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After confirming that the porta potty is stocked with hand sanitizer and toilet paper, you might wonder: How do they sanitize it? Cleaning a portable toilet goes beyond just wiping down surfaces and adding some bleach. To maintain the cleanliness of these public facilities, sanitation workers need specialized tools and a tough constitution.
Unlike the toilets in most homes, porta potties aren't hooked up to any sewage system. Instead, waste collects in a large holding tank beneath the toilet seat, where it remains until the unit is serviced.
The cleaning process involves emptying the holding tank before it overflows. This is accomplished by sanitation workers using a vacuum hose attached to a large truck. The hose removes the waste from the tank and transfers it to another storage container on the truck. Once the waste is contained, the truck transports it to a facility where it will be properly treated.
Before a porta potty is ready for public use, a few essentials must be added. Once the tank is emptied, sanitation workers fill it with fresh water and a blue chemical solution that helps control odors and bacteria between cleanings.
While cleaning the waste bin might seem like the toughest task, sanitizing the rest of the facility can be even more unpleasant. Workers are also in charge of scrubbing the urinals, floors, walls, and toilet seats. If you've ever visited a porta potty at a busy event, you can appreciate how grimy that job can be. Any leftover debris in the unit is removed at this stage as well.
A video explaining this cleaning process can be found below from Service Sanitation:
Porta potty cleaners can earn up to $50,000 a year for taking on tasks most of us would rather avoid. Here are even more dirty jobs for those brave enough to handle them.
