Are you being told to clean toilets at work?

[noblegiraffe]

If cleaning toilets wasn’t previously anywhere near your job description?

It’s being claimed on another thread that this is just part of the new normal, everyone is pitching in. I’m not convinced.

YABU - I’m being asked to clean toilets

YANBU - I’m not being asked to clean toilets

If you are, are you ok with it?

[Gailhugger]

No, we aren’t expected to clean the toilets at work and more to the point, we aren’t expected to clean the toilets after 20-30 other people who have been poorly instructed in good hygiene practices by their parents or have genuine difficulty in aim, wiping, remembering to flush or washing hands have used them throughout the day either if this is about primary schools.

My youngest child is already at a point close to not using school facilities because of the state of the toilet floors, seats and walls at their school. Coronavirus is likely to be the end of them using public facilities at all.

Cleaning should be undertaken by professional cleaners paid properly who wish to do the job. If there are too few applicants then the salaries for the job should be increased - not pressure put on staff that perform other roles to maintain hygiene standards in a pandemic.

[PilatesPeach]

I teach group fitness classes - I'll be required to clean everyone's equipment and mats after classes so perhaps 10 or 12 lots of stuff. Not yet been informed if I will be provided with gloves & a mask to do this. Members won't be cleaning their own stuff apparently as they want to reduce contact points and people hanging around. Some places have alcohol wipes - great idea - some places have one spray bottle which pre-lockdown was used by many members - plenty of hands all touching same item and no gel either. I know it has to be done but the thought does get me down. Feel sorry in particular for those teaching body pump.

So many people having to clean now when previously there was just a cleaner once or a few times a day eg pub & restaurant staff, shop staff, cinema staff.

[CheesecakeAddict]

No, I won't clean the toilet. I wouldn't care about cleaning a toilet I had just used, but not pupil toilets. That's not what I paid 9k training to do.
Also, when do they expect us to do it? If you are cleaning after a bubble has finished, it will need to be at the end of their break time. It will therefore be left to the staff who have frees after that bubble's break time, cutting into vital marking and prep time. I'm not taking extra work home because the government doesn't want to fund schools properly for cleaners and I'm not going to be made to feel like the bad guy for that either. I'm sure anyone in an office would also refuse if they were told, at the end of lunch hour, they had to clean the staff toilets, and the time it took them to do it, they need to add on to the end of their work day to make up the time lost.

[jessstan2]

It doesn't sound unreasonable to me. You're not going to have to scour it out; just a bit of bleach, a turn of the brush, wipe the seat and handle with disinfectant wipes is all. Like at home. It's for your protection as well as everyone else and is hardly going to take long.

[Gazelda]

Charity sector.
Our cleaner is vulnerable, so has not been working.
All staff in the office (most are wfh) are cleaning loos after use and on a rota to do high touch surface wipes and start of day/end of day thorough cleans.
Everyone wfh has been told that when they eventually return to the office, they will be added to the rota.
No one is complaining. We're all doing whatever it takes to help the organisation remain infection free in the hope our charity can survive past this nightmare.

[BeccaB1981]

It's not ideal but we're all going to be have to be grateful to have a job.

I don't want my employees to feel so grateful they have a job that they'd waste time away from their work to clean public/communal areas on a rota. I pay them to do their job and the results it brings in. If I get them to spend 20min cleaning twice a day that's 40min of less work, and more disgruntled employees because of it.

It's my job as their manage to ensure a hygenic workplace is on offer. If I can't offer that (and yes, pay for it) then it's not a well run, viable business space.

[Goingdownto]

Big difference between cleaning up after yourself and cleaning up after work colleagues. Even bigger difference cleaning up after members of the public/customers.
a) should be encouraged, b) might be needed at points throughout the day, c) only if it's your actual job!!

[tadjennyp]

Cleaning after myself, not a problem, but with very few staff loos and very short breaks, not ideal for everyone else waiting. Takes about 15/20 minutes to clean the kids' block each time and I can't do that while teaching. So when do I do it?

[AndwhenyougetthereFoffsomemore]

charity sector: we are all being asked to clean toilets after use, but are currently minimising external visitors (we usually have a lot of clients in and out of the building)

[ginnybag]

Yes, I am, and have throughout. It's in no way my job or anywhere near it, and the £££ per hour value is silly, if you want to look at it that way, but it is the most effective, safest, fewest people in the mix solution.

What's the alternative?

Primary kids can't clean a toilet themselves, and they can't go whole days without a toilet, but we've decided that we can't leave the toilets uncleaned for the whole day at a time.

This being the case, toilets need cleaned, so its teacher or cleaner.

If teachers are right re kids and social distancing not being possible (and I firmly believe that they are right!) then the teacher is already completely exposed to that bubble of kids - they're not put at any increased risk cleaning the loo.

In contrast, the cleaner coming in is put at greater risk - they're exposed to each bubble unnecessarily. That's bad for them, and bad for all of us as we're creating more potential transmission chains.

