Escalators have truly been one of life’s greatest inventions as they have changed our sense of space, increasing our fluidity into spaces above and below. However, like all machines, escalators require regular maintenance. If not maintained properly, they can cause serious injuries to the guests using them.

According to Safe Work Australia, the risks associated with escalators and moving walkways include mechanical failure, people getting caught in the moving parts, people transporting items with wheels (e.g. trolleys, prams), fall hazards upon entry and exit, and damage to the escalator and moving walkway or its function.

One way to mitigate these risks from happening is to implement basic safety measures. There should be sufficient signage about the proper use of escalators, as well as sufficient lighting on landings and appropriate guarding of moving parts. In cases when an escalator or moving walkway malfunctions, this must immediately be put out of service and isolated until it has been fully repaired by the management.

In addition to these safety measures and perhaps the most important of all is that you should also prioritise regular inspections and maintenance of your escalators.

What Is Escalator Maintenance?

Escalator maintenance primarily involves providing regular preventive maintenance to ensure that the equipment (i.e. escalator) is running in optimum condition. By doing so, not only do you increase the safety and reliability of your escalator, but you also minimise the likelihood of a breakdown, thereby increasing the longevity of your escalator.

Regular escalator maintenance would typically include thorough inspections of the equipment and escalator cleaning and lubrication. Maintenance should also include the repair or replacement of worn parts.

Why Should You Clean Your Escalator?

Depending on your location, there will be at least hundreds of people using one specific escalator alone each day. You can only imagine the amount of dirt, grime and bacteria that sticks on it. While all this filth can be unhygienic and can pose health risks to the general public using the escalator, this can be an issue to the escalator itself. Much of this dirt can be trapped inside the escalator and cause damage to its parts in the long run.

The mechanism behind an escalator is like a conveyor belt with interlocking steps. You can only see the top part of it, which are the steps that move and the balustrade that includes a moving handrail, an interior panel, a deck board and a skirt guard. You will not be able to see the machine room, which houses the control panel, drive unit, drive chain and upper sprocket. Meanwhile, the truss parts of the escalator include the main track, a trailing track, the lower sprocket and the moving handrail drive unit.

As dirt accumulates inside the escalator, in the parts where you cannot see, the escalator then works inefficiently and eventually breaks down. Not only will it affect your reputation and image as a company, but repairs can also be more expensive compared to regular maintenance like escalator cleaning.

How Often Should You Clean An Escalator?

As to how often you should clean an escalator, there is no one definite answer as the schedule can vary depending on a lot of factors. When determining a schedule for escalator cleaning, you need to consider the amount of foot traffic and observe how quickly it gets dirty.

For escalators with high foot traffic and that are used constantly on a daily basis, daily routine escalator cleaning is recommended. For those with medium traffic, a biweekly routine escalator cleaning will do, while escalators with smaller amounts of foot traffic will suffice with weekly escalator cleaning for maximum efficiency.

For escalators that are not routinely cleaned on a daily or weekly basis (i.e. escalators that have not been cleaned for months or years), a deep cleaning process may be needed. This process involves the traditional way of cleaning an escalator.

In the early days, escalator cleaning requires the removal of the steps and then taking them off-site to wash using a pressure washer. Once they are dry, the steps are reinstalled back into the escalator. This process is quite effective but can be time-consuming and expensive.

The good news is that today, many tools make escalator cleaning easier and faster and can be done on at least a weekly basis.

Escalator Cleaning With EscaTEQ

There are different escalator cleaning machines and supplies you can use to keep your escalators in ideal condition. Here are some of these tools from EscaTEQ, your one-stop-shop in escalator cleaning in Australia.

• Rail-TEQ

Designed to clean an escalator’s handrails, this escalator cleaning tool safely removes dirt buildup using its sponge liner found in the washable microfibre pads of the machine.

• Tread-TEQ

Tread-TEQ is an advanced escalator cleaning machine that uses the escalator’s propulsion mechanism to produce the cleaning action. This machine is designed in such a way that there is no outside power required. All you have to do is to correctly place it on the escalator so that the Tread-TEQ pads come in contact with the escalator and collect all the dirt.

• Riser-TEQ

The Riser-TEQ can be operated by a single person. It has an easy-to-use pad system that allows fast and effective riser cleaning.

• Clean-TEQ

Clean-TEQ is a quad-based cleaning solution, which is safe for use for all types of escalators and moving walkways. This escalator cleaning solution also has anti-corrosion and slip-resistant features.

• Absorb-TEQ

Absorb-TEQ is the patented cleaning pad found in the Tread-TEQ and Riser-TEQ. It allows for faster and high-quality cleaning results.

Are you interested in buying any of these escalator cleaning products? Check out these items now. For more details, you can call us on (03) 9460 5655 or email us at sales@escateq.com.au.