SPECIALISM MADE SIMPLE
Even when it comes to a specialist task like escalator cleaning, innovation can be as simple as it is effective, says James White, MD of Denis Rawlins Ltd.
In floor cleaning, there are few surfaces that are higher value or higher tech than an escalator or travelator.
Such a highly specialised piece of equipment deserves a specialist cleaning service, especially given the risk of damage to the underlying electromechanical systems. Partly for this reason – and the higher cost of buying in a specialist service or investing in a dedicated machine – escalators are often not cleaned as frequently as other floors. And this is despite the grave consequences of slips and falls for users.
The dilemma for facilities managers and cleaning teams is understandable, especially where budgets are constrained. Using conventional cleaning equipment risks moisture damage to the escalator’s electrics or accelerating metal corrosion. Deferring cleaning by specialists until the escalator’s mechanical service runs the risk that the steps become unacceptably soiled, if not unsafe underfoot. But the alternative of investing in specialist cleaning equipment may also be hard to justify, given the return on investment will be lower in line with utilisation.
That dilemma is only compounded by the limitations of specialist cleaning equipment. Dedicated cleaning machines for escalators tend to suffer from significant drawbacks – such as being large and cumbersome to
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use, cleaning over-aggressively or consuming a lot of water or solution.
With the proliferation of escalators and travelators in modern buildings, this was a challenge that required a new solution.
As a company, Denis Rawlins Ltd has a track record of identifying and championing innovative and cost- effective cleaning techniques. In this case, the innovation we found took what might seem like an unlikely form. The novel escalator cleaning system is not mechanised and high-tech, but very simple and entirely manual.
Called REN Clean, the system is based on an engineered sponge pad. This pad, when positioned against the combplate, lets the escalator do the work of cleaning itself. The only other elements of the system are a pad holder, which doubles as a trough for immersing the pad in specially formulated cleaning solution, and a light telescopic pole or handle.
Once saturated, the pad is easily positioned by one person against the combplate in the top or bottom landing platform of the escalator, facing the direction of travel. The pad slots into the spaces between the metal cleats and cleaning begins. As the oncoming treads of the steps pass through the pad, it removes and absorbs the dirt, grease and soils from the escalator.
Apart from modest downward pressure on the pad to keep it securely in place, no other effort is required as
the motion of the escalator provides the cleaning force.
The entire cleaning operation takes no more than 15 minutes. No power supply is required, and there is no need to stop the escalator or travelator; merely to cordon off access if cleaning during opening hours. So REN Clean slots easily into the cleaning routine and offers a rapid response to spillage.
Where an escalator is heavily soiled and restorative cleaning is needed, we recommend a light pre-spraying of the steps with cleaning solution and allowing an additional 5-10 minutes’ dwell time to loosen encrusted contaminants. Regular cleaning can then guard against any future build-up of soil.
This system is simple and effective. In tests on some of London’s longest and busiest escalators, maintenance and cleaning crews confirmed that REN Clean was better than machines in terms both of cleanliness and grip.
It’s also low-cost, so the payback is immediate. As the sponge pads are designed for regular cleaning, they can be washed and re-used. Maintenance cleans cost just £6.50 in consumables.
In an age when specialisation and innovation tend to involve technically advanced and sophisticated machinery, REN Clean provides a simple solution to what may seem a complex problem.
www.rawlins.co.uk twitter.com/TomoCleaning
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