How to clean the windows of the highest skyscrapers?

Clean the window

Since window cleaners have to work at such high heights, there’s an array of gear and equipment that they have to carry when working on to clean skyscraper windows.

Window cleaners use a rope protector, safety rope, rope-grabbing tool, descending mechanism, lanyard, and suction cups. These equipment let employees clean building facades quickly and safely.

A roof-mounted anchor secures a person working on a building’s exterior. This anchor lets employees clean the windows vertically. You have surely observed that window cleaners don’t fall smoothly; they move to the following, lower levels in a method that seems as if they are ‘dropping’ through each floor one at a time.

A single drop one vertical cleaning operation from the roof to the level below varies per building with high altitudes.

At initially, cleaners used to stand on the window sills and grip onto the frame for support to clean the windows. Imagine! Leather belts replaced this unsafe way of cleaning towering structure windows. These belts, fastened to anchor bolts, kept the worker securely in air. Scaffolds improved safety and convenience later.

Based on needs, window washing is done differently nowadays. Work method determines working mechanism. The most typical window-washing devices are: Bosun’s chair, boom, carriage and portable davit.

Modern bosun’s chair fits one washer

It lets the washer sit comfortably while accessing confined spaces. It works well for long-term window cleaning.

Boom

‘Boom’ is the oldest and most regularly utilised mechanisms historically. A scaffold with numerous washers lets a group work at once. This system is permanently installed on the roof and utilised as needed.

Carriage

‘Carriage’, on the other hand, is a superior option that is getting more popular these days. The carriage moves left and right across the façade on a roof rail. Like a Boom, it holds numerous washers but moves better. The cheapest device, a portable davit, can transport washers and reach various facade regions.

High-rise window washing challenges

Skyscraper windows are obviously different from house or room windows. Cleaning your room’s windows requires a cloth, soapy water, and determination. On the 100 storey of a structure more than half a kilometre above the earth, things change radically for a building owner to clean the windows.

High-rise Window Cleaning Methods

Each window-cleaning procedure has benefits. It depends on the building’s height, materials, and use. These are some ways to finish commercial windows perfectly:

Water-Fed Pole

Surface water is purified. It is devoid of sediments and minerals that cause streaking and spots when water dries. The high rise window cleaning staff works at street level, so no ladders are required. Water-fed telescopic poles wash windows and frames.

Simple and cheap. Dirt is lifted without infrastructural damage. Detergent-free washing makes it eco-friendly. It keeps the building running smoothly and is safer for cleaners. Cleans glass roofs, atriums, skylights, signs, cladding, and canopies.

Cradles

An integrated cradle system secures a cradle over a building façade. The window cleaners may then descend over the façade. Cradles are “building maintenance units” (BMU).

Carrying heavier water buckets makes it faster than abseil access. Crews can securely climb high. This is great for skyscrapers, tower complexes, and sports fields.

Dedicated vehicles carry the cleaning unit

Truck-mounted platforms extend high. The movable equipment makes window washing flexible. It’s faster to put up and can be adjusted to the building’s height or cleaning demands.

This strategy is best for buildings without cradles. The building may allow cleaners to reach the façade from a platform.

Abseiling/Rope Access Window Cleaning

Rope access lets the window cleaners span the building’s façade. A harness, high-strength rope, pulleys, and braking apparatus drop them over the building’s edge. Brakes and pulleys lower them. They move using suction cups on the window pane. They wipe windows uniformly while moving along a building.

This inexpensive alternative requires no heavy or specialist equipment. To perfect windows, the team can come closer.

Complex buildings, since the team can reach locations other means cannot. Abseilers clean the window domes. Abseil washing eliminates cradle purchases and maintenance.

Selecting the Best Building Option

Consider the building’s height and intricacy. Balance tenant requirements as well. Cleaning windows without disrupting their schedule is best. They like less disruption.

Most essential, be sure your contractor has the right equipment, safety procedures, insurance, and permits. They must also demonstrate that they understand the façade materials so they don’t harm them while cleaning the windows.

Cleaning frequency varies. Windows require less cleaning in calm, clean areas. It will require more frequent cleaning if it contains industrial or medical facilities, has a lot of foot traffic, is on a busy roadway, or is near water, an airport, or birds. Another consideration while picking a window cleaning technique is this.