Cleaning the Stations

[Deleted]

How exactly are the various surfaces in the station cleaned?

I've always wondered about this, because on surface stations I've never seen any sign of sealed faucets or hoses that could be used to supply a pressure washer or nozzle, to hose down the platform surface.

Similarly, in deep level stations I've never seen any sign that the platforms or associated floors are mopped in any way.

I'm also curious as to what sort of solvents are used to clean glass, remove dust or wipe down surfaces regularly touched by human hands - do they use anything specific?

[Colin]

;)Basically, the cleaners use the same products you would use at home. Because of the size of the cleaning contracts - there's only 2 or 3 cleaning companies on the whole underground - they use their own stuff, which might be a little stronger than your supermarket stuff, but essentially it's the same.
As for platforms - these are only done at night and you might be surprised to learn that open sections are done with a mop and bucket! They usually only do one platform per night. The sub surface platforms are usually done with a machine, like you see in shopping centres and the like. You may have noticed 110 volt sockets just above head height dotted along the sub surface platforms - these are for the cleaning machines (no doubt contractors use them for night engineering work as well).

[Station Cleaner]

On my Station, the night cleaner does the platforms, one a night (unless the weather is very cold then he doesn't wash them) with a good old mop and bucket.

The day cleaner does the offices and toilets

[subwayrail]

Station said:

On my Station, the night cleaner does the platforms, one a night (unless the weather is very cold then he doesn't wash them) with a good old mop and bucket.

The day cleaner does the offices and toilets

At Embankment, where I was an SA, we had a large night cleaning team. To mop the Bakerloo and Northern Line platforms, they take down an empty bucket and fill it from a supply in the fire equipment cabinet on the platform, thus avoiding the strain of carrying a full one down long, stationary escalators. ISTR there were also one or two taps in odd places which could be operated with a J-door key.

[Deleted]

Well, on the Central, to say the cleaners CLEAN, would be, I think, breaking the trades discriptions act.

I prefer the word "Lick".

The night cleaners do the routine stuff. About every 12 weeks you have a special team who 'deep lick'.

I did once put out a job, to get a platform 'jet washed'. This was rejected as it wasn't possible - so they sent 3 cleaners with buckets & mops instead....