How to Sanitize a Urinal

You can prevent the spread of pathogens by sanitizing urinals in addition to regular cleaning.

Although a urinal may look clean on the surface, it can still be covered with harmful bacteria, fungus and viruses. If a person comes into contact with these elements, he can become seriously ill. Urinals are most often located in shared public restrooms and can be used by hundreds of people every day, which increases the risk of spreading illness exponentially. You can prevent the spread of these pathogens by sanitizing the urinals with an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved disinfectant. Sanitizing won't take extra time if you perform the steps throughout your regular cleaning routine.

Things You'll Need

• Toilet bowl cleaner
• Bowl brush
• Cleaning rags
• Bleach
• 1 qt. spray bottle

Instructions

1. Clean the urinal to remove surface dirt and stains according to your regular routine. Use toilet bowl cleaner or a regular household cleaner, a toilet bowl brush, and some cleaning rags.

2. Pour 1 cup of bleach into the 1 qt. spray bottle, then fill the bottle the rest of the way with water.

3. Spray the entire urinal with the bleach solution, including the bowl, sides and handles. Spread the solution with a clean rag to make sure each surface is saturated.

4. Let the bleach solution set on the urinal for at least 10 minutes. This is the length of time required to kill all pathogens for proper sanitizing.

5. Spray the bleach solution on the urinal additional times as necessary to keep the surfaces wet for the entire 10 minutes.

6. Flush the urinal and wipe with a clean, wet rag to remove residual bleach after it dries. This step is optional because the dried bleach solution won't harm the urinal.

7. Repeat this process on a regular basis to be determined by the traffic in the restroom. High-traffic public urinals, like in restaurants, should be sanitized once a day, but a weekly sanitizing is sufficient in low-traffic restrooms, such as small offices with a few employees.

Tips & Warnings

• Try vinegar or a disinfectant spray cleaner as an alternative to the bleach solution, but follow the same procedure.

• Wear gloves when working with harsh toilet chemicals.

References

• Clorox: Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Home--In the Bathroom
• Toiletology 101: Index to Cleaning Toilets-- Toilet Cleaning Procedure for Cleaning for Health