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Bus and Coach Cleaning Chemical Solutions Guide (2022)

A pair of red London buses turn a corner in front of a big glass building

Most managers of bus & coach fleets are well aware that cleanliness & hygiene is a serious business matter.

Keeping your fleet clean will help you retain vehicle value, improve the look of your company and win customer loyalty.

And while this isn’t breaking news, the business case for cleanliness & hygiene has become much more relevant during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2020-201, travel restrictions and school closures caused a significant decline in passenger numbers throughout the UK. As coach & bus services operated at reduced capacity, British operators saw their revenues decline sharply.

Beginning in April 2021, lockdown restrictions were eased, and the UK Coach & Bus Transport industry set on the path of recovery.

However, the pandemic has caused the general public to raise their expectations about hygiene and cleanliness, as discovered by Transport Focus’ weekly surveys of English passengers.

The latest Transport Focus survey found that only 33% of English bus users feel “very safe” on board, with more than half of respondents indicating that their state of mind on board is only “somewhat safe.”

The most interesting data comes from those respondents who do not use buses: only 20% said they would feel “very safe” if they had to take a bus journey, while a worryingly high 11% claimed that they would feel “not safe at all” if they had to take a bus journey.

Having a clean fleet of vehicles is essential. However, an effective cleaning strategy comes with its fair share of challenges.

Besides having to meet the basic health and safety requirements, you will also need to consider the different sizes, designs, and materials of your vehicles.

Most critically, fleet managers must do all of the above while keeping down labour costs and speeding up cleaning times.

To do just that, you’re going to need the right cleaning products, which is why we’ve put together this guide to Bus & Fleet cleaning solutions, helping you to retain vehicle value, improve the look of your company and win customer loyalty.

Interior cleaning

Interior cleaning comprises cleaning and disinfecting a vehicle’s upholstery, floor, interior glass, curtains (and toilet areas), wiping the steering wheel and dashboard, and clearing the rubbish.

Whether it’s cleaning using a jet of water, chemical solution, or disinfectant, each and every product comes with its own properties and use case scenarios.

A major challenge comes from the various materials from which the interiors of a bus or coach are manufactured, which range from aluminium, carbon fibre and steel through rubber, leather and various types of plastics and fabrics.

To help you make the best choice for your fleet of buses & coaches, here’s a selection of CHELA’s Bus & Fleet interior cleaning chemical solutions.

Fabric & Leather

LEATHERCLEAN – 88: An aqueous polish that has good cleaning and protecting properties for use on interior leather and plastic surfaces of vehicles. It is quick and easy to use and has a pleasant perfume

FOAMING UPHOLSTERY CLEANER SPRAY – R-257: A solvent free aqueous based cleaner formulated to remove grease and grime from fabrics, including upholstery, carpets, rugs and other porous fabrics. The foaming action ensures penetration and even distribution of the spray, making the cleaning of vertical surfaces easy.

Hard surfaces

DEEPFRESH – 1801: Powerful and pleasantly perfumed general cleaner and degreaser, developed specifically for difficult to clean surfaces. Its powerful cleaning action will remove stubborn and ingrained dirt, grime and grease from a variety of surfaces

QUICK CLEAN – 83: Highly dilutable and effective hard surface cleaner and degreaser. Removes grime, hydrocarbon and food oils and greases. Quick-acting with controlled foam. Can be used virtually anywhere – hotels, kitchens, workshops, warehouses, shops, canteens and floors vehicles both inside and out.

DEEP FRESH (BUBBLE GUM) – 1802: Powerful and pleasantly perfumed general cleaner and degreaser, developed specifically for difficult to clean surfaces. Its powerful cleaning action will remove stubborn and ingrained dirt, grime and grease from a variety of surfaces.

CLEAN N FRESH – 84: Fresh Perfumed and highly dilutable and effective hard surface cleaner and degreaser. Remove grime, organic matter, hydrocarbon and food oils and greases. Designed to clean the interior of buses, metros, trams and buses. Leaves a fresh, pleasant and long-lasting fragrance.

