Cleaning an aircraft is a complex and time-consuming task: a huge cabin area, many surfaces and pockets, lack of time – employees of aviation cleaning services work in such difficult conditions. We tell you how basic cleaning differs from general cleaning and whether it is possible to restore order in the largest aircraft in the world in a couple of hours. The type of cleaning after the flight depends on the flight schedule. The intervals between domestic flights are usually short, and the cleaning of the aircraft is carried out superficially. Priority is given to first and business class cabins, kitchens and toilets. In economy class, they often just vacuum the floor, collect garbage and replace disposable head restraints. If they have time, they vacuum the chairs, wipe the folding tables with antibacterial agents. The whole process takes from 30 minutes to an hour. More thorough cleaning is usually carried out once a week – for example, when the plane stays at the airport overnight and the cleaning company has 1-3 hours to clean up. At this time, toilets and kitchens are washed, luggage racks, panel cladding, armrests of seats, porthole windows are wiped, tables are disinfected, flooring, seats and curtains are vacuumed. 
Basic cleaning
Weekly cleaning
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General cleaning
From time to time, a general cleaning is arranged on board. How often – each airline decides for itself: for example, Lufthansa aircraft undergo deep cleaning every 500 flight hours, Singapore Airlines – once a month. It takes several hours to put things in order in a large aircraft that performs international flights. For example, it takes about 2 hours for a team of 8 people to clean a double-decker Airbus A380, the largest airliner in the world.
During the general cleaning, not only dust and debris are removed, but also stubborn dirt, even seat belts are cleaned, panels and floors in the luggage and cargo compartments are washed. To maintain cleanliness, detergents with disinfectant additives are used, which provide antibacterial protection for up to 10 days.
