Industries
Pressure washing for airport terminals and buildings
Terminal curbs, entries, garages and cargo docks washed clean around the flight schedule.
The first and last thing a traveler walks on
Airport managers know the curb is where a trip starts and ends. If you run a terminal, airport operations or a cargo building or airport office, Raincrest washes the exterior surfaces of your buildings: curbside sidewalks, terminal entries and plazas, parking lots and garages, cargo docks and truck courts, building walls and the trash and recycling enclosures behind them.
Those surfaces take a beating. Rolling luggage, drink spills, gum, shuttle exhaust and oil drips build up fast where thousands of people pass every day. A regular wash brings the concrete back to an even color, keeps entries free of sticky spots and gives arriving travelers a clean first look at the city.
What we wash, building by building
An airport is a campus of different buildings, and the wash plan follows each one.
| Building or area | Surfaces washed |
|---|---|
| Terminal curb and entries | Sidewalks, curbs, crosswalk approaches, entry plazas, door surrounds and lower walls, with gum and spills lifted |
| Parking lots and garages | Decks, stall rows, drive aisles, ramps, stairwells, elevator lobbies and pay station areas |
| Cargo and support buildings | Dock aprons, truck courts, dock doors, bumpers and the walls around each bay |
| Airport office buildings | Entry walks, plazas, doors and building walls |
| Trash and recycling enclosures | Pads, walls and gates, inside and out |
Garages follow the level-by-level approach on our parking facilities page, and cargo buildings get the bay-by-bay method from our loading dock cleaning service. Curbs and plazas use the same equipment as our concrete, sidewalk and plaza cleaning.
Who sets the rules on airport property
The airport operator decides who works where, and when. TSA’s airport security rules in 49 CFR part 1542 govern airports that regularly serve aircraft operators with TSA security programs. Each of those airports defines its own secured area, air operations area, security identification display area (SIDA) and sterile area in its security program, so the boundaries differ from one airport to the next.
Inside a secured area or SIDA, everyone displays airport ID or works under escort by someone the airport has cleared, and the escorted person stays in sight the whole time.
Airport ID comes from the airport operator, not from a contractor. Our crews work in the areas the airport opens to them, with the ID, escort and sign-in steps it requires, and the plan for each surface is set with the airport’s operations team at the walkthrough.
Keeping wash debris off the airfield
Grit, wrappers and luggage tags lifted by a wash are foreign object debris in waiting. The FAA’s advisory circular on FOD, which is guidance and not a regulation, defines FOD as any object in the wrong place in the airport environment that could injure people or damage aircraft. It says everyone with airfield access, contractors included, should understand their part in preventing it, and it notes that wind blows light debris such as plastic and paper onto the airfield.
On every visit the crew bags debris as it goes, keeps loaded bags and carts covered and removes them at the end of the shift. The airport’s own FOD rules decide how that works at each site.
Accessible routes stay open
A wet sidewalk can’t close the only accessible way into a terminal. Federal ADA rules require public entities and public accommodations to keep accessible features in working condition, while allowing isolated or temporary interruptions for maintenance. Terminal facilities at commercial service airports that receive DOT funding must be readily accessible to people with disabilities, including wheelchair users.
We wash curb ramps, accessible entries and walkways in sections, so a dry, usable route stays open beside the wet area and each section reopens before the next one closes.
Timing work around flights
Washing fits between departure banks and the overnight lull. Curb and entry work is planned to finish before the first security screening of the morning. Each airport operator sets its own windows, and the wash schedule is built around them, with garages and cargo docks often done on separate nights. Our guide to parking garage washing shows how levels are closed and reopened in turn.
Request an airport washing quote
A walkthrough with your operations or facilities team maps the curbs, garages, cargo buildings and enclosures, the access rules and the windows that work, and ends in a written quote. Raincrest is insured and carries workers’ compensation, crews are background-checked, a supervisor inspects finished areas and a certificate of insurance arrives before the first visit. Hangars on the same field are covered on our aircraft hangar page. Request a quote and we’ll book a walkthrough around your operations calendar.
A few useful answers
Common questions
Who issues ID badges for an airport washing crew?
The airport operator, under its TSA-approved security program. It decides who needs airport ID and who works under escort, and our crews follow its rules.
Can terminal curbs be washed without closing the entrance?
Yes. Curbs and plazas are washed in sections, with a dry walking route and an accessible entrance kept open beside the work.
Do you wash airport parking garages?
Yes. Decks, stall rows, ramps, stairwells and elevator lobbies are washed level by level in the windows the airport sets.
How do you keep wash debris away from the airfield?
Loose trash and grit are bagged as the crew works, and loads stay covered until they leave, following the airport’s own FOD rules.
Can cargo buildings and airport offices join a terminal plan?
Yes. Dock aprons, truck courts, office entries and enclosures are scheduled on the same plan, often on separate nights from the curbs.