Brighton couple sell possessions to fund daily street-sign cleaning

A Brighton couple have sold possessions to fund a daily street-sign cleaning venture, turning a search for a shared hobby into a full-time pursuit they hope to take across the UK.

Paul and Ruth Richmond-Watson, from Brighton, East Sussex, began cleaning signs in September after noticing that dirt made much of their local signage difficult to read, particularly at night. They now clean at least one sign a day, filming their work and posting it on social media.

For now, they work locally. Their ambition is to travel around the country, cleaning signs as they go, with the ultimate aim of leaving them all spotless.

Paul, 47, who is originally from New Zealand, said they wanted an activity that would bring them together, benefit their community and give them a reason to leave the house.

“We wanted to build something that we could do together. We are very community focused,” he said.

“Neighbours just don’t neighbour anymore, and we wanted to do something that would help out.

“It was for our mental health as well, to get out and about and have a reason to leave the house and a hobby.”

The idea came from watching window cleaners promote their businesses by cleaning signs. Although Ruth, 25, got soap in her eye on their first attempt, both enjoyed the experience enough to decide to pursue it full-time.

Alongside selling possessions to pay for the work, they have secured sponsorship from some cleaning-supply companies. Their equipment includes a backpack water pump and hose, a snow foam gun using environmentally friendly foam, and a brush. Each sign takes an average of around 20–25 minutes, including setting up, although the time varies.

Paul, a former window cleaner, said both he and Ruth are autistic and have ADHD. He described them as creative and said their tendency to notice patterns meant they frequently commented on dirty signs while driving.

“The first one that we did it was a bit of a learning curve, but it was so satisfying and fun,” he said.

“It is quite a bonding experience for us. We don’t really know what we are doing but we are giving it a good go.”

Paul believes dirty road signs are a peculiarly British problem and says friends in New Zealand have been surprised by their condition. That is his assessment, rather than a comparison established by the couple’s local cleaning work.

Since sharing their efforts on Instagram, the pair say they have received numerous supportive comments and have begun to be recognised locally. They met on the street two years ago and married last year. They now hope others will take up the hobby and help with their mission.

“Driving past it a few weeks later and seeing it still sparkle is amazing. You feel quite proud of yourself,” Paul said.

He described the response as unexpectedly enthusiastic and overwhelming in a positive way.

Ruth, who is from Mauritius, said: “The reaction has been overwhelming, everyone is so supportive it is actually crazy.

“We 100 per cent didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as we do. It is amazing.

“There is still community out there.”