Kaivac Systems Keep VIP Areas Clean at Formula One in Mexico City

Watched by over 400 million fans worldwide, Formula One is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seat formula racing cars, the fastest regulated road-course racing cars in the world.

Facility management company JLS has been tasked with cleaning Formula One events in Mexico City since 2018. To provide the best possible service, Operations Manager Tiziano Vignali brought in two Kaivac machines, the AutoVac Stretch™ for hard floors and the KaiVac® 1250 No-Touch Cleaning system for restrooms.

“The biggest challenge is the amount of people – almost 400 thousand go through the facility during the event,” said Vignali. “The expectations of cleaning are very high, and we have only a short time to clean.”

At Formula One, crews of mechanics change the tires in the pits. Overlooking the pits, the VIP suites house the most-expensive seats as well as areas for sponsors and special guests. Leading to the VIP suites, a long aisle of polished concrete sees high foot traffic throughout the event. Since it’s an outside area, the aisle also gets very dusty. This aisle needs regular cleaning without creating risk for eventgoers.

Previously, four JLS workers cleaned the VIP aisle manually with a mop and bucket. Vignali needed a way to clean the area faster and keep it dry to avoid risk of slip-and-fall accidents. With the AutoVac Stretch, just one worker cleans the same area in 20% of the time. The battery-powered machine not only cleans faster, but also prevents risk associated with the trip hazard of a cord.

“One person can clean the area in one pass with the AutoVac Stretch,” said Vignali. “We get a dry floor while saving on time, resources, water, and chemical.”

Vignali also placed Kaivac No-Touch Cleaning systems in the restrooms to clean before, during, and after the Formula One events. Previously, it would take 4-5 people one hour to clean a restroom using traditional tools, including a mop and bucket. Now, one person cleans the same space in much less time using the KaiVac 1250.

“With No-Touch Cleaning, we can do in 10 minutes what 4-5 people used to do in one hour. Plus, it deep cleans the space instead of regular cleaning, so we can deep clean before and after each event,” said Vignali. “In the very beginning, the employees were a little afraid of the No-Touch Cleaning machine. When they saw that it was easy to use and they didn’t have to touch restroom surfaces, they didn’t want to give the machines back.”

Like many building service contractors, JLS sometimes sees a lot of staff rotation. They need to be able to get new hires up to speed quickly, so they can work efficiently and deliver high-quality results. Their Kaivac units came with an onboard training system, KaiTutor™, so workers can watch training videos and refresh information whenever needed. Step-by-step videos in both Spanish and English train workers in best practices while overcoming language and literacy barriers.

Vignali’s company JLS saves money on chemicals and labor from using Kaivac systems. He sees applications for Kaivac machines in many commercial buildings, including some of his other existing clients. He likes that Kaivac systems make work easier for his employees.

“The worker doesn’t have to touch any soiled surfaces to use these systems. It makes for more dignified work,” said Vignali.