Escalators are among the major features of shopping malls, hotels and airports that guests can see up front. That’s why they should be sparkling clean and properly maintained in order to be functional at all times. Escalator maintenance neglect leaves a negative impression of the facility.

Have you ever wondered how escalators are cleaned?

With frequent human traffic each day, maintenance crews may find escalator cleaning an arduous task, not to mention the impact of accumulated dirt on an escalator’s functionality. The good news is that escalator cleaning and maintenance can be accomplished with utmost ease.

All that’s needed are equipment and cleaning essentials to use.

What Are Escalator Cleaning Challenges?

Escalator cleaning is usually viewed as a burdensome task due to the following challenges.

• Cleaning an escalator requires the use of specialised cleaning equipment and solutions.
• Impacted dirt accumulates and becomes hard to remove from the grooves located in the tread area of the escalator’s steps. These areas are a magnet for hard-to-remove and stubborn dirt.
• Varying widths and designs of escalators used in facilities
• Cleaning equipment/methods vs the cost involved
• Cleaning schedule
• Escalator’s downtime

How Do You Clean Escalators?

Escalator cleaning can be done using various methods and cleaning equipment. However, not all the techniques used can provide the best results. Here are steps that can be taken to achieve the desired outcomes when cleaning escalators.

1. Develop a cleaning plan

Establish a fixed escalator cleaning schedule. Many facilities prefer to clean their escalators when the building is closed and there are no visitors. For facilities that operate 24/7, escalator cleaning is usually done during the hours when the traffic is slow.

Also, it is best to come up with a cleaning plan as soon as the escalators are installed. Doing this allows every unit to be immediately cleaned and prevents dirt buildup, which is harder to remove. Furthermore, the cleaning plan should indicate whether the cleaning would be done by an in-house team or by a separate cleaning company.

2. Choose the right cleaning equipment

Cleaning an escalator is best accomplished using the correct type of cleaning equipment. Thus, it has become a must for cleaning managers to select the best device. Fortunately, many reliable cleaning machines, such as those bearing the EscaTEQ mark, are now available in the market.

3. Use the proper cleaning procedures

Aside from using the right cleaning equipment, escalator cleaning should also be done using the proper cleaning procedures. But due to the popularity of using machines in doing this task, escalator cleaning has become more convenient. All the cleaners should do is follow the manufacturer’s instructions on using the machine and its accessories.

How Do You Use an Escalator Cleaning Machine?

The machines used for cleaning escalators are available in various configurations and working mechanisms. The most widely used is the dry-cleaning machine with powerful motors, a vacuuming system and heavy-duty brushes that remove dirt from the escalator’s stair tread.

Most of these dry-cleaning machines are positioned on the escalator while the latter is running. The setup allows the combined movement of the escalator and the cleaning machine to create agitation, which removes the dirt stranded in the tread area that brooms and regular brushes usually miss.

Many facilities also use an escalator cleaning kit composed of a head unit, an adjustable handle, a cleaning solution and a saturation tub. This is used the same way as the other cleaning equipment. It is placed on top of the running escalator and allowed to perform the cleaning task while the machine is running.

Which Machine Is Used for Quick, Easy and Deep Cleaning of Escalators?

Many facilities that use multiple escalators are now using more convenient escalator cleaning equipment. Instead of using bulky and heavy cleaning machines, they now use lightweight and manual escalator cleaning kits, such as the Tread-TEQ Escalator Cleaning Starter Kit from EscaTEQ.

These facilities decided to switch and use the new escalator cleaning equipment because of the following:

• Lightweight and portable
• Affordable and cost-effective
• Uses reusable and washable pads
• Can be used without turning off the escalator
• Doesn’t need an external power source to work
• Available in different sizes and with ‘V’ or ‘W’ tread pattern
• Convenient to use and can be operated by a single person
• Comes with a concentrated cleaning solution that effectively loosens stubborn dirt.

Escalator Cleaning With EscaTEQ

Escalator cleaning is proven as an essential aspect of maintaining a facility. Due to this, most building owners invest more resources to keep their escalators clean and working smoothly.

Now they have a more affordable option. Instead of buying expensive dry-cleaning machines, they can now go for the more budget-friendly cleaning kit, just like the Tread-TEQ Escalator Cleaning Starter Kit.

Aside from their relatively lower price, these kits do not require expensive maintenance and can be operated by a single person. Thus, using these cleaning kits can reduce the facility’s escalator maintenance costs, and they are a total convenience in all cleaning and maintenance aspects.

So, the next time your building facility lacks the effective tools to deep clean escalators without spending too much time and money, look for EscaTEQ products. Your escalators will stay as good as new.

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