Spring is the traditional time for giving our homes a deep clean. HGVs often function as homes away from homes. That means they deserve a spring clean too.
Here Walker Movements share their expertise into the requirements if you’re looking to become a qualified HGV driver.
Get your supplies together
The key to a smooth, hassle-free deep clean is to have all your cleaning supplies on hand before you start. That way, when you do start, you can focus on cleaning rather than looking for what you need to do your cleaning.
You're going to need your usual safety equipment plus a pressure washer, steam cleaner, vacuum cleaner, brushes and rags, your usual cleaning products and possibly bicarbonate of soda.
A spring clean is an ideal opportunity to catch up on basic maintenance. It’s therefore helpful to have the tools and supplies you use for this as well. At a minimum, you’ll want access to a pump (and pressure gauge), fluids and basic spare parts.
Give the interior an initial clean
Your interior cleaning is generally best done in two rounds. For the first round, empty everything out of your vehicle. Even if it’s properly organised where it should be, take it out anyway. Then vacuum the vehicle thoroughly.
Once your vehicle is clean at a surface level, consider whether you need to prepare it for a deeper clean. For example, if you need to remove stains, then it generally makes sense to apply the stain-removing product at this point. That way it can be doing its work while you’re cleaning the exterior.
At a minimum, it’s often a good idea to give your cab a liberal coating of bicarbonate of soda. This is great for removing odours. It can be cleaning them up while you’re cleaning the outside of your HGV.
Clean the exterior
The basic process of cleaning the exterior of an HGV is much the same as the basic process of cleaning its interior. The only real difference is that the exterior isn’t going to be stained or trap smells. This means that there’s no need to leave products to work in between cleans.
Start by removing the heavy-duty grime, for example, the mud on the tyres. Then do a second run to make sure the surface of the vehicle really is spotless. While you do so, check for any signs of wear or damage (especially to the tyres). If you see anything, deal with it straight away. If you can’t fix it yourself, book a slot in the garage.
Then open up the engine. At a minimum, clean up any oil or grease in the engine area and clean up your battery (particularly around the connectors). Since you have your engine open anyway, top up your fluids. Finally, close the engine and, if necessary, top up the air in your tyres.
Give the interior a deep clean
Now it’s time to clean the interior of your HGV. This is essentially the same as cleaning the interior of a car. It’s up to you how thorough you want to be about this. Since it’s spring, however, it’s really worth going all-in on it especially if you can use a steam cleaner.
Steam cleaners require minimal effort to use, and they really do get carpets and upholstery very clean very quickly. In fact, you might be amazed at the colour of the water after you’ve cleaned your cab with them.
Check, restock and organise
One of the reasons why it’s helpful to take everything out of your cab is that it gives you an opportunity to check it thoroughly. You might notice damage or, more likely, expiration. In particular, take a close look at the contents of your first-aid kit. Most first-aid products have expiration dates.
It also gives you a chance to check that what you have is what you need. You can remove anything that’s no longer serving a purpose. You can also add items you feel are currently missing. It also gives you an opportunity to update your organisation.
Andrea Easton is the Head of Finance and Operations of Walker Movements, who are specialists in quality second-hand, used trucks and trailers and are global leaders in the trucking industry. Walker…
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