Why stores and public facilities call
Retail staff are hired to help customers, not to clean feces from restroom walls or pick needles out of a trash can. When incidents like these happen, many store managers prefer to close the area and call a team that handles this work routinely.
We work with retailers, shopping centers, gas stations and convenience stores, and public agencies that maintain restrooms in buildings and parks.
What we see in these spaces
- Feces smeared on walls, floors or fixtures
- Blood from injuries or assaults
- Needles and drug paraphernalia in stalls, tanks and trash bins
- Vomit on sales floors, in aisles and entryways
- Vandalism involving bodily fluids
- Restrooms where someone experienced an overdose, after emergency responders have left
Sharps come first
Restrooms are where discarded needles often turn up, sometimes hidden in toilet tanks, behind fixtures or in paper towel bins. Before any hands-on cleaning, we search accessible areas and place sharps in puncture-resistant containers, as FDA and OSHA guidance describe.
Staff should never reach into bins or behind fixtures without looking, and should not try to recap or snap a needle. If you find one, mark the area and keep customers away. For recurring problems, see needle sweeps or on-call sharps pickup for businesses.
Restoring a restroom or sales floor
- Close and sign We close the restroom or section and post signs so customers stay clear.
- Remove sharps and debris Needles, paraphernalia and contaminated debris are collected and packaged.
- Clean Walls, partitions, fixtures and floors are cleaned to remove all visible material.
- Disinfect EPA-registered products are applied per label, and surfaces are kept wet for the contact time.
- Address odor Lingering odor is traced to its source, which may include grout, drains or porous partitions.
- Reopen We walk through with your manager before the space goes back into use.
Before we arrive
Lock or block the restroom, put up a closed sign, and keep the door shut to limit odor in the store. Do not run a mop through the area, since that tends to spread contamination across a wider floor. If the incident involved a crime, such as an assault, wait until police have released the scene.
Gas stations and convenience stores often have single-occupancy restrooms with limited ventilation. Turning on the exhaust fan, if it vents outdoors, can help while you wait.
Timing and discretion
Many retailers want work done after close, overnight or before opening. We can plan for that depending on scope and crew availability. If the restroom must reopen sooner, we will tell you what is realistic. Our team keeps a low profile while customers are in the building. Stockrooms, loading docks and parking lots are handled the same way, and stores with repeat problems can set up recurring service.
Staff safety and responsibilities
If your employees clean any bodily fluids, OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard expects your business to have an exposure control plan, training and appropriate protective equipment for them. That remains your responsibility whether or not you also use an outside cleanup service. An employee who is stuck by a needle should see a healthcare provider promptly.
Plumbing problems behind a recurring overflow go to your plumber. For larger property issues such as encampments near your building, see commercial encampment cleanup. We serve retailers and public facilities across all 41 counties of Middle Tennessee.