How to Maintain Your Building's Garbage Chutes

Apartment building owners often maintain cleanliness by placing trash bins in a designated outdoor area. If tenants are consistently leaving their trash bags outside their doors instead of walking to the garbage containers, it may be time for the apartment building owner to hire contractors to install a garbage chute.

It makes disposing of garbage more convenient, since tenants can access the chute on each floor, and the trash lands directly in the trash bins or the incinerator. But like with any other building system, you have to maintain the garbage chute regularly. Otherwise, you will get complaints that the garbage chute is full or is not working.

1. Schedule Cleaning Services

The garbage chute will have all sorts of gunk and dirt from the garbage that people throw. In some cases, the trash bags will have holes, and the liquid will spurt out, staining the chute's surfaces. Those stains can sometimes emit a foul odor, making the chute's hatch stink when a person opens it.

That's the reason many apartment building owners hire professional cleaning services to clean out the chute. It's always better to schedule their cleaning services in advance, so you don't have to keep calling them every time you need the chute professionally cleaned. Remember that a clean chute will make it easier for people to throw their trash, since trash bags won't get caught on anything stuck to the chute's surface.

2. Educate Building Tenants

Even when you clean your garbage chute regularly, your building tenants can cause many problems. Not everyone knows how to use a garbage chute properly, so you have to expect that it'll get damaged at some point. Fortunately, you can prevent damage to the garbage chute by educating your building's tenants.

You can teach them by placing signs or posters beside the garbage chute opening that show the proper way to use it. Once you have those signs plastered, the building tenants can spot them quickly, and you don't have to worry about the garbage chutes getting damaged easily.

3. Don't Forget to Clean the Trash Room

Most garbage chutes will always lead to the trash room, where the building staff places the trash bins to catch the trash bags. Sometimes, the cleaning company won't include cleaning the trash room because it's outside of their job description. You have to tell your building's cleaning personnel to keep the trash room cleaned regularly.

They can keep it clean by simply sweeping the floor or returning fallen trash to the bins. You can also try assigning one cleaning personnel to inspect the trash room every day, ensuring garbage collectors won't have a hard time doing their jobs. You should know that some garbage can cause accidents, like liquids on the floor that can cause people to slip.

And when they trip, they may end up hitting their head or a part of their body on something sharp. You don't want that happening in your apartment building, so you have to focus on cleaning your trash room regularly.

4. Provide Trash Bags Near Garbage Chutes

Building tenants will use different types of trash bags, which vary in thickness and size. Sometimes, their trash bags tear easily, which isn't suitable for your garbage chutes because the contents can spill as they go down the chute. And when that happens, it'll stain the chute's surface and create a foul odor.

If it happens all the time, you can provide trash bags and hang them near the garbage chute. Make sure to place thicker trash bags so they get destroyed when someone throws them down the garbage chute. And if you want to make money from it, you can install a dispenser that building tenants have to pay for to get a trash bag. Not only are you keeping your garbage chute clean, but you're also earning money.

5. Replace Damaged Components on the Garbage Chute

Every few months, you should hire a technician to inspect the garbage chute for any damage; otherwise, you may not notice the damage until it's too late. In some cases, garbage chutes have tiny gaps that let liquid escape, which should never happen. Those liquids may find their way into the building tenant's rooms, generating a foul odor that's difficult to detect.

Conclusion

As with the cleaning services, you also have to schedule inspections and maintenance for your garbage chutes to keep them functioning properly. If you have a building technician, you can ask them to do the inspections. However, it's always better to hire a professional experienced with garbage chutes to ensure it's serviced correctly. You can also install stainless steel access doors, such as the BA-F2DL Laundry Chute Access Doors, to make it easier for technicians to work.

Ensure your garbage chute is well-maintained, as it's an essential part of any large commercial building.