The 5 Companies That Actually Keep an Aircraft Cabin Clean
Somewhere between the moment you step off an aircraft and the moment the next passengers board the cabin, a small industry goes to work cleaning, servicing and maintaining the plane.
Aircraft cleaners vacuum the carpets in the cabin, wipe down tray tables and seats, clean windows, and restock the galleys and lavatories. Yet the cleaning extends far beyond what passengers see during a quick turnaround.
During more intensive deep-cleaning sessions, cleaning crews use specialised products on cockpit windows and displays, carpets and upholstery, aircraft exteriors, galley equipment, lavatories and even the waste lines hidden behind the cabin walls. Some products disinfect surfaces, others remove grease or carbon deposits, while others tackle problems such as scale build-up in lavatory systems.
The industry behind aircraft cleaning
For airline passengers, it is easy to forget that manufacturers use specialised materials to build aircraft, some of which can be sensitive to certain chemicals. Ordinary household detergents could damage surfaces, coatings or components, so aircraft require cleaning products specifically formulated and approved for aviation use.
Almost none of these products can simply be picked up in a supermarket. A cleaning chemical that damages an acrylic window, attacks a protective coating or corrodes a metal component can create a much more serious problem than a dirty surface.
Aircraft cleaning chemicals must meet manufacturer specifications because a cleaner that crazes an acrylic window or corrodes a fastener can create an airworthiness problem rather than simply leaving a stain.
Two of the documents that frequently appear in Boeing’s aircraft cleaning specifications are D6-7127 and D6-17487. These are Boeing technical specifications covering cleaning products and their use on aircraft, with requirements designed to ensure that products do not adversely affect aircraft materials and finishes. Airbus has its own specifications and approved-product systems. These documents and specifications are an important part of the technical paperwork behind aircraft cleaning.
Suppliers
It’s worth noting that a chemical suitable for one application is not necessarily suitable for another. The aviation industry has multiple suppliers of aircraft cleaning products, ranging from large manufacturers with extensive product ranges to smaller companies specialising in a particular part of the cleaning process. Some focus on a wide variety of applications, while others specialise in just one specific area.
This article looks at five suppliers operating in different parts of this specialist market. We assessed them on what they can document, which aircraft surfaces and systems their products cover, and which aviation customers and aircraft manufacturer approvals they can demonstrate.
1. Alglas
Approved to Boeing Document D6-7127, listed in Boeing and Airbus maintenance manuals, in service at British Airways since 1987, and historically used on Concorde.
Alglas has one of the strongest documented positions of any supplier on this list, especially when it comes to cleaning products for the surfaces a passenger looks through and a pilot looks at. The products of Alglas are best for cockpit windscreens, cabin windows, and the displays and touchscreens on a flight deck.
Alglas has manufactured in Brixham, Devon, since the mid-1980s. Its first product, the AGC/22 glass cleaner, was submitted to what was then BAe Military Aircraft Division and holds approvals from Boeing, Airbus, Thales and Panasonic, plus NATO stock numbers. Alglas lists British Airways, easyJet, Virgin Atlantic, the RAF and the FAA among its longstanding customers. The company says its products also clean and protect the avionics and instruments used on US Air Force One Presidential flights.
As a British manufacturer, Alglas works through a global network of distributors rather than a large chemical group.
Alglas stands out for its anti-static data, which almost nobody else quantifies. Airbus tested the Visial range for cockpit display units, while testing at Marconi recorded surface static dropping from 3kV to 2kV after one application and remaining reduced for seven weeks. In practical terms, this means reducing static electricity on sensitive electronic displays, radars and touchscreens.
The specialist range of Alglas products focuses on aircraft glass, acrylic and polycarbonate surfaces, avionics and other electronic equipment. Its range is more limited than those of some other suppliers on this list, so airlines using Alglas products might need other suppliers for applications such as carpets, lavatories, exterior aircraft cleaning and disinsection.
2. Callington
Supplies over 150 airlines; prime supplier of World Health Organization border biosecurity products since 1990; holds Boeing, Airbus, USAF, French Military and NATO approvals.
Callington has one of the broadest product ranges on this list, covering cabin cleaning, hygiene, disinsection, line maintenance and exterior cleaning. Its products are best for carriers that would rather work with one supplier across cabin cleaning, hygiene, disinsection and line maintenance.
Callington is an Australian company operating globally, with a catalogue running from carpet, leather and oven cleaners. Its products also include gum removers, disinfectants and insecticides, as well as paint strippers, aircraft wash and polish. Its CH2200 interior cleaner is aircraft-approved with disinfecting properties, and the company sits on advisory committees for the WHO, SAE and US Army.
