Core Products Company Inc.
Getting Exclusive With Restroom Care
Fikes Restroom Hygiene zeros in on improving the restroom experience.
Effectively cleaning restroom facilities has evolved into a sophisticated and specialized field. Some JanSan businesses, such as Fikes Restroom Hygiene of Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, have carved a unique niche by servicing restrooms exclusively. Fikes provides complete, premium restroom facility services.
Although not every microbe causes a life-threatening illness, keeping them contained to healthy levels in our daily living environments is vital to our health.
"We make no assumptions when we approach a facility regarding the cleanliness," says Mark Sims, president and owner of Fikes Restroom Hygiene.
Based on research, experience, technology and customer needs, Fikes utilizes a variety of equipment and hands-on processes to clean restrooms from top to bottom. Depending on the service agreement that is contracted, technicians focus first on fixtures, then on walls and partitions and finally complete the job with attention to floors.
To backup an assessment, Fikes representatives measure bathroom hot spots with ultraviolet light and mirror technology. The technology provides added assurance of cleanliness that goes beyond appearance.
The good news is that most of the surfaces in restrooms are designed to withstand an arsenal of traditional cleaning products. The challenge to cleaning every restroom is achieving a high level of hygiene leaving the porcelain, chrome, tile and grout looking new. Sims says that Core Products' Hydroxi Pro® Concentrate is an ideal product to use in restrooms. It has a neutral pH and is Green Seal™ certified, so it is easy on the environment being cleaned and safe for the user and occupants.
Fixtures, including the porcelain, and high contact zones, including flush handles, faucets, door knobs, grab bars and stall latches, are thoroughly cleaned and care is given to removing any mineral deposits or stains.
Walls and partitions are then dusted and sanitized with a microfiber procedure. Once the walls and partitions are taken care of, floors are aggressively scrubbed and pressure washed to remove soils.
The job does not stop once the floors are finished, even if the restroom looks brand new.
"Our number one complaint for customers is odor control and then the question is how clean the facility is after it is serviced," says Sims.
"We reverse engineered how to clean bathrooms — top to bottom — then complement the area with a pleasant scent. Many of our customers prefer citrus tinged fragrances," says Sims.
Fikes representatives also use another Core Product, Rid'z Odor concentrate or ready-to-use, for a lingering clean smell.
According to a survey sponsored by SCA Tissue North America, 88 percent of those who visit restaurants agree that restroom cleanliness reflects the hygiene standards in the kitchen and food prep areas. Twenty nine percent of respondents said they would never return to a restaurant with an unclean or unsanitary appearing restroom.
Rather than have restroom maintenance as simply part of another job, more facilities, especially restaurants such as Seattle's legendary Ivar's Seafood, understand the impression that can be left with their customers and have turned the care over to professionals.
Carl Taylor, regional manager for Ivar's Seafood, says that working with Fikes is like having a "trusted partner" taking care of your needs.
"Doing business with [Fikes] is easy. I know that everything from the appearance of the restrooms to the supplies is taken care of," says Taylor, who is then able to focus his attention on other business operations.
To check out Fikes Restroom Hygiene, visit www.fikesproducts.com and for more about Ivar's Seafood, visit www.ivars.net.
