn't have the PSI needed to remove the heavy build-up....so I just make due the best I can.

Yes....unsealed grout lines can also be a source of odors.

Regards,

Bradley.