22/01/10: Clear path to Westminster Abbey

MagicCote Cleaning UK Limited has recently completed a project in Westminster Abbey to remove chewing gum from a fragile floor - which dates back over 1200 years.

Many companies have tried and failed to restore the precious slabs but were unable to treat it without causing damage or discolouration to the surface. Official at Westminster Council were concerned about allowing a cleaning company access to the site, yet desperate to find a solution in advance of Her Majesty's visit.

The team at MagicCote Cleaning were confident in their ability and Westminster Council had witnessed the capability of the ice-blasting machine on test areas around Central London. Ian Carrison, Director of MagicCote Cleaning UK Limited explains:-
"Mike Newport, the Operations Manager from Westminster Council, held out little hope that we would be successful and to his astonishment our methods proved not only to remove the gum safely from a test area but also caused no damage or discoloration to the surface so it blended with its surroundings. As a result the council was delighted and we began work on the highly sensitive area within Westminster Abbey."
"The ice machine blasts frozen CO2 at the gum, freezing it instantly turning it into a dust that can be simply swept away. The CO2 is collected from the atmosphere and immediately turns back into gas on contact with the gum. There is no water, no waste and no harmful chemicals are released so it is also environmentally friendly."

Chewing gum causes a major problem for Councils around the UK. MagicCote Cleaning UK works in partnership with Magic Cote(TM) who developed a solution to prevent chewing gum adhering to the streets.

John Bent from MagicCote explains: "Upon the request of Westminster City Council, we first tested our product in the centre of London on Coventry Street which links Piccadilly Circus to Leicester Square. This area receives two million pedestrians per week and a facial recognition survey undertaken by Westminster Council showed that approximately 40,000 people per day were chewing gum - 4000 pieces ended up on the pavement. The Council had searched for over 15 years to find a procedure that ensured both safe removal and prevention of further adherence."

Mike Newport, Operations Manager from Westminster City Council says of the solution: "Since 1993 Westminster City Council has tried all sorts of options to clear the pathways of chewing gum."
"The application of the MagicCote solution demonstrated encouraging results on test slabs so this was repeated and amplified."
"In the 13 years I have been in this role the Magic Cote project has been the best development I have organised."

MagicCote Cleaning UK is the only company in Yorkshire who use the ice blasting machine on chewing gum and the only Company in the North of England to use the MagicCote solution. It is suitable for all surfaces but especially pedestrian areas where unsightly chewing gum causes a major problem. A recent survey has shown that Coventry Street in London now only has 600 pieces of gum on the ground at any one time and this can be easily brushed away.

Local Council's spend on average £52 per day scraping gum away - Magic Cote costs less than £5 a day and lasts for years.

Magiccote News

22 January 2010:
Clear path to Westminster Abbey