To clean up a station in Cleanup Crew means completing three specific, non-negotiable objectives for your corporate overlords: collecting a minimum quota of alien bio-samples, retrieving all critical data logs, and neutralizing designated high-threat alien entities. It is a common and costly mistake for new hires to assume “cleaning” means eradicating every single life-form on the station; your goal is surgical, not genocidal. Wasting time and resources on lesser threats will only drain your ammo and invite overwhelming swarms.

Success is about efficiency and precision. You are a janitor with a pulse rifle, not a marine. Get in, secure the assets, eliminate the key targets, and get out before the infestation consumes you. Mastering this loop is the difference between a promotion and becoming another bio-sample for the next crew.

What Does "Cleaning a Station" Actually Mean?

Every mission in Cleanup Crew presents you with a station overrun by a hostile xeno-organism. Your PDA's mission summary screen is your bible. It will always list three core tasks that define a successful “cleanup.” Ignoring any one of these will result in mission failure, regardless of how many smaller creatures you’ve dispatched. Think of yourself as a repo agent, a librarian, and an exterminator rolled into one, but only for very specific targets.

The three pillars of a successful station cleanup are:

  1. Bio-Sample Quota: You must collect a specified amount of unique biological materials from the alien ecosystem. This is your primary scientific objective.
  2. Data Log Retrieval: The station's logs hold valuable information. You need to locate and download all of them from designated terminals.
  3. Key Entity Neutralization: You are not paid to kill everything that moves. Corporate has identified specific, high-value targets—usually larger, more dangerous variants—that must be eliminated. The rest are just obstacles.

Completing these three tasks allows you to call for extraction and marks the level as complete. Anything else, from sealing ancillary vents to killing optional mini-bosses, is purely for personal survival or grabbing extra resources. Your mission is defined by the checklist, not the body count.

Objective 1: Collect Your Quota of Bio-Samples

This is often the most straightforward objective but requires a keen eye. Bio-samples are distinct, often glowing, pieces of alien flora and fauna that have infested the station's structure. They are your main payload, and you cannot leave without a full canister.

These samples are not dropped by enemies. Instead, you must find them in the environment and use your collection tool to harvest them. They come in several distinct forms, each contributing a different amount to your overall quota.

Common Bio-Sample Types

  • Spore Clusters: These pulsating, green-glowing sacs are typically found in damp, dark areas like ventilation shafts and maintenance corridors. They are plentiful but offer a low yield per sample.
  • Crystalline Growths: Sharp, purple shards that jut out from walls and equipment. They often grow near power conduits, suggesting they feed on energy. They are less common than spores but provide a medium yield.
  • Pulsating Egg Sacs: Large, veiny orbs that must be approached with caution. They sometimes release a cloud of hostile swarmers when disturbed or harvested. They provide a high yield, making them a priority target.
  • Nerve Ganglia: A rare and valuable sample, these are central processing nodes for the hive mind. They look like a complex web of glowing blue tendrils embedded in a wall and are usually found in the heart of the infestation, often guarded by elite enemies. Harvesting one can often satisfy a large chunk of your quota.

Your HUD always displays your progress toward the required quota. A common rookie error is to reach the extraction point with a full ammo belt but an empty sample canister. Always prioritize scanning your environment for these resources as you move through the station.

Objective 2: Retrieve the Critical Data Logs

Before the station went dark, the crew and automated systems recorded logs about the outbreak, research findings, or operational statuses. This data is mission-critical for understanding the alien threat. You must find and download every single log.

Data logs are located at specific computer terminals, which will often be marked on your minimap once you enter a new section. However, accessing them isn't always a simple button press.

How to Access Secured Terminals

  1. Restore Power: Many terminals will be offline. You'll need to find a nearby generator or circuit breaker and reactivate it. This can often trigger new waves of enemies, so be prepared for a fight as soon as the lights come back on.
  2. Find Keycards: Some terminals are locked behind security doors that require a specific level of keycard (e.g., Level 2 Science, Level 3 Engineering). These are usually found on the bodies of deceased crew members or in nearby security offices.
  3. Bypass Security: Occasionally, a terminal itself will be encrypted. This initiates a simple minigame where you must match sequences or redirect power flows on a small grid. Failure might trigger an alarm or a defensive turret, so work quickly and accurately.

Missing even one data log means the mission cannot be completed. The final log is often located in a hard-to-reach or heavily guarded area, like the bridge or the chief scientist's office, making it a natural final objective before you head to extraction.

Objective 3: Neutralize High-Threat Entities

This is where the combat-heavy part of your job comes in, but it requires focus. Your PDA will specify which alien variants are on the company's hit list. These are typically alpha-predators, brood-mothers, or unique mutations that pose a strategic threat. Killing dozens of common Skitterlings or Spitters does nothing to check this box.

Your target will be explicitly named, for example, “Neutralize the 'Alpha Ravager'” or “Eliminate the two 'Brood Wardens'.” These targets are significantly tougher than standard enemies, often acting as area bosses with unique attack patterns and higher health pools.

Identifying and Eliminating Your Target

  • Use Your Scanner: Your scanner can highlight priority targets in a different color (usually red) and provide basic intel on their weaknesses. An Alpha Ravager, for instance, might have an armored carapace that is immune to small arms fire but a vulnerable, glowing heat sac on its back.
  • Exploit the Environment: These boss-level encounters are often set in arenas with environmental hazards. Lure a Brood Warden under a precarious stack of cargo containers and shoot the release valve, or vent superheated plasma from a ruptured conduit onto your target.
  • Conserve Heavy Weapons: Don't waste your grenade launcher or railgun on common foes. Save the heavy ordinance for your designated targets. They are the only enemies that truly matter for mission completion.

Once the final designated entity is neutralized, your PDA will update, and you'll be one step closer to getting paid. Remember: you are an exterminator, but one with a very short, very specific list.

Station Cleanup FAQ

Do I need to kill every enemy to clean a station? No, absolutely not. This is the most common mistake. You only need to kill the specific “High-Threat Entities” listed in your mission objectives. Killing other enemies is purely for self-preservation.

What happens if I can't find the last bio-sample? You cannot complete the mission without meeting the sample quota. You must backtrack. Check your map for unexplored rooms and pay close attention to environmental cues, like the faint green glow of Spore Clusters in dark corners or the hum of Crystalline Growths near power sources.

Can I finish the objectives in any order? Yes. The objectives can be completed in any order you choose. A common strategy is to clear out the High-Threat Entity first to make exploring for samples and data logs safer, while others prefer to gather everything else first so they can make a quick dash for the exit after the big fight.

Is there a penalty for using too much ammo or taking too long? There is no direct time penalty, but the longer you stay, the more resources you expend and the more ambient threats can spawn. Efficiency is key to maximizing your profit and survival. The station's ecosystem is dynamic, and lingering can lead to being overwhelmed.

Final Debriefing

Cleaning a station in Cleanup Crew is a methodical, objective-focused process. It rewards players who can tune out the noise of lesser threats and focus surgically on the three pillars of the job: collecting samples, retrieving data, and eliminating key targets. Forget about a perfect, sterile sweep. Your job is to grab what's valuable, kill what's necessary, and clock out. Treat each station not as a battlefield to be conquered, but as a high-stakes checklist to be completed.