Unhygienic or faulty plumbing can cause lasting reputational damage

First impressions are worth their weight in gold, especially in the hotel business. For example, guests who are confronted with a loose toilet seat or mildew in the shower of their hotel room are not likely to return. "A fresh and hygienically impeccable washroom is therefore crucial for the reputation of every hotel", says CEO Thierry Desmet of Valor Services Group, which among other things specialises in deep cleaning and technical maintenance of sanitary facilities.

As a hotel visitor, a clean and tidy washroom is the least you can expect. Yet practice sometimes looks different. Like a urinal that smells unfresh and flows badly, indicating accumulation and possible blockages. An infrared flush of the toilet that is unresponsive so it does not flush. At the sink, one notices that the tap wobbles; it moves back and forth with every attempt to use it. Arriving at the hotel room, you find to your horror that the drain of the bathtub is full of hair and soap residue. 

Just a few real-life examples that regular daily cleaning - which involves sweeping floors, wiping surfaces and replenishing consumables - cannot be solved in the blink of an eye, however, Thierry Desmet knows. "No, because that requires periodic deep cleaning of sanitary facilities. The biggest challenges include removing stubborn limescale, urine scale and mould in joints, as well as eliminating germs and bacteria that often accumulate in hard-to-reach places. Although it also depends on the occupancy rate and type of hotel guests, we generally advise hotels to have a deep cleaning at least once a quarter. This helps in maintaining an impeccable appearance of the sanitary facilities, which is essential for a positive guest experience and thus also ensures better guest reviews."

Having sanitary facilities thoroughly cleaned is important for several reasons. "Not only to keep guests happy, but certainly also for the health of our own employees. A clean sanitary environment prevents the spread of germs. Fresh-looking and smelling sanitary facilities also have a positive effect on productivity because employees will feel comfortable with them."

Going one step further than deep cleaning is the so-called soil treatment, Desmet continues. "In this process, all sanitary components are completely dismantled in order to remove accumulated organic and inorganic deposits and solve blockages. This mainly involves uric acids, lime, hair and skin flakes and corrosion; we disinfect these with legally authorised disinfectants."

Besides keeping the sanitary facilities in both common areas and hotel rooms impeccably fresh and clean, Desmet says it is at least as important that they are in perfect technical order. "Because there is nothing as annoying as, for example, a toilet that does not flush properly or a shower head that does not function properly. Therefore, in addition to a periodic deep cleaning, regular technical maintenance is also necessary; this mainly involves checking for leaks, replacing parts such as seals and filters, unblocking drains and ensuring the efficiency of water-saving systems."

Given the risks of permanent reputational damage due to unclean or faulty washroom facilities, Desmet sees periodic deep cleaning and technical maintenance as an essential part of hotel management. "After all, it contributes to both guest satisfaction and business sustainability. And we haven't even mentioned the long-term cost savings: preventive maintenance through deep cleaning can avoid costly repairs and replacements."