A Comfortable Stay

Posted on: 14 March 2017

An escalator that is constantly in use begins to show it quickly. If it's been years since you last cleaned the escalator steps -- or you've never had them cleaned at all -- you could be dealing with something that might start to make life difficult for your company. When people walk into a building and onto an escalator, they look at the floor and the steps to ensure they don't trip, which means they see everything. And if those steps are filled with dirt, you could see those customers thin out, along with other effects.

Your Building Looks Unkempt and Old

Dirt-caked escalator steps make your building look old and uncared for. Who wants to walk into a gleaming highrise only to find chewing gum and mud dried on the escalator? Your customers and the building tenants might think you don't really care about giving them a good environment to be in; you may have a facility that looks great at first glance, but the dirty steps would indicate that you're more concerned with looks than actual maintenance. It's those details that show you care, and cleaning the escalator steps shows that you are paying attention.

The Escalator Can Jam More Often

The dirt that collects on the escalator doesn't always form a hardened cake right away. Loose dirt can fall between the steps into the operational bays below, landing on parts that need to keep moving smoothly. The dirt can ruin the lubrication and cause other parts to jam. Small bits of debris can fall through as well. While you can't prevent all dirt from falling in, even if you clean very often, if you remove the caked-on layers of dirt, any new dirt that lands on the escalator steps is more likely to sit in the grooves of the steps instead of sliding off the mounds of dirt already in there. Note that cleaning the steps on a regular basis also makes the steps easier to clean each time.

There Are Increased Fall Risks

If your escalator steps are covered in a film of dirt, and it's a rainy day, all those wet shoes and boots can turn the caked dried dirt into mud. That makes the steps more slippery, and it's easier for someone to lose their footing.

Cleaning the escalator steps, including the risers, can be done overnight or on the weekend if needed. The company might need to start by a certain time to ensure the steps will be ready for use the next day. Give escalator cleaning companies a call to discuss the different cleaning methods available.