Sick of Cleaning Tip-overs? Try These Tips…

As anybody who has ever had to clean up after one can tell you, tip-overs are a nasty part of the portable restroom industry and a pain to deal with. Tip-overs are not only costly in terms of time and potential liability, dealing with the aftermath is by no means a fun task. If you’re new to the industry, you’ll want to find out early on how to tackle these unwanted surprises. Being prepared is half the battle.

Tip-overs can be caused by unexpected weather conditions – such as strong winds or mud – but they are also, unfortunately, often caused by vandals. This does not mean they can’t be prevented. Taking precautions and preventative action can go a long way to saving you a headache down the line.

Here are some tips on preventing and cleaning tip-overs:

Stake the Unit

On some sites, your portable restroom unit will be installed before any other structures are in place. This is especially the case on construction sites. It’s important to not leave your units exposed to the elements and to vandalism, both of which can easily lead to tip-overs.

One of the most efficient ways to prevent such exposure is to stake the unit down. Placing stakes in the unit’s base, or skid, holds it in place, and while it doesn’t guarantee that it won’t still tip over, it certainly makes the unit harder to move.

Before deciding to stake a unit, it’s a good idea to ask the site owner’s permission and discuss with them the value of staking. Some portable restroom operators charge a fee for staking as part of their insurance measures against tip-overs. Always make sure that staking is done to regulations and no tripping hazards are left behind.

Place the Unit Against a Wall or Enclosure

If there are existing walls or buildings on your site, it’s a good idea to utilize these. Placing your units against a wall makes them harder to tip over. Lining units up side-by-side against a wall also makes the units more secure and difficult to handle. No tipper wants to tip a unit towards them, after all.

Some sites, such as national or state parks, require that portable restroom units are installed within enclosures. Most of the time, these are purpose-built for you. Enclosures offer great protection against tip-overs and, as with walls, placing the units against them is highly recommended.

Cleaning Up After a Tip-over

Cleaning up after a tip-over is many portable restroom operators’ worst nightmare. While most operators use the standard hose-and-scrub for dealing with tip-overs, one implement that comes in handy is Gamajet.

Gamajet is a hands-free cleaning tool that uses a rotary device to spray down the portable restroom unit interior. It has been designed with tip-overs in mind, by experts who know what a mess they are to clean. By placing Gamajet inside your unit and closing the door, you can stand back and let the tool do the work, taking the strain out of the clean-up for you. Different attachments allow for different spray patterns, meaning you can clean the holding tank, the main interior of the unit, and the front of the unit’s inside, otherwise known as the horseshoe.

So, while precautions – like staking and placing the unit against a wall – can prevent a tip-over occurring in the first place, fear not if you come across one in the line of duty, as cleaning solutions are available.

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