How to clean an Airliner

_Tombstone_

Airliners need to spend a lot of time in the air to pay their way. So how do airlines make sure they aren’t swimming with germs?

aviator7

They do as little as possible to make it *look* clean.

A quick pick up between flights. Basically picking up rubbish and crossing seat belts.

When back at base at night they will pick up rubbish, clean tray tables, clean the toilets, and give it a quick hoover.

Different airlines then do different levels of deep clean's. Most airlines seem to leave their planes a couple of months at least between deep cleans.

Car99

_Tombstone_ wrote: »

Airliners need to spend a lot of time in the air to pay their way. So how do airlines make sure they aren’t swimming with germs?

They don't, all cleaning I've seen in both base and line maintenance is cosmetic. Dirty places aircraft cabins.

punisher5112

I would guess an ATM or a home toilet would be cleaner....

pm.

punisher5112 wrote: »

I would guess an ATM or a home toilet would be cleaner....

It would depend on the cleaning procedure. A lot of public transport for example would use a cleaner sanitiser to ensure all touch surfaces get a good kill rate. I would imagine that airlines have similar procedures?

discus

Can comment on this, I used to work for an Aerline in DUB, cleaning aircraft.

Nothing gets cleaned. Nothing. The full time staff go to the box that's lifted up to the rear of the aircraft and smoke... On airside. The contractors do their thing, but it's barely supervised. Bit of a hoover and big bits of paper removed from the rear of the seats in front*. The trays get half arsed wipe down. Literally, that's it. Only every 10th tray gets sprayed, and that'd just because the cloth is getting too dry.

And don't expect cleaning staff to hand in any found items. If you lost a wallet, money out and the evidence into the bin. If someone see's you, the money gets split. Lost a passport? Bin. But don't raise these incidents as an issue - or the short arse who runs the department will suggest that you are not suited for the job, and suggest that maybe you see out your probation (don't make me laugh) and go our separate ways.

*by the by, there are some horrid people out there. Here are the worst I found:
Used tampons
Used condoms
Bloody tissues
Snotty tissues
Vomit (no bag, just vomit)

Locker10a

discus wrote: »

Can comment on this, I used to work for an Aerline in DUB, cleaning aircraft.

Nothing gets cleaned. Nothing. The full time staff go to the box that's lifted up to the rear of the aircraft and smoke... On airside. The contractors do their thing, but it's barely supervised. Bit of a hoover and big bits of paper removed from the rear of the seats in front*. The trays get half arsed wipe down. Literally, that's it. Only every 10th tray gets sprayed, and that'd just because the cloth is getting too dry.

And don't expect cleaning staff to hand in any found items. If you lost a wallet, money out and the evidence into the bin. If someone see's you, the money gets split. Lost a passport? Bin. But don't raise these incidents as an issue - or the short arse who runs the department will suggest that you are not suited for the job, and suggest that maybe you see out your probation (don't make me laugh) and go our separate ways.

*by the by, there are some horrid people out there. Here are the worst I found:
Used tampons
Used condoms
Bloody tissues
Snotty tissues
Vomit (no bag, just vomit)

Sadly I'd believe this ..... Had a woman leave her dirty knickers on her seat after she got off about two weeks ago :O
To be fair to cleaners some do a good job it depends where you are but at big bases they are so rushed and under a lot of pressure ! If the airline only care about paying them to clean each aircraft in 7-10 mins then why should they care about the job they do on it !

Irish Steve

Not helped by the attitude of some of the pax, especially in the more expensive parts of the aircraft.

I shall always remember the comment from my brother the first time he flew long haul, they arrived in Singapore for a fuel stop, and his comment after they'd walked through the front of the cabin to the door was " I didn't realise that the front part of the aircraft had crashed", as the debris lying in all directions apparently had to be seen to be believed.

Fair play to the cleaners and other services, the flight was running late, they had a 380 cleaned, recatered, fuelled and ready to go to Melbourne in just over an hour, which was going some on an aircraft that size.

