How do they do that?

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Metro bus wash; photo by David Daniels/Metro.

How do they do that? is a new series for The Source that explores the technology that helps keep Metro running and passengers and other commuters moving. Some of it applies directly to the trains, buses and freeways and some of it runs in the background — invisible to nearly everyone but essential to mobility in our region.

How do they wash those tall buses?

It’s a good soap-water-and-wax cleaning for Metro buses, which pass through massive bus washers followed by blow dryers like those we use for our cars. But that’s where the similarities end. For one thing, the buses are washed daily. For another, their very size makes hand drying impossible. A typical 45-foot bus is 11 feet high and weighs 19 tons. A 60-foot bus is 11 feet high and 21 tons.

Each of Metro’s 11 bus maintenance facilities has at least one bus washer, maybe two, depending on the number of buses assigned there. Maintenance facilities are sprinkled all over L.A. County to make them more accessible to the 2,000-plus buses in Metro’s fleet as it navigates 1,400 square miles of service area.

Kings center Anze Kopitar gets a facewash, courtesy of a Metro bus wash. Photo by David Daniels/Metro.

The special bus washing machines are constructed on the spot, just for Metro. Most have bristle brushes — so out of fashion for our cars but so good for buses, which are constantly out in sun, wind, weather and traffic. Buses are washed once a day. And every four months or so they go in for a detailed cleaning, sort of like the detailing we get for our cars.

To clean the interiors, service attendants use high-pressure air to blow out the debris. The debris is then sucked into a giant vacuum and deposited into a trash compactor that makes a large paper ball out of what can be a significant amount of refuse … despite the fact that no food or drink is supposed to be consumed inside the buses.

The attendants hand clean the bus interiors with soap and water and towels, with window cleaner for the glass and stainless steel cleaner for the metal surfaces. It takes approximately 20 minutes to fuel, blow and wipe out the interiors, drive through the bus wash and park. And it means an average of 120 Metro employees on any given day are working to keep the buses clean.

17 thoughts on “How do they do that?”

  1. I am just wondering how effective is the “high-pressure air to blow out the debris” in the bus interiors, or the “soap and water and towels”. From time to time, I can see human feces on the floors of the bus.

  3. Hi Jason;

    That’s the first time I’ve heard such a complaint and I’m skeptical that’s even an uncommon occurrence.

    Steve Hymon
    Editor, The Source

  4. Hi Steven,

    FYI, the most recent occurrence was yesterday Dec 4, 2011 morning when I boarded a southbound Line 260 at Fair Oaks Ave & California Blvd at about 07:59am. That was southbound Line 260 Run #10, which was scheduled to arrive at Fair Oaks Ave & Colorado Blvd at 07:51am.

    Jason L.

  5. I take the bus to work and the first bus I take is at 5:20am and they are usually filthy dirty. Lots of paper, cans, bottles and other stuff I don’t want to go near are all over the floors of the bus I take. I have no choice as there is no other bus running on that line at that hour. And the drivers are sullen and rude. Too early for them I guess.

  7. Hi Bruce;

    Which bus line do you take and where are you boarding? I’d like to pass the information along to Customer Relations.

    Thanks,

    Steve Hymon
    Editor, The Source

  9. Perhaps a silly idea, but if the upholstery was of the right materials, I’m imagining just spray washing out the interior floor every night. I’ve almost always had a clean bus above the floor and every bus not so clean on the floor. Just park at an incline to drain. ;)

  10. I also want to comment here because I really wish that cleaning the interior of the buses would be improved.

    I usually take three lines from where I live to my place of work, namely: 92, 780, and 302/2. I noticed that the 92 and the 780 are always dirty and sometimes smells like urine. If they are washed everyday, I don’t think it’s gonna smell bad especially in the morning. I also see small cockroaches sometimes. Well, you can’t really wait for the next bus because you will be late. I really hope that all the buses would receive the necessary cleaning so that riding the metro buses will be enjoyable.

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