In cooperation with the District Authority Berlin Mitte, Kärcher, as part of its cultural sponsorship, carried out cleaning of the mosaic tiles arranged in a circle around the Neptune Fountain on Alexanderplatz in Berlin. Three experts from the company focussed on the removal of trodden in chewing gum – a particularly stubborn contamination, which will be painstakingly removed.
The work was carried out using a mobile steam cleaner (type SGG 1) specifically developed for removing chewing gum. The advantage: it is worn in the same way as a backpack and features modern lithium-ion batteries for uninterrupted cleaning throughout the day. Operators can work without a water and power supply on site – there are no cords or hoses that can become potential tripping hazards, so that the area does not need to be cordoned off.
The circular surface is cleaned in sections – each of the eight tiled partial sections will be cleaned starting from the fountain towards the edge. Each individual piece of chewing gum will be steamed systematically using a fully biodegradable cleaning agent. After a contact time of only three to five seconds, the chewing gum can be removed gently with the brush attached to the nozzle. The grout is not attacked. Each cleaning section is finally treated with a scrubber drier (type BR 45/22) in order to remove any chewing gum residues and achieve a uniform cleaning result.
