Brilliant shine in Germany's most beautiful ruins
Heidelberg Castle is pure romanticism. Almost 1.2 million visitors every year and a variety of events emphasize the attraction of this magical place. All sorts of dirt, paper residues, chewing gum, red wine stains, and sauces are some of what's left behind – and must be reliably removed. The angled castle is kept in good shape according to a clever cleaning plan, with which man and machine optimally complement each other.
Epitome of German romanticism
For tourists from all over the world Heidelberg Castle is the epitome of German romanticism. It regularly appears in the top 10 most popular tourist destinations. In Baden-Württemberg the "most famous ruins in the world", which were the ancestral seat of the Electors of the Palatinate for a good 300 years up until the partial destruction in the late 17th century and were restored by the romanticism movement after almost 100 years and eternalised as a picturesque dreamlike setting, have long been the number one. There is strong growth among international groups, who come, for example, when on year-round river cruises. The opening of the idyllic castle complex 364 days a year reflects its popularity. Whereas in the peak season up to 7,000 visitors every day congregate in front of attractions such as Europe's largest wine barrel (capacity: 220,000 l) or the Renaissance facade of the Ottheinrich Building, things are taken at a more leisurely pace in the winter. Guided tours through the interior rooms are offered all year round.
The free routines – with flair and flexibility
In order to keep the castle in good shape, the management has been relying on the close interaction with the professionals of Standard Gebäudereinigung Jacobs GmbH since 2012. The owner-managed Saarbrücken-based service provider now in its 3rd generation is responsible for the cleanliness in all building sections. It involves maintenance and deep cleaning. "As early as the tender phase we were hooked on the property, which goes beyond the requirements of classic building cleaning", says Patrick Meihack, who as Operations Manager is responsible for industrial employees as well as the machine fleet of the company. "In a property like Heidelberg Castle flexibility and flair are required. Apart from the compulsory duties, it is also about the spontaneous tasks!" The Saarbrücken-based company has been proving it can do this for years in historic buildings such as the Unesco World Heritage Sites Porta Nigra in Trier and Völklingen Ironworks.
Every day Standard-Jacobs arrives early in the morning with a team of up to seven people to make the castle fit for the next rush of visitors. "We are responsible for a total of 9,226.97 m2", says Facility Manager Ingrid Franz, who looks after customers and cleaning crews in the Rhine-Neckar region from the Mannheim regional office. "We have a patchwork of different room sizes with various flooring – from ancient to modern, which we clean with our close-knit team according to a clever cleaning plan with exactly the right machines." The spectrum ranges from the historic sandstone floor in the barrel cellar to wooden flooring like in the King's Hall and grouted tiled floors in the sanitary areas through to epoxy resin flooring in the new visitor centre.
On the go with the right vacuum cleaner
What the Facility Manager means becomes apparent by looking at the famous barrel cellar. It is accessible to all castle visitors and is at the top of the list for the big clean-up in the morning. Before the castle is open to the public, a good 500 m2 of historic sandstone floor, as well as the stairs around the huge wooden barrel, which is accessible and has a viewing platform, must be cleaned every day.
"The stone floor is so old that no mopping is allowed here – as regards the maintenance cleaning at any rate", adds Franz. A safety vacuum cleaner in dust class M from Kärcher with a spacious 35 l container is therefore used here daily. "In light of the large sandstone surface areas, which are cleaned by us in other sections of the castle with the vacuum cleaner, we specifically decided on a machine with a higher dust class than actually prescribed. We wanted to play it safe and reduce the dust impact on our staff to a minimum." A key feature of the Kärcher safety vacuum cleaner is the automatic Tact system, with which targeted air blasts clean the flat pleated filter every 15 seconds, therefore ensuring a dust retention rating of 99%.
For applications in confined spaces
For cleaning around the gigantic wooden barrel a battery-powered backpack vacuum BV 5/1 is used, which is designed for applications in confined spaces. The patented carrying frame ensures a high level of comfort. It reduces heat build-up on the back and absorbs vibrations. With a container capacity of 5 l and a runtime of 48 minutes, the 8.7 kg machine is ideal for completing the morning vacuuming around the barrel in one go. "A genuine advantage is the battery, especially as in some parts of the castle we only have one socket", grins Francesco Franco, foreman of Standard-Jacobs-Crew, who himself is out and about daily with the vacuum cleaner. Franco is also very impressed by the operating comfort. "The machine can be fully controlled from the control panel on the hip belt. It doesn't get any easier or more convenient."
Disc or roller – always the right solution
Whereas some parts of the castle – like the wine vat, visitor centre, toilets or the routes on which groups are guided through the interior, are cleaned daily, there are areas where a completely different cleaning cycle is adopted. "A great deal of flexibility is required when it comes to cleaning event venues", adds Facility Manager Franz. "Here we are in demand before and after every event."
Whereas the wooden floor in the 544 m2 King's Hall, which has capacity for 312 people for banquets, is routinely whipped into shape twice a week with a BD 38/12 scrubber drier, the cleaning is much more frequent when it comes to events. "The team and machine are always on site when we are needed", says Franz. While Standard-Jacobs is informed monthly in advance by the chateau administration of any booked events, we are also prepared when events are added at short notice. "It is precisely these events that are not standard and we complete with pleasure", says Franz.
For routine and spontaneous application
Whether it's routine or spontaneous application, the battery-powered BD 38/12 proves useful in the King's Hall. With the KART steering concept, with which the steering wheel controls the brush head directly, it is particularly manoeuvrable and ideal for small and heavily furnished areas. The height of the handlebar can be adjusted so that it can be ergonomically adapted to the operator. "Thanks to the disc brush with 38 cm diameter, the machine is perfect for smooth floors and can also be easily used on wood in the one-step method - wet scrubbing and immediate vacuuming", adds Meihack. "Unlike scrubber heads with rotating rollers, which leave behind their tracks in the wood when lowering, disc engineering is the right solution here." The positioning of the squeegee directly behind the brush ensures the best possible suction – even in bends. "The machine, whose maintenance-free battery offers a long runtime, is very popular with our crew, which is why we have two", adds Franz. Whereas one BD 38/12 is stationed in the King's Hall, the second machine has its regular place in the visitor centre, which is scrubbed on a daily basis. "At 36 kg – incl. battery – the machines are so light that we can also quickly deploy them to other operating sites, where they are needed".
Use of an all-rounder
"The all-rounder in our Kärcher fleet is the compact scrubber drier BR 40/10, which proves itself in a variety of applications – from daily cleaning of the floor tiles to the toilets through to the deep cleaning of sandstone floors, where red wine or sauce stains or stubborn chewing gum residues are frequently laid to rest. The contra-rotating roller brushes are decisive for the cleaning power of the BR 40/10, which is characterised by a 400 mm working width and a tank volume of 10 l of fresh water and 10 l of dirty water. They rotate at up to 1,100 rpm. "They loosen and remove deep-rooted dirt particles – often without any chemicals, which is a major advantage on historic grounds", explains Facility Manager Franz.
The adjusting screws, which can be used with the handy BR 40/10 for additional optimisation of the cleaning result, are responsible for the precise adjustment of the brush contact pressure as well as the quick change from soft to hard roller brushes without any tools. "Quickly pushed to the side – and the brush is already exchanged with a few hand movements", adds Meihack. "Speed is also an important element of our daily cleaning programme!"
