All About the Journey of a Porta Potty: Delivery to Pickup

Though people use porta potties every single day, not many stop to think about where that porta potty was before the event they’re attending or what will happen after they leave. However, understanding the life cycle of a porta potty can help event planners create more positive experiences for their guests and guests to appreciate a facility that is easily taken for granted. Keep reading to learn all about the journey of a porta potty, from delivery to pickup.

Part One: Delivery

The first stage of a porta potty’s journey at an outdoor event is its delivery. After you’ve made a reservation with a porta potty rental service like Reliable Portable Bathrooms, a technician will deliver your rentals. They will bring your portable bathrooms to where you want them and prepare them for your event.

Where To Set Up Porta Potties

Setting aside a place for your portable toilets before your delivery person arrives is important. Choose a flat surface so the bathrooms will not be at an angle, and consider the distance from your event. Placing bathrooms too far from the event will be a major inconvenience for your guests and could pose accessibility issues.

Securing Your Porta Potties

While many adults fear being inside a porta potty when it tips over, the truth is that this is highly unlikely to occur. Responsible services like Reliable Portable Bathrooms use stakes to secure porta potties in place for added peace of mind.

Part Two: Usage

After your porta potties have been delivered, it’s time for your event! During your event, porta potties play a crucial role in ensuring comfort and convenience for your guests. However, there are a few logistical points to remember before guests start using your rented bathrooms.

Hygiene and Handwashing

Porta potties are an important part of your event’s approach to sanitation. To ensure the health and comfort of your guests, make hand-washing or sanitizing stations readily available to guests after they use your porta potties. Your event can use signage to inform guests about these stations and remind them of the importance of washing their hands, especially after using the restroom.

Preventing Lines

At large events, lines can form quickly. That’s why it’s essential to order an adequate number of porta potties based on your expected number of attendees. Otherwise, bathrooms will require more frequent cleaning and guests may spend an uncomfortable amount of time waiting in line for the restroom, potentially missing aspects of the event they are attending. Fortunately, our bathroom rental calculator can help you determine how many units your event will need.

The Benefits of Motion Lights

Installing motion lights in your porta potties can improve their safety during nighttime use. Without them, guests may try to use their phones as flashlights, significantly increasing their risk of dropping them into the unit. Motion-activated lights are an easy way to prevent items from being dropped into the toilets and to keep guests from tripping in the dark.

ADA-Accessibility

Events must remain compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and that includes any provided toilets. Before your event, ensure you have ADA-compliant portable restrooms available for guests who need them. These restrooms will feature adaptations like shorter seats, handrails, and additional space so those with mobility devices can use the facilities comfortably and safely.

Part Three: Cleaning

Since porta potties are used frequently throughout events, they must also be cleaned routinely. At regular intervals, technicians clean their interiors, refill supplies like toilet paper and hand sanitizer, and ensure they are still in working order.

How Porta Potties Are Cleaned

During regular cleanings, technicians should remove any loose trash from inside the porta potties and use disinfectants to clean the bathrooms’ surfaces. This prevents the growth and spread of germs and keeps the restrooms smelling and feeling fresh for the next users.

Where Porta Potty Waste Goes

Portable bathrooms must also be regularly emptied. When guests use a porta potty, their waste is collected in a special chamber in the unit. When it’s time for the porta potty to be emptied, sanitation technicians hook a hose up to the unit and drain the waste. This waste is then transported to treatment facilities, where it undergoes filtration and treatment processes before disposal. After that, the porta potty’s chamber is refilled with a blue fluid that contains deodorizers and disinfectants.

How Technology Is Changing Portable Bathroom Cleaning

As technology advances, new devices are changing the ways people clean porta potties. Now, sensors can let teams know when a porta potty needs to be cleaned. Other tools make hands-free sanitization easy. In the future, technology may make it possible for porta potties to be regularly cleaned without the need for sanitary technicians.

How Often Porta Potties Should Be Cleaned

The number of guests at your event will impact the frequency at which you should clean your rented bathrooms. However, it is essential to develop a schedule for routine cleaning, although bathrooms will likely need extra cleaning in addition to their scheduled maintenance. It’s important to be adaptable and respond to these needs for the comfort and health of your event’s attendees.

Part Four: Pickup

Once your event concludes, it’s time for the porta potties to be picked up. However, pickup is not as simple as a technician loading the units onto a truck and driving away. In fact, this final stage of the portable bathroom’s journey is crucial to its longevity after the event.

Post-Event Inspections

Before removing the units, technicians conduct a thorough inspection of the porta potties. They check for any damage that will require repairs. Without these inspections, future renters could have problems with their portable bathrooms.

Final Waste Removal

Once more, the waste from each unit is drained into a specialized truck and transported to a sanitation facility for treatment and disposal.

Unit Removal

Finally, the portable bathrooms are loaded back onto the truck and returned to the rental company. Once they arrive at the rental service’s facilities, they will undergo a comprehensive cleaning and maintenance process. Soon, they’ll be sent off to another event!

Now that you know all about the journey of a porta potty, from delivery to pickup, you can appreciate everything that goes into having an easily accessible bathroom at outdoor events. Remember, proper planning and cleaning are essential to creating a functional and comfortable guest bathroom experience. If you need a porta potty rental service for your next event, Reliable Portable Bathrooms is here to help. Our rental service and 10-point reliable service plan make event sanitation simple.