Floor

MARATHON ECOSTRIP – 5802: Efficiently and quickly strips metallized and non-metallized as well as those that are zinc and phosphate-free emulsion floor polishes. Alkali and ammonia free, the hazard is low and there are no unpleasant smell or fumes.

MARATHON®SHINE – 414: Metallised emulsion floor polish that produces excellent durability and gloss. For use on non-porous synthetic surfaces, PVC and rubber floors. Responds well to spray maintenance as well as damp or regular mopping, is non-yellowing with good detergent resistance.

MARATHON®POLISH STRIPPER – 136: Efficiently and quickly strips both metallised and non-metallised emulsion floor polishes. As it is non-ammoniated there is no unpleasant smell or fumes. Can also be used as a hard surface cleaner and degreaser.

Toilets & Washrooms

AIRFRESH – 657: The long-lasting and highly perfumed concentrate can be diluted to suit the amount of odour control needed.

BIOCHELA®CLENS – 595: A mixture of specialised micro-organisms and biodegradable surfactants to produce a versatile multi-surface cleaner, degreaser and odour control.

GUARDISAN HP – 3253: High performance cleaner and specifically designed for use within the rolling stock environment. Can be used on all carriage and toilet surfaces including floors, panels, sinks, glass, plastics, ceilings and the toilet bowl.

Exterior bus & coach cleaning

Cleaning the exterior of a bus or coach is essential to making your company look good and keeping up its reputation.

However, exterior cleaning is not as straightforward a process as some might think.

A top cleaning product must be able to effectively and quickly remove the dirt and seasonal deposits that accumulate on the exteriors of buses and coaches, while being gentle on the vehicle surfaces.

For example, not all products can be used to clean exteriors, as some chemicals can cause oxidation that will remove the paint off the vehicle.

To help you make the best choice for your fleet of buses & coaches, here’s a selection of CHELA’s Bus & Fleet exterior cleaning chemical solutions.

Engine and Chassis

TRANSWASH®GPC – 991: A high performance concentrated bus and vehicle cleaner designed specifically for use through automatic brush washes, pressure washers.

POWERPLUS HD – 889: Highly dilutable and effective hard surface cleaner and degreaser. Removes heavy grime, hydrocarbon and food oils and greases. Ideal for use on depot floors and inspection pits.

Graffiti removal

ERAZE HD WIPES – 5801: An exceptionally powerful, graffiti removing wipe that works well on smooth as well as porous surfaces and a range of other substrates.

FARECLA G3 PREMIUM ABRASIVE COMPOUND – B-360: G3 Premium Abrasive Compound is the only compound needed to permanently remove P1500 or finer sanding marks from all modern paint systems, while leaving a swirl free, high gloss finish with reduced product consumption.

Screenwash

LOW TEMP SCREENWASH – 758: Versatile screen wash and de-icing fluid for both winter and summer use.

SCREENWASH PREMIUM – 304: Versatile screen wash for both winter and summer use. Can be diluted with up to 4 volumes of water for use in summer.

Underframe

CONSOL – 876: Highly dilutable and effective hard surface cleaner and degreaser. May be used to clean, trains, buses, underground rolling stock and coaches. Will degrease and clean inspections and engineering pits.

SUPER CONSOL – 861: Ultra powerful, caustic free multi-application cleaner and degreaser. Designed to be used to clean the heaviest of grease, oil and organic fats from a variety of surfaces.

Wheels

EUROWASH ISR THICK – 226: A unique blend of organic acids specifically formulated for the fast and effective removal of iron stains from rolling stock, thickened for manual use. Will leave surfaces clean and streak free and has been assessed by independent laboratory Scientifics as being fit for purpose.

We are available to offer any advice and support you need with these products. If you have large-scale requirements and seeking procurement advice, please do not hesitate to contact our team.