Stovepipe

have to agree with the last post; some pax (in fact, quite a lot) treat the aircraft as if it was a mobile dump and just dump everything on the seats and floor. We consume a huge amount of seat covers and cushions annually (most are washed, reproofed and reused but quite a lot are too badly damaged to save).We deep-clean our aircraft, inside and out, every six weeks, usually around the A-check timing.......we call the empty wallet, "Cleaner Tax"......airport police did a raid on the cleaners' lockers last year and this lead to Garda raids outside. Some sackings followed.One genius nicked an i-product and guided to cops to his flat...

ForestFire

discus wrote: »

*by the by, there are some horrid people out there. Here are the worst I found:
Used tampons
Used condoms
Bloody tissues
Snotty tissues
Vomit (no bag, just vomit)

You think the above is horrid but you were part of a group (not saying you personnel done it) that Stole peoples money and binned there passports and other possessions???

aviator7

ForestFire wrote: »

You think the above is horrid but you were part of a group (not saying you personnel done it) that Stole peoples money and binned there passports and other possessions???

He clearly stated he reported the issues to management and insinuated he wasn't a part of the group of sc*umbags.

I don't see your point.

ForestFire

aviator7 wrote: »

He clearly stated he reported the issues to management and insinuated he wasn't a part of the group of sc*umbags.

I don't see your point.

That's why I clearly added that to my post in brackets, Please read it properly


My Point is:-

Picking up a snotty tissue is not nearly as horrid as robbing someone money from there wallet and then proceeding to trow away their wallet. With all there access to cash, who maybe in a foreign country.... And then sure why not trow away there passport and have them take a trip to the embassy and pay to get a new one back.

As a person hired and payed comes with responsibilities to both your employer and the paying public...that is horrid

aviator7

ForestFire wrote: »

You think the above is horrid but you were part of a group (not saying you personnel done it) that Stole peoples money and binned there passports and other possessions???

No, you're post doesn't make sense. He wasn't stealing. The other members of staff were. He clearly had an issue with it if he reported it to management.

He also didn't like the condition in which passengers left aircraft.

The two are pretty unrelated points, can he not have a problem with both no?

I personally would have a problem with both issues too. Would you not?

ForestFire

aviator7 wrote: »

No, you're post doesn't make sense. He wasn't stealing. The other members of staff were. He clearly had an issue with it if he reported it to management.

He also didn't like the condition in which passengers left aircraft.

The two are pretty unrelated points, can he not have a problem with both no?

I personally would have a problem with both issues too. Would you not?

Let me clear:-

1) As per my first,second and now third post, I never said "discus" stole any thing. Please read comment in bracket here again (not saying you personnel done it)

2) Being hired as cleaning staff I would presume cleaning, Bloody tissues,
Snotty tissues, Vomit (no bag, just vomit) and even to some degree Used tampons and Used condoms is expected. Not saying its nice to have to do it, but you are cleaning public areas and public tolites. What do you expect to be cleaning?

3) Yes you can have an issue with both if you like, I am just pointing out that the one Dicus highlighted as horrid is, in my opinion, noting compared to his other story about money passports.

Maybe it was the "part of a group" that is confusing, but I only meant this as the group he was working with, and not a group he was part of.

Stovepipe

Used tampons and condoms in an airliner? FFS! what kind of animals leave this in aircraft?

LoonyLovegood

In fairness, tampons are a necessity. I'd hope they'd at least be in a bin though!

Stovepipe

the worst are charter airliners. We have had charter aircraft returned to us that needed major deep cleaning, including carpet replacement and the stripping of seats to the shell.

lintdrummer

discus wrote: »

Can comment on this, I used to work for an Aerline in DUB, cleaning aircraft.

I think we can guess who you worked for, based on the hint you gave above.

discus wrote: »

Nothing gets cleaned. Nothing.

