Drinking  Fountains

Dirty  and  stained  drinking  fountains  are  unattractive  and
unsanitary.  These  should  be  cleaned  frequently.  Since  acids
should  not  be  used  on  the  fountains,  rust  and  other  accumula-
tions are  usually  removed  with  a  cloth  and  a  mild  abrasive.
Thorough  rinsing  is  essential.
102  THE    CUSTODIAN    AT    WORK

Toilet  Sanitation

As  has  been  stated  previously,  many  janitors  attempt  to  cover
up  foul  odors  by  other  odors.  The  best  provision  for  sanitation
in  the  toilet  rooms  is  cleanliness.  Some  disinfectants  that  are
put  in  toilet  bowls  are  oily  and  tend  to  cling  to  the  side  walls
and  may  in  turn  collect  accumulations  of  waste  which  cause
odors.  Deodorizing  blocks  and  deodorizing  crystals  often  are
an  indication  of  an  odor  that  would  not  need  to  be  covered  up
if  the  cause  of  the  odor  had  been  removed.  Because  of  these
facts,  one  of  the  best  disinfectants  for  toilet  rooms  is  some  prep-
aration like  tri-sodium  phosphate  which  will  help  dissolve  the
fats  and  make  them  easy  to  wash  away.
Plumbing  Fixtures

The  janitor  who  has  a  first-class  toilet  room  with  suitable
walls  and  adequate  ventilation  is  fortunate.  The  janitor  who
has  first-class  toilet  fixtures  is  also  fortunate.  The  best  toilet
fixtures  are  of  vitreous  china.  This  china  is  impervious  to  most
acids  and  chemicals.  Enameled  iron  fixtures  are  subject  to  de-
terioration, thus  exposing  the  iron  to  the  action  of  the  chemicals
and  to  other  materials  that  pass  through  the  fixture.  When  the
finish  in  these  fixtures  becomes  rough  it  is  almost  impossible
to  maintain  them  in  a  satisfactory  condition.
