Industries
Pressure washing for aircraft hangars
Hangar aprons, door lines and walls washed around flights and maintenance.
Hangar exteriors that match the work inside
If you manage storage hangars, maintenance bays, aerospace maintenance buildings or the shops and offices built alongside them, Raincrest washes the outside of those buildings. That means the apron in front of the doors, the slab along the door line, the exterior walls, staff and visitor parking, entry walks and the trash and recycling enclosures out back.
Inside the bay, technicians count on a floor that shows every dropped part. Owners who care that much about the floor notice a stained apron, dark streaks down a metal wall or a smelly dumpster pad. A clean exterior tells visiting owners, pilots and inspectors that the building is run with the same care as the hangar floor.
Every visit runs on the operator’s protocol. The hangar owner or operator, its fire protection contractor and, on an airfield, the airport operator set when the crew may work, where, with what water and near which systems. We plan the wash around those rules from the first walkthrough.
What we wash at a hangar
A hangar exterior is mostly concrete and metal, and each part gets the method that suits it. The table shows what the crew usually washes and what gets settled with the operator before work starts.
| Area | What the crew washes | Settled with the operator first |
|---|---|---|
| Apron and ramp in front of the doors | Tire marks, grime and old fluid staining on the concrete | Airside access, aircraft movements and spill cleanup |
| Door line and threshold slab | The strip of slab the doors close onto, plus the lower door panels | Door schedule and aircraft parked inside |
| Exterior walls | Metal panel, tilt-up and block walls, top down, at a pressure matched to the finish | Louvers, intakes, detectors and fire equipment kept clear |
| Parking, walks and entries | Surface-cleaner passes, oil spots, gum and the doors into shops and offices | Shift changes and visitor arrivals |
| Trash and recycling enclosures | Pads, walls and gates, inside and out | Pickup days |
Large lots and pads use the same approach as our parking lot and garage washing and dumpster pad and trash enclosure cleaning services, and walls follow our building exterior washing method.
Spills get dry cleanup before any water
Fuel and hydraulic fluid on an apron call for absorbent first, not a hose. EPA’s guidance for air transportation facilities recommends cleaning up leaks and spills without large amounts of water, using dry absorbents where possible, and using dry cleanup in fuel areas rather than hosing them down. It also warns against hosing an area when that would carry pollutants into the stormwater system.
So a fresh spill goes to the hangar operator’s spill procedure before we start. Once the operator’s team has cleared it, the crew washes the remaining staining with the rest of the apron. Older oil shadows on concrete lighten with washing, and our guide to oil stains on parking lots explains what to expect from a set-in stain.
Wash water at an air transportation site
Washing water at an airfield is regulated, so it gets planned first. EPA lists spent washwater among the pollutant sources at air transportation facilities, carrying suspended solids, metals, fuel, hydraulic fluid and oil. EPA treats washwater as a non-stormwater discharge that an industrial stormwater permit does not cover, and recommends keeping it out of storm drains and surface water.
California’s Industrial General Permit prohibits discharges other than storm water unless the permit or another NPDES permit authorizes them, and washwater is not on its list of authorized non-storm water discharges (as of November 2026). EPA’s suggested routes for washwater include the sanitary sewer where the sewer authority allows it, wastewater treatment or on-site recycling. The hangar’s own stormwater plan and the operator decide which applies.
Our part is the plan for each area. The crew reads how the apron slopes, protects the storm drain inlets near the work before the first pass and washes toward the areas the operator names. Crews keep wash debris out of trench drain grates and tell the site contact about anything they see blocking one. Our guide to keeping wash water out of storm drains shows how drains near the work are protected.
Keeping spray off fire protection equipment
Foam systems, detectors and sprinklers belong to the owner and its fire protection contractor. NFPA 409, the standard on aircraft hangars, covers hangar construction and fire protection, including the foam systems a wash crew has to keep clear of.
Accidental discharges are a real cost for hangar owners. In surveys summarized by the Fire Protection Research Foundation, 357 of 432 hangar foam discharges between 2004 and 2021 were accidental, and only 44 were a response to fire. Our crews keep spray, hoses and equipment clear of foam nozzles, detectors, pull stations and other fire protection equipment, and they never touch, test, reset or block any of it. Inspection, testing and maintenance stay with the owner and its contractor.
When a system test is on the hangar’s calendar, the wash moves to another date. NFPA 409’s annex has the owner notify occupants, protect aircraft and equipment and confirm drainage is clear before testing, and a wash crew on the apron that day only gets in the way.
Hangars on the airfield
A hangar ramp that opens onto the airfield sits under the airport’s rules. The air operations area takes in aircraft movement and parking areas, loading ramps and safety areas, and each airport’s security program sets its boundaries. Anyone in a secured area or security identification display area must display airport-issued ID or be under escort by someone with unescorted access.
The airport operator decides who may work on the ramp, when and under what escort, and our crews work under the access, sign-in and escort rules it sets. Our airport pressure washing page explains how those airport rules shape exterior work.
Loose debris before and after the wash
A wash lifts grit and trash, and on an airfield that material has to leave with the crew. The FAA’s advisory circular on foreign object debris, which is guidance rather than a regulation, notes that paper, cardboard and plastic from hangar ramps collect in turf and ditches and can blow back onto areas aircraft use. It describes clean-as-you-go as cleaning your surroundings before, during and after a shift.
The crew walks the work area before washing, picks up loose debris and bags it, then walks it again before leaving so nothing is left to blow onto the ramp.
Scheduling around aircraft
The operator’s movement schedule sets the timing. Apron sections are washed when aircraft are parked inside or away and the doors are closed, walls go in short runs between movements, and parking and entries can go overnight or before sunrise, leaving them dry when the first shift arrives. Our guide to getting ready for an overnight or early-morning wash covers what the site team prepares.
A common starting plan washes the apron and walls once or twice a year and puts entries and enclosures on a shorter cycle. Our guide on how often to pressure wash a commercial property helps set a starting schedule.
Request a hangar washing quote
A walkthrough with your facilities or maintenance lead covers the apron, walls, lots and enclosures, the access rules and the dates that work, and ends in a written quote. Raincrest is insured and carries workers’ compensation, crews are background-checked, a supervisor inspects the finished areas and you receive a certificate of insurance before the first visit. Request a quote to get started.
A few useful answers
Common questions
Can the apron be washed with aircraft inside the hangar?
Yes. With the doors closed and the operator’s go-ahead, the apron is washed in sections while aircraft stay parked inside.
What happens if a foam system test falls on our wash date?
The wash moves. Testing belongs to the owner and its fire protection contractor, and our crew never touches, tests or resets that equipment.
Where does the rinse water go at a hangar?
Your stormwater plan and the operator decide that. Our crew plans water area by area and protects the nearby storm drain inlets first.
Who arranges airfield access for the crew?
The airport operator. Its security program sets who needs airport ID and who is escorted, and our crews follow those rules.
Can hangar offices and staff parking be washed on the same visit?
Yes. Office entries, walks, staff parking and enclosures join the apron and walls on one visit or on their own shorter cycle.
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