Cleaning high-rise windows is not for the faint of heart. It requires significant focus and consideration before ever stepping up on a ladder or out on scaffolding.
In the following article, we’ll be giving you the essential information you need to know before taking that step. Let’s begin!
Table of Contents
Windows Serve Multiple Purposes
The first thing to ask about high-rise window cleaning is why even do it. No one notices windows that much, right? Wrong!
Employees working inside high-rise buildings notice windows by the natural light that pours through. Potential customers or clients notice how you upkeep your building, and a first impression goes a long way. Keeping your windows clean improves energy efficiency for a building and improves curb appeal, so don’t let it fall by the wayside.
It Might Be Easier to Take the Windows Out
Before we get to the high-rise window cleaning equipment you’ll need, it’s important to check your windows to see if you might be able to remove them. Some windows are removable while others are reversible to keep you from having to climb out on scaffolding.
The more mobile yours are, the better. Mobility allows you to properly care for your windows without potentially placing yourself in harm’s way.
Never Attempt to Clean Without Proper Equipment
Using the proper high-rise window cleaning gear is essential to getting a good clean while protecting yourself at all times. Just what type of equipment do people use for high-rise window cleaning?
Well, there are many options that we could list to make the job easier or more convenient. The bare essentials you’ll need, however, include some form of water filtration system, a water-fed pole, a squeegee blade, and several replacement blades.
Depending on the window, you might also require a bucket truck, ladder, or scaffolding to reach particularly high places. Last but not least, don’t forget the water and cleaning solution!
Accidents Do Happen
Unfortunately, high-rise window cleaning accidents do happen, and they are deadly, more often than not. In fact, of the 88 window-cleaning accidents noted across a period of several years, OSHA found that over 70 percent proved fatal.
This one statistic shows two truths: that intense focus is important to the job (see No. 5), and that there isn’t room for error because of the high rate of fatalities.
Timing and Focus Are Everything
The number one thing you have to remember before you pick up your first high-rise window cleaning tool is that timing and focus are everything. It’s not something you have the luxury of just going out and doing.
You have to make sure weather conditions are favorable with limited winds and precipitation. You also want to pay intense focus to what you’re doing as a slip-and-fall could lead to serious injury or death.
Window cleaning is a skill, and you might wish to entrust the process to those who have it. Otherwise, realize and plan for the risks.
Cleaning High-Rise Windows Gives Your Property a Boost
Cleaning high-rise windows might not be your first priority as a property owner, but you should make it one. You have much to gain from energy efficiency and curb appeal by keeping them in tip-top shape. Just make sure you’re also emphasizing safety in the process, or trusting those who do.
Best of luck! For more tips and information on property care and cleaning, check out some of our additional posts!