How are planes cleaned?

Fighters also need to be washed but they are more frequent, at least once a month. So, how are planes washed? Why must the plane be cleaned?

Why must the plane be cleaned?

There are three main reasons why aircraft need to be cleaned. First is the issue of profit. A dirty plane that hasn't been cleaned for months will make customers doubt the safety and quality of service, causing the airline company's ticket sales to decline. Therefore, for airline companies, to earn high profits, keeping the aircraft clean and tidy is very necessary.

The second reason is fuel economy. Layers of dirt on the fuselage can create drag, reducing the plane's speed and consuming more fuel.

The final reason is that removing dust covering the aircraft helps detect damage or cracks in the fuselage for timely repair and maintenance. Even a small crack in a plane full of passengers can pose an immediate danger.

How to wash the plane?

There are 2 ways to wash airplanes: traditional and modern.

Traditionally, people use tape to seal airplane windows and doors to keep water and chemicals from seeping inside. Next, cleaning chemicals cover the plane and scrub it with soapy water. However, the traditional way requires up to 10 workers to work for 8 hours and is very water-consuming, on average about 1,893 -11,356 liters of water.

How are planes cleaned? Picture 1

Therefore, airlines choose to dry clean with many different chemicals. After that, the plane is rinsed with water and the tape is removed. With this method, workers must wear protective equipment throughout the work process.

Modern methods use robots to clean aircraft. Nordic Dino, a remote-controlled robot with three extendable robotic arms, can clean an entire plane. They can clean aircraft up to 40m high, and the most difficult-to-clean corners of the fuselage can also be cleaned. With the assistance of robots, only one operator is needed to monitor the process and watch over the entire process.

Lesley Montoya

Update 20 February 2024