Predictions for the future of commercial window cleaning

As increasing numbers of commercial buildings become more technologically advanced in design, it still seems that glass is the popular choice. Indeed architects are moving more into entire glass structures, which look fantastic and have high-strength capabilities. Keeping all this glass clean is a challenge for any commercial window cleaning business, but there are a number of high tech solutions on the horizon. In this article we look at predictions for the future of commercial window cleaning.

High tech window cleaning predictions

Cleaning the glass on taller commercial buildings can be fairly hazardous, as wind levels increase at height, making conditions quite tricky. The Shard in London for example, uses a team of abseiling window cleaners and it takes three months for the entire structure to be cleaned.

Some of the predictions being made for cleaning windows and glass in the future include:

Drone window cleaning

A Sydney engineering student was inspired to create a window cleaning drone after witnessing a window cleaner fall through the roof of his school. His drone prototype has just been awarded first prize in the largest international pre-college scientific competition in the world.

This autonomous window cleaning drone has eight rotors that tilt and can be attached to a winch on a building’s roof. The drone is then lowered into place in front of the dirty windows and the rotors begin working and move the robot away from the window. Spray nozzles supply soapy water and wash the glass, while rotating pads then wipe off the window.

Oliver Nicholls won the Gordon E Moore Prize at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair and was up against strong competition from around 1,800 global young scientists.

Robot cleaners

Robot cleaners are already in existence in some parts of the world and diversifying the service offered may well lead to the development of robotic window cleaning devices which can be operated from the inside.

Window cleaning without water

In the drive to increase sustainability it’s highly likely that the future of window cleaning will see a move towards water-free cleaning. It’s already possible to source self-cleaning glass, although this does use some water and does not provide the professional appearance of glass that’s cleaned by human window cleaners.