Toilet clogs are a headache in any office environment. In addition to calling out an emergency plumber to deal with the problem, you also have to pay to repair damage to floors or carpets caused by the overflowing sewage. Protect your business's budget by following these top tips to prevent toilet clogs.
1. Provide Sanitary Bins
Women's toilets often experience clogs because of female employees flushing tampons or sanitary pads. Most employees do not intend to sabotage the office plumbing, but when there is no sanitary bin available in the cubicle, they might feel they have no choice but to flush their sanitary products.
Spare your female employees the embarrassment of walking out of a toilet cubicle with a used tampon in their hand. Provide a bin in every cubicle so women can easily dispose of tampons and pads in a responsible way.
2. Don't Provide Paper Hand Towels
Paper hand towels do not break down in water like toilet paper. Some employees throw these towels into the toilet bowl after using them to dry their hands, which can lead to a toilet clog. The best way to avoid this is to replace paper hand towels with hot air dryers.
3. Use Toilet Roll Holders
One of the most common causes of a blocked toilet is a large commercial toilet roll being stuffed into the bowl. Although it can seem like employees do this deliberately, it can also happen by accident if toilet rolls are balanced on the back part of the toilet or stored on a nearby shelf. Toilet roll holders prevent people using the toilets from knocking, dropping or deliberately throwing toilet rolls into the bowl.
4. Educate Employees
Many toilet clogs are caused by carelessness. Talk to your employees about behaviours that can block toilets, such as throwing waste products into the toilet bowl. When you prompt employees to think a little harder about the way they treat office toilets, you might find that your workplace faces fewer clogs.
5. Take Action Quickly
One early sign of a toilet blockage is water rising high in the bowl when you flush. Check your office toilets regularly to ensure they are flushing correctly. If you notice signs of a problem developing, call a plumber right away rather than ignoring the issue. Place an out of order sign on the toilet door to encourage employees to use other toilets until the one with the fault can be repaired.