Warsaw. How often is the washed seats in the subway? How does cleanliness care?

Washing of the Warsaw metro trains

Source: Metro Warszawskie

The seats in the subway are cleaned in several stages, and each is done at different frequencies. Once a day, dirt is removed manually, and at least once every two weeks, the seats are vacuumed. Machine washing is carried out twice a year, and disinfestation four times.

When the metro trains come to the Kabaty Technical and Postojowa Station or in the metro line withdrawal tracks, cleaning works begin. Then the purity of all seats is checked. Grooves are removed by hand, waste is also cleaned. These activities are detected once a day.

Seats in the subway are also cleaned during the train. “The armchairs and passenger compartment are washed intervention after each driver's notification that there is a need” – says Anna Bartoń from the Warsaw metro.

Other cleaning works take place at least once every two weeks. As Bartoń told, as part of planned inspections and repair of the metro vehicle as well as current maintenance activities, it is carried out to check the purity of all seats, manual cleaning of dirt and cleaning of waste. The armchair upholstery is also vacuumed.

Laundry twice a year, disinfestation four

The Warsaw Metro also has signed contracts for cleaning and disinfection of upholstery covering. As part of them, the seat upholstery is machine and disinfected. Such treatments are performed twice a year. The first cycle takes place in the months of April-June, and the second in the months of September-November.

In turn, four times a year: in January, February, August, December disinfestation of metro vehicles is carried out, including passenger seats of wagons. These activities also take place on the basis of the concluded contract.

What do Warsaw residents lose?

Various items are found on the metro trains. Mainly these are phones, keys, sometimes seasonal items – umbrellas in the summer, hats and gloves in winter. However, there are completely unusual items: orthopedic balls, scooters, and recently, e.g. handmade skateboard.

They go to the collection point of found things located on the mezzanine of the M2 National Stadium. It is from him that you can pick up lost treasures. “On average, 2,800-2900 items come here. Over a third of them 'finds' the owner” – the town hall reported in 2023.

In 2022, 9,400 things were adopted in the city's city office, a year earlier there were 6600 of them. Warsaw residents mainly lost documents, telephones, watches and electronics. 612 telephones, 187 watches, 76 laptops, 65 tablets, 36 e-book readers, 26 bikes and 23 cameras were found.

What happens to objects that those interested do not report? Some go to the capital's office of things found at ul. Dzielna 15, where they still expect the owners.

“However, some are utilized – this applies to items with an estimated value below PLN 100 – e.g. individual gloves or Bluetooth headphones,” officials said.