In view of recent events and the spread of COVID-19, effective cleaning and disinfection on a elevator are now more important than ever. Bacteria and dirt can hide and be invisible. Shoes can transfer dirt on the elevator’s flooring. elevator users’ hands can leave marks on the handrails and grime can hide on the surface of the buttons.
In urban environments, the elevator is one of the first places someone’s likely to enter. It’s important to be mindful of the surfaces we all touch, not only for our personal safety but for others around us as well.
For every elevator owner, building owner and facility manager, elevator cleaning should be regular activity but it sometimes can be overlooked. To help you, we have created a helpful checklist to a clean elevator environment where every passenger feels safe to operate it and travel amongst floors.
Step 0 – Preparation
In the current climate, we’d recommend using a cloth with sanitiser. Use the damp cloth with circular movements to clean surrounding glass, colour coated and stainless steel surfaces. You can use cleaning products which are safe for domestic and commercial use to clean the mirrors. We would advise avoiding sponges as extensive moisture can damage electrical parts such as push buttons.
What you need to know
- Cleaning an area with normal household disinfectant after someone with suspected coronavirus (COVID-19) has left will reduce the risk of passing the infection on to other people
- Wherever possible, wear disposable or washing-up gloves and aprons for cleaning. These should be double-bagged, then stored securely for 72 hours then thrown away in the regular rubbish after cleaning is finished
- If an area has been heavily contaminated, such as with visible bodily fluids, from a person with coronavirus (COVID-19), consider using protection for the eyes, mouth and nose, as well as wearing gloves and an apron
Step 1 – Isolate the elevator doors – switch the power off
First and foremost before proceeding to any actions, ensure that:
- For home elevators – the elevator’s electrical power has been switched off
- For passenger and platform elevators – doors have been isolated
Now you can safely manoeuvre in and out of the elevator, without worrying about elevator doors closing or obstruction. We would advise using relevant signage to notify potential elevator users that they cannot use the equipment while you are cleaning. Once you have ensured all precautions have been put in place, you are now ready to clean.
Step 2 – Clean from top to bottom
It is really useful to clean the elevator starting from the inside going outside and from top to bottom as this prevents already clean surfaces from being contaminated by dirt and bacteria. It’s always best to use non-corrosive cleaners – no one enjoys a elevator ride with lingering smells!
Using a disposable cloth, first clean hard surfaces with warm soapy water. Then disinfect these surfaces with the cleaning products you normally use. Pay particular attention to frequently touched areas and surfaces, such as grab-rails, buttons and door handles.
Step 3 – Cleaning elevator buttons and handrails landing buttons
Use an antibacterial cleaning product to wipe handrails and keypads. Use a microfiber cloth to wipe these areas and remove stacked dirt, dust and hair. Clean the buttons first with smooth delicate strokes.
Avoid spraying directly at the control panel surfaces as there is a high risk of damaging the electrical components inside the keypad. You don’t want the cleaning liquid to seep inside the control operating panel.
Step 4 – Cleaning the elevator cabin & doors
Use a damp cloth to clean the elevator doors and any steel surface. Alternatively, you can use a non-abrasive cleaner – remember dust and dirt can fall from the ceiling.
You may need a step ladder depending on the height of the elevator to help you reach the ceiling safely. This would allow you to safely clean the ceiling and the high parts of the elevator doors and walls.
We would advise you not to use harsh cleaning chemical to clean stainless steel and colour-coated surfaces. Those surfaces are sensitive to various cleaning products and you might damage them. To give a shiny result to any stainless steel surface, use a few drops of baby oil and a cloth to wipe and polish them.
Tip: Shoes, trolleys and wheelchairs can transfer all sorts of dirt to your elevator cabin floor, therefore we recommend floor cleaning. There are different flooring types so we recommend brushing and vacuuming carpeted floors and polish and clean tiles and steel floors.
Don’t skip vacuuming the gaps and tracks between the doors at each landing level. Once all large scraps and dirt have been removed, wipe the stainless steel surfaces with a clean damp cloth or by using a non-abrasive cleaner. Remember, these particles can easily be transferred into the office or house space. And we certainly don’t want that to happen!
Once cleaning is complete wash hands regularly with soap and water for 20 seconds, and after removing gloves, aprons and other protection used while cleaning.
Step 5 – Professional Maintenance – Cleaning elevator shaft
Following the above steps will ensure that your elevator cabin is clean. However, the cleaning of the pit area is just as important as the interior of the elevator cabin. Only competent and certified engineers have access to clean the elevator pit. During regular maintenance, your elevator service provider should proceed with removing dirt, trash and debris.
Just think of the accidental drop of small items through the gaps between the doors, such as keys, cards, mobile phones even food! And that’s not all, regular cleaning will prevent moving parts of the elevator from rusting and limit pest infections.