Frankly, too, a shared cleaner moving room to room during the teaching day seems like a very good way for all the 'bubbles' to end up cross-exposed, but schools (and the Government at this point) simply don't have the budget for a dedicated cleaner for each class.

We're left with the reality that the teachers stepping in simply seems like the safest, most effective way of dealing with this issue.

Now, I appreciate that this was not part of the job description when they took the job - as I said, neither was or is it in mine or many other people's - but things change in the middle of a crisis and we all just need to get on with it now as best we can.

[EmbarrassingAdmissions]

I feel for those in the fitness industry. I used to attend classes in aerial yoga which involves a hammock with a 5x3m piece of fabric. My teacher used to wash them once a week. It's not a viable class if they need to offer a fresh set for each class (and not feasible because of the time it takes to hang them and take them down) and it wouldn't be practical for her to transport several sets across London every day (fresh ones and taking home the used ones and she gives classes in multiple venues).

For other venues - yes, it's preferable that competent adults can clear up after themselves for the next user. Those of you in places with young children or similar need a very different solution.

[CallmeAngelina]

We're left with the reality that the teachers stepping in simply seems like the safest, most effective way of dealing with this issue.

Safest for whom?

[Kaiserin]

I'm glad to say my employer absolutely does NOT require us (office workers in high tech sector) to clean the loo. I assume that's because:

1. most of us currently work from home whenever possible
   
2. people (mostly male and highly educated) would point blank refuse to do it
   
   Hope this helps

[DistinguishedCarrot]

We've got anti-bacterial spray in each cubicle so you can choose to do it if you wish, before and/or after using. Regular touch points around the whole office are wiped down each day.

My theory is you're unlikely to catch Covid in a toilet cubicle as long as you wash your hands properly after you've been. When I've used the loo I wash my hands properly and carefully, then between the toilet and my desk I use a paper towel to open doors, etc, then use anti-bac gel when I sit down.

I get that not everyone is as "clean" as everyone else but ultimately we have to be responsible for our own personal hygiene before anyone elses.

[hibbledobble]

Do you mean cleaning after yourself? That is surely just good manners?!

Cleaning after oneself may involve more than before, including a quick spray with antibac, but it doesn't sound onerous.

[Kaiserin]

Also
3) even if they did, they would do a poor job at it, so better hire cleaners (much cheaper too... Paying an engineer's salary for them to waste time cleaning the loo would be dreadful budgeting)

[bumblingbovine49]

I would have no problem doing this if the cleaning materials were in the toilet ready to use

I would probably bring some of my own disposable rubber gloves and a couple of plastic bags to work though (so not great for the environment) and would wear a mask. I'd clean it all (including handles, light switches and taps) before I started with my gloves on, and throw the gloves in a plastic bag then wash my hands well.

I just don't trust others to clean it well enough after they have used it and I'd use the gloves and mask as an extra protection against whatever germs have been left there

Then I'd use the loo, wash my hands to avoid spreading any of my germs around while supposedly 'cleaning', and then clean it all again with clean hands after I'd used the loo,. Then throw away the plastic bag with gloves, wipes and mask etc. with a final hand wash just before leaving (because it feels weird to not wash them after cleaning a bathroom)

[wagtailred]

Just as an aside. A lot of the chemicals used to clean toilets need very well ventilated rooms, some shouldnt be muxed with others and otgers re ommend gloves, goggles and face masks for repeated exposure. Its ok taking a risk once a week in your own home, but multiple times a day in mutiple toilets you need to make sure you know what you are handling.

[dadshere]

I would laugh in their faces if they told me to clean toilets. Not my job. Not going to happen.

[Piggywaspushed]

My youngest child is already at a point close to not using school facilities because of the state of the toilet floors, seats and walls at their school. Coronavirus is likely to be the end of them using public facilities at all.

My 16 yo DS has NEVER used a toilet at school he told me!

[Piggywaspushed]

Where are all these wipes going after use?? Those poor sewer cleaners!!

[tadjennyp]

Are your toilets in the room, ginnybag ? Toilets in my school are on a completely different floor so I couldn't clean them and supervise kids at the same time. 🥴

[Hmmph]

I know that staff at public attractions are on a rota cleaning the public toilets. I’m not sure that is right either...

There’s a huge difference between cleaning a staff toilet after you’ve used it and cleaning a public or children’s toilet.

I assume it is common now and pub and restaurant staff are cleaning their customer toilets?

[SkelingtonArgument]

Isn’t bleach considered a hazardous material? Employers should properly train their staff in HAZMAT requirements before asking them to use hazardous chemicals.
Public sector employee, the cleaners‘ hours have been increased so they are in the building during working hours, constantly cleaning toilets and touch points. They don’t use bleach

[EmbarrassingAdmissions]

Where are all these wipes going after use??

Speaking for no-one but me, in a bag and then in the bin. Soiled cleaning wipe, the rinsing wipes (so no irritants are left behind), and a drying wipe if necessary. And gloves. I'm not happy about the waste but I don't see there's a better option.