Callington stands out for disinsection. If you have watched cabin crew spray the cabin on arrival in Australia or New Zealand, that is part of a regulated aircraft disinsection procedure, and Callington has supplied aircraft insecticides for this purpose since 1990.
The breadth of the catalogue also means that its products cover a wide range of applications. For individual surfaces and applications, however, more specialised products may be available from other suppliers.
3. Zip-Chem
Known for Calla 1452, a general-purpose aircraft cleaner and disinfectant approved to a range of Boeing, Airbus and military aviation specifications, carrying NATO stock numbers.
Zip-Chem is the supplier to reach for when the paperwork matters as much as the product, which in military and government fleets it does. Its products are best for operators who have to satisfy federal, military or airline procurement requirements.
Zip-Chem is a US manufacturer whose Calla product range covers most of the aircraft, from X-405 for glass and transparencies, approved to Boeing D6-17487, to Calla 1452, a neutral disinfectant cleaner for aircraft interiors. Calla 500 is intended for exterior aircraft cleaning, while Calla 301A is used for cleaning and degreasing large surface areas and carries Boeing, Airbus and AMS specifications.
One of the standout points about Zip-Chem is its full specification listings, with products combining aviation approvals with environmental credentials such as zero VOC and EPA Safer Choice recognition. Its documentation covers Boeing, Airbus, AMS, NAVAIR and military requirements, while individual products also carry National Stock Numbers.
The company is particularly well established in the US federal and military market.
4. Celeste Industries
Supplies hand soaps, sanitisers, wipes, odour control, lavatory soap systems and toilet line descalers to aviation and rail operators.
Celeste Industries is one of the leading suppliers of cleaning and maintenance products for the less visible parts of an aircraft from a passenger’s perspective. Its products cover areas such as lavatories, galleys and the waste systems behind them.
The US manufacturer supplies cleaning chemistry to airlines and railways, with products covering cabin interiors, lavatories, waste systems and exterior cleaning. Its cleaners are also validated for KYDEX thermoplastics used in aircraft interiors. Customer testimonials mention Liquid Scrub on Boeing 787 aircraft, while Gly-Vak and Sani-Tank N products are used to remove scale from waste lines.
Celeste stands out for its waste-line chemistry. Gly-Vak prevents urine scale from forming in vacuum toilet waste lines and tanks, while Sani-Vak G3 and Sani-Tank 8000N target scale and organic or mineral buildup in lavatory systems.
The range is broader than lavatory products, with Celeste also supplying cleaning products for cabin surfaces, glass and screens, as well as exterior cleaning.
5. Skywash International
Known for SKY-SE1, a drywash system that cleans and protects aircraft exterior surfaces without a full water wash.
Skywash International is a specialist in aircraft cleaning, particularly waterless exterior cleaning. Its products are best for exterior cleaning carried out on a stand rather than in a wash bay.
The company’s flagship SKY-SE1 Drywash lifts dirt from exterior surfaces while leaving a protective finish. The standard product is formulated to Boeing D6-17487, Airbus AIMS 09-00-002-3 and AMS 1650 C. The main advantage is practical: drywashing eliminates the need for a full water rinse and contaminated-water disposal. That means aircraft can be cleaned at the same stand where maintenance is taking place, rather than having to be moved to a dedicated wash bay.
Skywash also offers heavier-duty versions of SKY-SE1 for carbon and grease, alongside conventional wet-wash products and a range of interior cleaners.
Conclusion
No single supplier provides everything needed to clean an aircraft, and the companies with the most specific products and approvals often cover the smallest part of it. For example, Alglas focuses heavily on cleaning products for glass, transparencies and cockpit electronics, while Celeste focuses on lavatories, galleys and waste systems.
Together, the five aircraft cleaning product suppliers show just how specialised aircraft cleaning can be, with different products developed for different parts of the aircraft. Many airlines therefore use a wide array of products from different suppliers to cover everything from exterior surfaces to cabin interiors.
It’s also worth noting that some of these products are not exclusive to aircraft. Just as specialist cleaners and maintenance workers clean cockpit electronics, they also need to clean similar equipment in air traffic control towers.
For passengers, however, most of this work goes unnoticed. We see a clean window, a tidy cabin or a dirty tray table, without seeing the specialist products and procedures behind them. What looks like a simple clean to a passenger is, in reality, a collection of very different cleaning and maintenance tasks – each with its own technical requirements.
