19 Apr

Why Shopping Centre Escalators Need To Be Professionally Cleaned Regularly

Although they might be private developments, shopping centres are in effect public realm spaces. This means that when the public are inside them, they come with all the attendant legal ramifications that are associated with health and safety. If you never clean your shopping centre floors or empty the bins that are provided, for example, then public health may be compromised. Equally, if you don’t take care to ensure lighting is properly functioning, then you could face legal consequences because of such negligence. The same goes for escalator maintenance, too, of course.

In some cases, retail centre managers may have a preventative maintenance schedule in place so that engineering problems are captured with your escalators before they cause a problem. However, this will not save you from operational issues if you do not have your escalators cleaned professionally between services. At Clean & Tidy, we provide just such expert cleaning schedules as proud members of the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc). Bear in mind that with specialist equipment, like public realm escalators, you need specialised cleaning services. That’s exactly what you should expect of our fully trained operatives, so what is involved?

Removal of Litter

To begin with, discarded litter is a huge problem for escalators. Thrown away food packaging, sweet wrappers, tissues and even chewing gum can cause lots of operational problems for escalators when it gets trapped in the moving parts. Our cleaning operatives will begin by ensuring such superficial matter is removed immediately so that the escalators you have can continue to function without unnecessary damage being caused to them.

Grime and Grease Removal

Another important step with professional escalator cleaning programmes is that ground-in grime and grease needs to be removed. Some of the dirt that accumulates with escalators does so because the device is constantly rolling in the same direction. However, some lubricants are needed for escalators to function properly. Our operatives are trained to know what to clean away with detergents as unwanted grime and what to leave in place as a functional part of the system.

Glassware Cleaning

Most shopping centre escalators have glass sides and glazed safety barriers that prevent people from bumping into one another as they dismount. It is important for this safety glass to be kept clean so that people can see through it from all angles. When lines of sight are blocked, accidents are more likely to occur. Of course, cleaning the glazing will also make your retail centre that much more appealing.

Step Cleanliness

Most escalators have interlocking steps with high ridged grooves. Cleaning into these helps each step work well with its neighbours. Removing items wedged into the grooves is also important for maintaining grip underfoot. Our operatives will do the necessary work – often by hand – to ensure safety is maintained for all.

Safe Working Patterns

Finally, we will work only when it is safe to do so. This might be when the shopping centre is closed or at agreed times when the escalators that need cleaning are taken out of service for a time. Why not contact our friendly team to discuss your escalator cleaning requirements today?

For more information please contact us today.