Plant Applications: Nontoxic cleaners save time, costs for aircraft maintenance

June 15, 2011

Situation

Aircraft maintenance professionals at Cleveland Hopkins Airport, Cleveland, were looking for a more ecofriendly, less time-consuming method for keeping the aircraft clean inside and out-.

"Normally, we cover up numerous cannon plugs, bearings, control cables, and tires to protect them from high-pressure cleaning equipment and caustic corrosive cleaning materials," one technician said. In addition, the process required the capture of wastewater for proper environmental disposal, as required by the EPA.

A normal wheel well and gear wash took about 48 to 60 labor-hours. Interior seat cleaning involved changing out a dirty seat cover with a clean one and sending the dirty one out for third-party dry cleaning. This process also involved the added costs of shipping and restocking covers.

Resolution

A team from Nutek LLC, working with the aircraft maintenance staff, used three heavy-duty Grime Off™ wipes and a can of Grime Off foaming spray to clean an aircraft's landing gear. It cut maintenance time in half while eliminating toxic fumes and runoff.

In the aircraft interior, the team used Green Carpet™ upholstery and carpet cleaner. One upholstery wipe cleaned a heavily soiled seat, eliminating the need to remove the cover for external dry cleaning. The elimination of dry cleaning not only saves associated costs, but also helps to increase the life of the material. Spot cleaning the aircraft carpet helps to extend the life of the carpet, avoiding a full carpet replacement, which can take about 30 labor-hours.

Nutek LLC, 33 River St., Chagrin Falls, OH 44022, 888-688-3548, www.nutekformulations.com