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How to be a Responsible Porta Potty Renter

When you rent anything, you have a responsibility to take care of it. You don’t own it, and if you return the item in poor condition, you’ll have to explain to the owner what happened to it. This is even true with porta potties. While it may not seem it, even the basic portable restrooms aren’t cheap to purchase. This means if you damage a porta potty, you’ll have to pay for the damages. If one is damaged beyond repair while you’re renting it, you’ll be on the hook for a replacement. That can easily break your budget. 

 

Being a responsible porta potty renter means correctly maintaining the porta potties you’ve rented. It also means alerting the rental company in a timely manner when something is wrong. If you have currently rented some portable restrooms or are looking to rent some in the future, here are some tips for keeping them in good condition so you won’t be charged for any damages.

 

Find the Right Spot

 

The first step to being a responsible porta potty renter is to find the right spot for your porta potties. There are two reasons for this. As far as event success goes, you need porta potties to be in the places where people will look for them. This usually means near the exits and near food. From a responsibility point of view, you need to place your portable restrooms in a safe location. Lining them up along the edge of a downward slope is not a good idea—it’s just asking for some rambunctious kids to run into one and send it tumbling down. 

 

Take the weather into account, too. If you put the porta potties near a creek or river that often overflows when it rains, be sure there aren’t any storms in the forecast. High winds can knock these little buildings over, so check to see what they might hit if they fall. The best place for a porta potty is on flat land with enough space around each unit that it could fall over without damaging anything or being damaged itself. Ideally, this will also be a location that is convenient for your attendees. While you may not always need to arrange everything around where your restrooms are, it’s definitely something you need to keep in mind.

 

What’s the Weather Like? What’s the Weather Like?

 

The weather can also play a part in porta potty maintenance and use. If your outdoor event is in the winter, it’s possible the chemicals in the tank can freeze. Any reputable rental company will add the correct antifreeze chemicals to the tank to ensure this doesn’t happen, but it’s never a bad idea to ask just so you know the tanks will be fine if temperatures drop before freezing. 

 

Extreme heat is also likely to make your porta potties smell more. This means you’ll want to be sure to let them air out whenever you can. You should always do this regardless of the weather. Just by leaving a porta potty open for about 30 minutes is enough to get a good amount of the smell out. If it’s windy, you may need to have something on hand to keep the doors propped open while they air out. You should ideally do this before and after your event just to ensure the units have sufficiently aired out.

 

Know How Many Portable Restrooms You’ll Need

 

Having the right number of porta potties on-site for your event will not only make your attendees happy but also ensure that you don’t over-tax the porta potties. When you don’t have enough for the number of people in attendance, you’re going to have a couple of problems. First, you’re going to have long lines for the restrooms, and that’s going to translate into very unhappy people.

 

Second, those porta potties that you do have are going to fill up very quickly. The more waste that goes into them, the faster the chemicals that break down that waste and control odors are going to run out. Once these chemicals have been used up, the porta potties will take a turn for the worst very quickly, and no one will want to be anywhere near them. This will also likely require additional cleaning, a cost that could be passed on to you.

 

Regularly Check the Porta Potties During Your Event

 

Some people simply watch the porta potties be dropped off and never look at them again until they’re picked up. While that may be fine for a single-day event, if you have the porta potties for longer, you need to check on them. In fact, you should look at each porta potty daily to make sure it doesn’t need emptied. If one unit is being used more than others, you may need to mark it as temporarily closed until you can have the company come and clean it. 

 

Daily inspections also give you a chance to see if you rented the right number of porta potties. This will give you an idea of what changes, if any, you need to make to orders for your next event. You can also gain insights into which porta potties are being used the most, which can help with the layout for future events. This also allows you to look for damaged units and contact the rental company to request repairs or a replacement.

 

Know What to Look For

 

Do you know what a damaged or over-used porta potty looks like? Most people would say all you have to do is follow your nose, but there’s more to it than that. The inside of a porta potty can become very dirty, even if the tank isn’t that full. You’ll need to check inside each porta potty to ensure there’s no mess on the floor or the walls. If there is, that unit needs cleaned and disinfected.

 

Another thing to check is the levels of blue chemicals in the tank. This chemical is what actually breaks down waste. If not much of it is left, the porta potty isn’t be a pleasant place for very long. You’ll need the rental company to refill the chemicals as soon as possible.

 

Check the deodorizers, too. Many porta potties are fitted with air fresheners, but you want to ensure they’re still working correctly. Take a look at the toilet paper, paper towels, soap, and hand sanitizer if you are using more luxurious porta potties. All of these items need to be fully stocked. 

 

Deluxe Restroom Trailers Have Additional Items to Check

2 Stall + ADA Restroom Trailer

 

Being responsible for a porta potty means being responsible for every part of it. If you’ve rented a deluxe porta potty or a portable restroom trailer, you’ll need to check everything, not just the restroom part. This means the tires on the trailer, the trailer hitch, and the generator if you’re using one to power the space. These trailers are more like permanent restrooms than porta potties, so you may need to sweep or mop the inside and empty out any trash accumulated inside. These trailers have countertops and built-in sinks; you will need to wipe them down regularly so your guests have a clean space to use. 

 

Know What to Do in the Event of a Problem

 

What do you do if your porta potty falls over or has some major issue? Knowing how to contact your rental company is important. You should have the name and number of your account representative, but you should also ask about who you can contact if something occurs outside of business hours or on the weekend. This is especially important if your event is being held over the weekend. 

 

Pacific Sanitation is Here to Provide All of Your Portable Restroom Needs

 

If you’re in need of a portable restroom for your next event, Pacific Sanitation is here for you. We offer a full line of porta potties. Our basic units are what people typically think of when they think of a porta potty, but we also provide deluxe units that include a handwash station. We have ADA-compliant units that can accommodate wheelchairs and have sturdy handrails. Our towable toilet is ideal for road construction crews and others whose worksite may change throughout the day. These portable toilets are mounted on a small trailer and can be pulled behind most vehicles. They are OSHA compliant.

 

Working on a construction site? We’ve got you covered there, too. Our crane toilet is surrounded by a durable metal frame and can be lifted up to higher levels or lowered to the basement level as needed. Our high rise toilet is on durable casters and has a roof that can be lowered to allow it to fit through doorways or into elevators. 

 

Need something for weddings? Our VIP trailers are ideal for these more upscale events. They require power and include running water and air conditioning. They’re everything you need for an event where a standard porta potty just wouldn’t fit the overall atmosphere. 

 

Want to learn more about what Pacific Sanitation can do for you? Contact us today at 1-877-698-8473.

 

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