Bathroom Air Freshners

[Senior Sudsy]

Does anyone have a problem people stealing the bathroom air freshners off the wall? Even if I mount them securely, they still open them and steal the solid right out of the despenser. Any suggestions?

[Anonymous]

Don't know if I can stop them, but I can tell you who is doing it. Go to a security store (or on the net) and find something called sneak powder. Wear some gloves and sprinle it on the unit. When someone touches it their hands turn purple and it does not wash off.

[Ken]

Any lockable steel box will do.
Electric timer steel box(I like this one)
Thermostat lock box(from heating supplier )
Key box from Office Depo
I had same problem,I guess custemers in Chicagoland area like to steal those stuff.

[Fred50]

I have a much easier and cheaper solution. Do what I did when people kept stealing the soap dispenser -

DON'T REPLACE IT!!

People occasionally ask why we don't have soap and I give them this simple explanation - they completely understand and never ask again,

[JSVLaundry]

I keep the paper towels &hand soap under the attendant's counter. Whomever needs to use them could ask and they will get.

As for the air fresheners, I use the stickups. I attach them to the back side of the slop sink. I don't think there is a demand on the black market for these.

Vinny

[Andy]

We ran out of the soap for the wall mount dispenser once so I bought a four pack of dial pump soap to buy us some time until I could buy more at Sam's. Three vanished within a week. I still have the fourth in the back room.

[Ken]

My custemer only steal the air freshner.
If you want,you shuold able to find lockable soap ,paper towel dispenser .

[Fred50]

I went with the air dryer for the hands.

Customers understand the need to keep the paper towels out of the toilet and off the floor. It makes the place a lot neater and cleaner.

[Gary C]

I am with mark.

Gary

[JSVLaundry]

Has anyone seen the motion activated paper towel dispenser?

They are used in the service areas along the NYS Thruway. From your hand motion, it will only dispense about a 10 - 12" sheet of paper towel at a time. It has to reset for about 20 seconds before it dispenses again.

I am sure that it is expensive but it will definitely conserve paper & minimize floor & toilet buildup

Vinny

[cesar]

They have the time released metererd air freshener dispensers that run on "D" batteries. They use a areosol can that is activated by the dispenser (no button on the can). People may be less likely to steal those because you have to get the cans from a janitorial supply house.

I agree with Mark for paper towels. In the long run a hand dryer must be the most economical way to go. No restocking, less cleaning up, no overflowing toilets. Not to mention more sanitary and enviormentally friendly.

[Duane]

Automatic urinal and toilet flushes,

Dual jumbo roll TP dispenser,

Automatic faucet,

Automatic hand dryer.

Card system on bathroom door.

Bathroom stays clean.

[pete f]

I tried small bottles of dial soap dispenser, had the same as Andy. No soap, gave up. My TP and paper towels are locked down so you can not take the whole roll. As for air freshner, those clorox tabs at SAms dropped in the toilet tank every few months keep most of the mats smelling, well, ok, I have one mens room I bt a car type tree freshner and hung it under the sink.

[SmartCard]

Automatic hand dryer, Jumbo dual TP, liquid soap dispenser on wall.
Customers must ask ATTENDANT FOR KEY!!
Bathroom is for customer use only, sign is posted on door and front door says "NO PUBLIC RESTROOM" In 6 months,no problems. Some people get pissed off but they are NOT doing any laundry. I see people drive up and come in just to use the bathroom. I send them down to Burger King.

[Kitty]

This bathroom issue amazes me. I realize that there are so many people that take advantage of generosity, however not everyone is an undesirable. I find it so bizarre that so many owners are so restrictive with the restrooms. I know the products may be somewhat costly however, the use is minimal. Men, mostly need very little products in order to finish their private duties. Most woman require very little.

A person that enters your mat today to use your restroom, my be an inconsistent customer, weekly, monthly or might well have never been a customer. However, the way you handle such a private matter as allowing someone in need of a restroom may gain you a customer, or at the least appreciation for your kindness.

We consistently have people enter the mats to use the restroom. Obviously, they are in need of it, otherwise they would not enter the store. Whether or not they are a customer at the particualar moment they need to use it, should have no bearing on whether or not you allow those in need to use your facilities. Don't be so stingy

[Winston]

The men's restroom is the worst. They urinate on the floor, even defecated on the floor once. Someone lifted the lid to the tank, unscrewed the flush handle, and stole it (cost 99 cents at Lowes). The toilet was constantly running... lifted the tank cover and discovered a syringe and needle blocking the flapper valve. There is an air dryer, but it's rarely used. They simply dry their hands on toilet paper. More paper is used in the men's room than in the lady's. I think I'll post a sign that says:

If you sprinkle when you tinkle
Please be neat and wipe the seat.
If you splatter other matter
Lift the lid and wipe up what you did.
Your mother does not work here!
Please clean up after yourself.

[SmartCard]

Way to go Winston!
I had a retail business previously. It was a freestanding building on a busy street. I was not required by law to have a public restroom since we did not serve food. It amazed me that people would purposely stop at our store just to use the bathroom. Why should I provide facilities to people who may never spend a dime in my store. I'm a nice guy but I'm not going to clean up after drippy Don.

[Gary C]

Kitty, What I am about to say is not ment to offend you. But that is the difference between management and ownership. As an owner I pay for those insodentals not the manager. It is my bottom line. I am sure most of us weigh the possibility that a restroom user my be next weeks customer however I find that in the laundry biz that is not the case. Reason is that most, probably 95% of our customers live within 3 miles of the mat and most likly they would rather use their own bathroom. and if thay are just leaving home they already went. Almost all of the people that have asked to use ours are from out of town.
All customers are welcome to use our restroom.

Gary

[Tom Ala.]

I agree with Kitty, And I own 5 stores. TP and Paper towels are a tiny part of the cost of business. I may be the diference between small towns and large cities. We get many people in from the outside because we have clean bathrooms and stores, They may not be using the laundry today but they will sooner or later.
Tom

[Kitty]

Gary,

I agree with your statement about the bottom line, however, the bottom line is of great concern to me. I have a great deal to do with reducing expenses and coordinating ways to increase revenue. I think most managment is very concerned with the bottom line no matter who owns the stores.

TP is as essential as having a clean store, working equipment, as well as inventory of vend supplies available for sale. The soap and paper towels can add up but very minimally in the scheme of things. Of course, if your bathroom has more use than your store than I suppose you do have a problem.

[Fred50]

I look at this whole thing more from the service of my customers issue than cost of supplies.

I (in general) do not want non-customers using any of the facilities that we try very hard to keep neat and clean. As we all know, it is tough enough keeping a mat clean without having non-customers who probably care less about the place than regular customers using anything.
This is one of the main reasons that everything in my mat is on the card system and I don't have a public phone or ATM. If someone has laundry to do, they are very welcome. If not, we would rather they stay out.

This type of attitude may be market-specific. I am in an urban area where "undesirables" would take full advantage of any open, clean facilities.

The trick is, How do you keep the ocassional passerby who may be a future customer happy and keep out the few people who may wreck the place?

[mike]

Another annoyance in that small room, are the people who use the hand dryer to finish drying their jeans, because "the" quarter didn't get them completely dry !

[Gary C]

Kitty, I agree with you on your statment.
TP is as essential as having a clean store

I just want it for my customers. Some times it just takes discreation as to who uses the rest room.

Gary