That's simply not true. I think anyone here with an ounce of sense knows that aircraft are cleaned on every turnaround. That doesn't mean they are sterilised, but they are definitely cleaned.

discus wrote: »

The full time staff go to the box that's lifted up to the rear of the aircraft and smoke... On airside.

So it was the 90's when you cleaned airplanes was it? Smoking airside outside of the three designated staff smoking areas is just not done by anybody, ever. You know why? Because you would get caught immediately and lose your airside pass and therefore your job. The suggestion that in this day and age there is this carry on in Dublin airport just goes to show how little you know about it.

discus wrote: »

The contractors do their thing, but it's barely supervised. Bit of a hoover and big bits of paper removed from the rear of the seats in front*. The trays get half arsed wipe down. Literally, that's it. Only every 10th tray gets sprayed, and that'd just because the cloth is getting too dry.

Like I said, they're cleaned on every turn around so they don't have time to deep clean them, they are hoovered, all rubbish removed, toilets cleaned/stocked and tables wiped.

discus wrote: »

And don't expect cleaning staff to hand in any found items. If you lost a wallet, money out and the evidence into the bin. If someone see's you, the money gets split. Lost a passport? Bin.

This couldn't be further from the truth, I see the cleaners every day handing items over to lost and found, all sorts of things. They're not poorly paid, they don't need to steal. But hey, in your head they're all in on it together, the company being none the wiser to all these passengers looking for their lost property and it not being handed in.

[

discus wrote: »

But don't raise these incidents as an issue - or the short arse who runs the department will suggest that you are not suited for the job, and suggest that maybe you see out your probation (don't make me laugh) and go our separate ways.

So you had a bad experience over a summer years ago and you believe that that's the norm, things haven't changed and that your bitter tainted view is the modus operandi in airline cleaning operations today?

discus wrote: »

*by the by, there are some horrid people out there. Here are the worst I found:
Used tampons
Used condoms
Bloody tissues
Snotty tissues
Vomit (no bag, just vomit)

I don't doubt that for a second, people can be filthy.

Qualitymark

I was really poor at one stage, but had one good warm (homemade) lined tweed winter coat. I was coming home on a plane with a fractious child, and forgot my coat. It never turned up, despite many calls to the lost property office in Dublin Airport.

Some real bastard stole it.

As for cleanliness, if I fly now, I bring antibacterial wipes, wipe everything down – the armrests, the back of the seat, the back of the tray in front, the tray itself, the side wall where I'll rest my head – and put the wipes in a bag I've brought with me or in the vomit bag.

billie1b

lintdrummer wrote: »

So it was the 90's when you cleaned airplanes was it? Smoking airside outside of the three designated staff smoking areas is just not done by anybody, ever. You know why? Because you would get caught immediately and lose your airside pass and therefore your job. The suggestion that in this day and age there is this carry on in Dublin airport just goes to show how little you know about it.

This statement is laughable, plenty of people smoke airside in vehicles, the back of catering trucks, the aircraft back galley, OPS vehicles etc etc. And yes I have witnessed all the places I just mentioned, it especially happens on night shift.

Stovepipe

I catch you smoking in any Airbus I'm working in or on, I'll kick your arse down the airbridge stairs and I know my supervisor will support me. Having a crafty fag in the truck is one thing, but not inside an aircraft, under any circumstances. You can smell it a mile away....incidentally, most of our cleaners are very good and diligent, especially on the 330 turnaround. There are a few lazy ****es but they generally don't last. I saw one young cleaner, a serial texter, getting her ear filled by the crew chief after one sustained bout of texting. Wasn't long putting manners on her...

Locker10a

It's unfair to say nothing gets cleaned ever, getting on the plane first thing in the morning the cabin is spotless! Are the tray tables full of bacteria from people changing nappies on them ? yes they are ! Are they toilet floors covered in dried up piss ? Yes they are but they are cleaned and are as clean as you could expect public toilets to be! During the day does the cabin get filthy ? Yes it does, people are pigs and have no respect for anyone else who may have to sit in their seat after them