Types of Cleaning Operations
The principal areas of aircraft cabins which may need
periodic cleaning are:
- Aircraft passenger cabin areas (seats, carpets, side
panels, headliners, overhead racks, curtains, ash
trays, windows, doors, decorative panels of plastic,
wood or similar materials).
- Aircraft flight station areas (similar materials
to those found in passenger cabin areas plus
instrument panels, control pedestals, glare shields,
flooring materials, metallic surfaces of instruments
and flight control equipment, electrical cables and
contacts, and so forth).
- Lavatories and buffets (similar materials to those
found in passenger cabin areas plus toilet facilities,
metal fixtures and trim, trash containers, cabinets,
wash and sink basins, mirrors, ovens, and so
forth).
Nonflammable Aircraft Cabin Cleaning Agents
and Solvents
- Detergents and soaps. These have widespread
application for most aircraft cleaning operations
involving fabrics, headliners, rugs, windows, and
similar surfaces that are not damageable by water
solutions since they are colorfast and nonshrinkable.
Care is frequently needed to prevent leaching of
water-soluble fire retardant salts which may have
been used to treat such materials in order to reduce
their flame spread characteristics. Allowing water
laced with fire retardant salts to come in contact
with the aluminum framework of seats and seat
rails can induce corrosion. Be careful to ensure
only the necessary amount of water is applied to
the seat materials when cleaning.
- Alkaline cleaners. Most of these agents are water
soluble and thus have no fire hazard properties.
They can be used on fabrics, headliners, rugs, and
similar surfaces in the same manner as detergent and
soap solutions with only minor added limitations
resulting from their inherent caustic character. This
may increase their efficiency as cleaning agents but
results in somewhat greater deteriorating effects
on certain fabrics and plastics.
- Acid solutions. A number of proprietary acid
solutions are available for use as cleaning agents.
They are normally mild solutions designed
primarily to remove carbon smut or corrosive
stains. As water-based solutions, they have no flash
point but may require more careful and judicious
use not only to prevent damage to fabrics, plastics,
or other surfaces but also to protect the skin and
clothing of those using the materials.
- Deodorizing or disinfecting agents. A number
of proprietary agents useful for aircraft cabin
deodorizing or disinfecting are nonflammable. Most
of these are designed for spray application (aerosol
type) and have a nonflammable pressurizing
agent, but it is best to check this carefully as some
may contain a flammable compressed gas for
pressurization.
- Abrasives. Some proprietary nonflammable mild
abrasive materials are available for rejuvenating
painted or polished surfaces. They present no fire
hazard.
- Dry cleaning agents. Perchlorethylene and
trichlorethylene as used at ambient temperatures
are examples of nonflammable dry cleaning agents.
These materials do have a toxicity hazard requiring
care in their use, and in some locations, due to
environmental laws, their use may be prohibited
or severely restricted. In the same way, watersoluble
agents can be detrimental. Fire retardant
treated materials may be adversely affected by the
application of these dry cleaning agents.
Flammable and Combustible Agents
- High flash point solvents. Specially refined
petroleum products, first developed as “Stoddard
solvent" but now sold under a variety of trade
names by different companies, have solvent
properties approximating gasoline but have fire
hazard properties similar to those of kerosene
as commonly used (not heated). Most of these
are stable products having a flash point from
100 °F to 140 °F with a comparatively low degree
of toxicity.
- Low flash point solvents. Class I (flash point at
below 100 °F) flammable liquids should not be
used for aircraft cleaning or refurbishing. Common
materials falling into this “class" are acetone,
aviation gasoline, methyl ethyl ketone, naphtha,
and toluol. In cases where it is absolutely necessary
to use a flammable liquid, use high flash point
liquids (those having a flash point of 100 °F or
more).
- Mixed liquids. Some commercial solvents
are mixtures of liquids with differing rates of
evaporation, such as a mixture of one of the various
naphthas and a chlorinated material. The different
rates of evaporation may present problems from
both the toxicity and fire hazard viewpoints. Such
mixtures should not be used unless they are stored
and handled with full knowledge of these hazards
and appropriate precautions taken.
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