Buildings are becoming more technologically advanced in the way they are designed. Glass is a popular option for buildings these days. It’s a relatively cheap building material compared with others, and it looks impressive. The high-strength, high-tech glazing which covers some of the world’s tallest structures and skyscrapers needs, as you may imagine, to be kept perfectly clean come rain or shine. Buildings are becoming more technologically advanced in the way they are designed. Glass is a popular option for buildings these days. It’s a relatively cheap building material compared with others, and it looks impressive. The high-strength, high-tech glazing which covers some of the world’s tallest structures and skyscrapers needs, as you may imagine, to be kept perfectly clean come rain or shine.
For window cleaning operatives who are trained to clean tall structures, wind is the main concern. Close to the ground, wind speed is disrupted by trees and other buildings. But nearer the top, wind speed will be faster and more fierce, and this can hamper the work of a window cleaner, while making the job more dangerous.
As buildings, both residential and commercial, become more ambitious in design, this makes cleaning them an increasing challenge for those in the window cleaning industry. The Shard, for example, takes a band of window cleaners with abseils around three months to clean it. Once the job is done, the process needs to be repeated all over again. But those window cleaners are still doing the job by hand.
So, what might the future hold for commercial window cleaning? Will buildings, especially tall buildings, still be cleaned by hand in 50 years’ time?
Robotic cleaning machines are already being used in some parts of the world, with an aim to drive productivity and efficiency. (Human) cleaners are learning how to operate these machines, gaining new skills in the process, and diversifying their service offering. High productivity, safety and sustainability are three factors the cleaning industry is working towards, and robotic cleaners may help the industry achieve this. In future, our tall buildings and skyscrapers might be built using drones. Why then, might they not be cleaned using drones? Drones routinely receive a mixed response. They can endanger aircraft, and they are associated with other hazards, but they might offer an effective means of cleaning challenging buildings or getting into small, hard to reach spaces. Drone are being used in other industries, including farming and agriculture, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they weren’t adopted for use by those in the window cleaning industry. The future of window cleaning for both residential and commercial buildings is for the work to be as sustainable and environmentally-friendly as possible. Self-cleaning glass is already in use. This does help keep windows looking cleaner for longer, but it is no substitute for a professional window cleaning service, and self-cleaning glass still uses water. Will we see a future where windows are cleaned without the use of water? It’s intriguing to see what ever-advancing technologies will have in store for the window cleaning industry in the future. But for now, if you need your windows cleaned, it’s best to rely on the expertise and efficiency of a professional window cleaning company. Are you looking for a new commercial window cleaning contractor? Get in touch with All Clean now to find out more.
