Many maintenance teams ask the question, “how often should an escalator be cleaned?” and usually come to various conclusions. Escalators are often the focal point of a building, providing people an easy way to move from floor to floor.
When an escalator is dirty, it may perform poorly, requiring more frequent mechanical maintenance or may increase the chance of patrons slipping and falling when stepping on or off.
The answer to the question of how often should an escalator be cleaned varies by building, the amount of foot traffic, and how quickly it tends to get dirty. We’d like to closely examine this question to give you a detailed answer to help ensure your escalator stays running without any major gaps in operation. Keep reading to learn more!
Deep Cleaning vs. Routine Cleaning
If your escalator has never been cleaned before (or it’s been years since the last thorough cleaning), there’s a high chance that it needs to be deep cleaned. This process may involve disassembling the structure, pressure washing the risers and treads, allowing them to dry, and reassembling the unit.
Unfortunately, this process can take some time and may also be disruptive to both employees and other patrons of your building.
If an escalator is not incredibly dirty or has been periodically cleaned by your maintenance team, you can likely stick to a cleaning routine that uses small amounts of cleaning solution and dirt absorbing pads.
Of course, regularly cleaning an escalator is far more cost-effective than periodic deep cleaning and can result in keeping your escalator looking and operating better!
How Often Should an Escalator Be Cleaned?
When trying to determine how often an escalator should be cleaned, the biggest factor you need to consider is the amount of traffic. If the structure happens to be used constantly, on a daily basis, it will require more frequent cleanings; perhaps daily.
For escalators that see smaller amounts of traffic, a weekly cleaning should suffice. Escalators that have medium traffic will likely require twice-weekly cleaning in order to operate efficiently and look well-maintained.
In actuality, an escalator shouldn’t have to be cleaned more or less than other flooring types in your building. If you see that your building’s floors are becoming dirty or need to be cleaned, chances are, so does your escalator!
Keep in mind that a dirty escalator can pose a risk to any and all passengers! When escalator treads aren’t kept clean, they can become slippery due to the accumulated dirt, grime, and debris – this may open you or your building to lawsuits or medical bills that you wouldn’t otherwise have!
Additionally, escalators are often the focal point of a building and the first thing that people notice upon entering your business. If your escalator system is dirty, patrons may assume that the rest of the building isn’t well-kept or that other areas are equally as dirty.
The EscaTEQ Cleaning System
In order to keep up with the demand for a quick, yet effective escalator cleaning routine, we’ve developed tools to help keep your escalator clean and free of stains. Our goal is to help building owners and maintenance teams keep escalators running well and looking beautiful with minimal cost and effort.
Our product line includes:
- Rail-TEQ which is designed to help ensure the cleanliness of escalator handrails with the use of our cleaning solution, cleaning pads, and adjustable hand tools
- Tread-TEQ to allow for speedy, powerful cleaning of escalator treads without having to break down the structure or cut power; this system can be used daily to minimize dirt and help maintain the aesthetics of your property
- Riser-TEQ to clean escalator risers with or without cleaning solution; this system is often used less than Tread-TEQ because dirt and grime doesn’t have the chance to fall into riser grooves but nonetheless is important to keeping an escalator clean and functioning
We also offer Clean-TEQ which is a no-rinse cleaning solution with anti-corrosion and slip-resistant additives. This solution leaves no residue and is designed specifically to be used with Tread-TEQ, and Riser-TEQ, as well as with our reusable Absorb-TEQ cleaning pads.
Our system is less abrasive than typical escalator machine cleaning options and requires very little liquid, lessening the chances of mechanical failure from electric components getting wet. Each of our EscaTEQ systems is safe to use on the various finishes found often on escalators, including paint, powder coating, plastic, or polished surfaces.
Keeping Your Escalator Clean
The answer to the question of how often should an escalator be cleaned obviously depends on the amount of traffic that uses it on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. In some cases, an escalator will only need to be cleaned once per week while in others, daily cleaning may be necessary.
Regardless of how often the cleaning process is required, EscaTEQ makes it quick, easy, and affordable to keep this structure functioning well and looking great!
Given that escalators are often the focal point of a building, why wouldn’t you want to keep them looking beautiful?
If you’re interested in keeping your escalator clean and doing so at an affordable price, we offer a free fitting tool to ensure that our system fits yours perfectly. Give us a call or use our contact form to start your journey toward a cleaner escalator!