How to Clean a Stadium

With approximately 100 million viewers tuning in and more than $540 million in ad revenue, it’s no secret that the Super Bowl is the largest sporting event of the year. Not to mention the 70,000 fans that pack the stands to see their team try and win it all. In fact, on any given Sunday of the NFL’s season, you’d be hard pressed to find any of the league’s 30 stadiums with empty seats. The same is true for NBA and NHL arenas, which average 20,000 fans per game, and MLB ballparks, which average 45,000 fans per game.

Between the sporting events themselves, and the numerous concerts, conventions, charity events, and much more, these facilities are used nearly daily—and get dirty lightning fast. Daily events combined with the fact that these facilities are massive, some larger than 3 million ft², presents a logistical nightmare for a cleaning crew, which usually consists of around 100 workers. With 8-16 hours between events, these crews often work through the entire night, meaning efficiency and technology are key for getting the job done in time.

Quite possibly the most time consuming and difficult part of cleaning a stadium, trash must be removed from the aisles, from under the seats, and from many other hiding places—in addition to emptying the trash bins that line the facility. Especially when these facilities are on the larger end of the spectrum, the crew does not have time to walk through and pick up each piece of litter. Most often, cleaning crews will use leaf blowers to blow all the trash into piles that can be more easily and quickly scooped up. They start at the top of the stands and blow the trash down, sweeping through each row before moving down. Eventually, you’ll end up with a giant pile of refuse at the bottom, which can be picked up and disposed of via industrial sweeper.

Once the trash debris is removed, next comes cleaning and disinfecting the seats. Sporting events can get rowdy. People can have a few drinks and splash around sticky residue. Because wiping down each individual seat is not a feasible option, an industrial spray-and-vac solution, such as Kaivac’s No-Touch Cleaning Machine, is the way to go here. Spray the rows of seats with a cleaning and disinfecting solution, then a high-pressure spray to remove soils and germs, and then suck them up with the vacuum. Before you know it, the seating area is clean, dry, and ready for use the following day.

Finally, the dirtiest job of all, each of the facilities restrooms must be cleaned and restocked. These bathrooms are used thousands of times per day by thousands of different people, meaning they are often left looking like a warzone. Needing to be sparkling clean by the next day, you’ll want a spray-and-vac system that sprays the walls, floors, and fixtures from the top down, such as Kaivac’s 17-Gallon Restroom Cleaner. Its high-pressure spray rids the restroom of all soils, bio-waste, odors, and germs, and prevents bacteria from growing. Consider pairing with a high-capacity, waterproof towel dispenser, such as Tork PeakServe, which features lock and loop technology that allows for only 1 towel at a time (saving time and money!), for even easier cleaning.

Cleaning a facility as large as a stadium, arena, or ballpark comes with many challenges. Make sure you have the efficiency and technology you need to get the job done.