Feminine Waste Receptacles - Do's and Don'ts

It's easily overlooked and often contaminated.  Cleaning them is probably not considered a high priority unless something obvious is visible.  Yet, germs can live and breed here.  I'm talking about feminine waste receptacles commonly found in the women's restroom stalls.

Unless an obvious condition exist indicating contamination, most of the time we just replace the liner and move on.  But there's more to it than that.  An article in Cleaning and Maintenance Management outlines steps that can be used to limit the spread of germs and gives suggestions on cleaning these receptacles.  Read the entire two page article here and notice some high points as to cleaning these receptacles as taken from the article.

Best Practices for Handling Feminine Waste Receptacles

The following tips were previously published by ISSA and Cleaning and Maintenance Management magazine. For more on how to properly clean and line feminine waste receptacles, and for a comprehensive list of tips, visit www.cmmonline.com/online-exclusives. 

• Wear protective gloves.
   
• Empty the receptacle contents by removing the liner bag, sealing it, and placing it in a lined cleaning cart trash receptacle or lined trash pickup container.
• Use extra caution when handling the liner, which may contain sharps, such as needles.
   
• Visually inspect the inside of the receptacle, cautiously remove debris remaining in the bottom, and discard it in the trash. Contact a supervisor immediately if you find evidence of sharps or a pool of liquid.
   
• Use paper towels or other disposable wipes to remove any visible soiling of the inside and outside of the receptacle.
   
• To properly disinfect, apply (via disposable wipes/spray bottle) an appropriate disinfectant to the interior and exterior of the receptacle, including to the lid, even when there is no visible soiling.
   
• Follow the recommended dwell time on the manufacturer's product label.
   
• To dry receptacle surfaces, use paper towels or other disposable wipes only, and discard when saturated.