For many, the thought of a plane brings the excitement and thrill of going on holiday – except for those with a fear of flying! With the anticipation of flying somewhere new, or returning home, the majority of us won’t give a second thought to how the plane has been cleaned prior to our journey.
With this in mind, Newcastle cleaning services provider DCS Multiserve has investigated how planes are cleaned between journeys, and how often they have a deep clean.
How is the plane cleaning process approached?
With commercial flights, the turnaround is always timed with precision – this is the case with cleaning the plane too. The turnaround needs to be quick and efficient. They use real-time data so that workers know exactly when the plane is due to arrive, so they’re prepared to step on the plane and commence the cleaning as soon as the passengers are off the plane. This is usually a ‘turn-clean’ between journeys.
The exterior of the plane
How often?
This usually varies from airline to airline according to Travel Skills, who made enquires with a number of airlines.
It can depend of the type of aircraft, according to British Airways. However, the typical timescale is between six and eight weeks; shorter flights tend to get more regular cleans as they have more take-offs and landing, causing more build-up of dirt and grime.
United Airlines was every 50 days, and Singapore Airlines clean their planes monthly.
How?
To cover the large area of a plane’s exterior, companies usually utilize pressure washers to strip away the dirt and grime.
They are typically cleaned from tail to nose, with the tail receiving the most focus as it’s prone to attracting the most dirt during a flight. The tail is cleaned in a top-to-bottom motion for the most efficiency.
Alongside the water from the pressure washer, detergent is also used to remove more stubborn dirt – especially around the exhaust and engine. However, when using the pressure washers, cleaners need to ensure they are using safe and sturdy working platforms, as the force from the pressure can knock them off-balance.
The plane’s windows are often done by hand, sometimes the pilots clean the windscreens themselves.
The wheels are tackled with a pressure washer, brush and detergent.
The process is completed with a rinse of cold water.
The interior of the plane
A turn-clean is carried out as a quick clean between flights to ensure there is a swift turnaround. There isn’t enough time, especially between short-haul flights, to carry out a deep clean between every journey.
A turn-clean targets certain areas first, such as Business and First Class, followed by the galleys and the toilets. The toilets however, get a thorough clean between every journey, both inside and out. The waste tanks are emptied by a lavatory truck and the tank is refilled ready for the next flight. With regards to the rest of the plane, a litter pick is conducted throughout and the whole plane is given a vacuum.
The plane can be given a deeper clean when it has a longer stay, but this is often still performed to a strict time schedule.
Why is the clean so important?
The interior of plane can be exposed to build-up of dirt and bacteria so the cleaning and maintenance is essential so that passengers are travelling in a healthy and clean environment. Bacteria like MRSA and E-Coli can be present on board from the passengers themselves. Regular cleaning makes sure that the bacteria is cleaned away to prevent them developing.
The exterior of the plane is exposed to a great deal of weathering, bird excrement, bugs and oil from the hydraulics systems and other residue. This needs to be regularly cleaned to prevent a build-up of dirt and grime on the surface which can cause drag and effect the overall flight efficiency.
This blog was provided by DCS Multiserve
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