telephone cleaner.....

[kiltie]

I've got a birth certificate,that states that the parent was a telephone
cleaner in the 1940's,my question is were they employed by the G.P.O.
I remember in the early 1960's when I worked in an office that a woman used to come to the office and clean all the telephones,she wore a uniform and carried a small case with the cleaning materials.

[pinkshoes]

I remember that too Kiltie - I can even see the lady who did it! But I don't think she was employed by the GPO - I think it was a private "specialist" cleaning company. She wasn't part of our normal cleaners, and yes she did wear a uniform - white with green I think. Someone else might remember more

Best wishes
Pinkshoes

[Guest]

The company was called either 'Sanitas' or 'Phonitas', I believe

I think they faded away in the 60s, after the telephone became common and lost its lofty status.

Dave

[rye470]

I remember a company called Phonitas coming to clean the phone's when I worked at the Clyde Cooperage. She wore a uniform and was a lovely wee woman. That wasn't until 1976.

Christine.

[AnnieMack]

I worked in an office in Paisley during the early 80's and we had phone cleaners then, Phonitas seems to ring a bell

Annie

[davran]

Yes, I remember office phone cleaners in the '70s in London. However, there were (still are?) people who used to clean the public phone boxes during the late '80s. I did a stint working early mornings at our village shop and the phone box cleaner sometimes used to come into the shop.