Window cleaners on mission to clean County Durham road signs
Linden Cleaning Services, which has served Durham and its surrounding areas since 2007, began cleaning road signs back in 2024 after spotting grime-covered signage during window cleaning rounds.
Jonathan Linden, who owns the business, said: “Weβd been noticing quite a few particularly dirty signs in the areas where we clean windows, and realised that our window cleaning system would be well suited to cleaning them.”
Their unplanned project began in Sherburn Village, where the team cleaned a sign outside of a customerβs property.
After sharing a comparison in local Facebook groups, the public response was phenomenal, with residents praising the effort.
Mr Linden said: “Seeing that response is what really inspired us to carry on.
“Now when weβre out working, weβre always spotting signs that could do with a clean and making a note of them.
“We fit them in where we can, and people have even started pointing out the worst ones to us, so weβve built up quite a to-do list.”
Most signs take between 10 and 45 minutes for the team to clean, though heavily dirtied or larger signs can take longer.
The team say they frequently receive positive feedback from the public.
Mr Linden said: “We get quite a lot of comments while weβre out cleaning.
“People driving past often beep and give us a wave or a thumbs up, and pedestrians will stop for a chat.
“The response has been overwhelmingly positive, which makes it even more worthwhile.”
Linden Cleaning Services has cleaned signs in areas including Bowburn, Belmont, Gilesgate, Newton Hall and Pity Me.
Read more:
Jonathan added: “Itβs also a way of giving something back to the communities we work and live in.”
“Friends and family are always keen to see the latest before-and-after photos, and the lads really enjoy being involved – it has a real feel-good factor.”
He added that the team plans to keep going as long as the support continues.