Skyscrapers, residential blocks, office buildings – they dot the horizon throughout the capital, getting higher and more concentrated the further into London you go. Shiny towers of metal and glass – it’s just a shame about all the dirt, grime, dust and debris that can build up on them. It’s not pleasing to the eye, but worse than that, it can have a negative commercial impact as well. Mucky glazing causes dingy interiors that can put off potential tenants, buyers, occupants and customers, and, over time, can even cause more serious problems as corrosive particles eat away at external materials or help to widen cracks.

To avoid all this you need to clean the exterior of your building on a regular basis, but it’s not just a case of hopping up a ladder with a bucket and off you go. For starters there’s often not a ladder long enough, so it’s important to use the right person and equipment for the job.

Safety first

Cleaning the windows of a high-rise building requires a team specialised in this work as it takes a lot of equipment, training (especially health and safety), and experience to get it right. For the safety of the public, occupants, and the person doing the work, it’s essential that only people with the right training and experience should even attempt to clean windows at height.

High-rise window cleaning professionals should be fully insured and certified – after all, it’s not just their own safety they need to worry about. One little slip could not only lead to damage, injury or worse, but anything falling from such a height could result in legal issues and compliance questions that will land at your door. That’s why health and safety is not just a priority for high-rise window cleaners, it should be a priority for you too.

Leave it to the professionals

While a bucket and squeegee may be all that a domestic window cleaner needs, a high-rise window cleaner must not only be proficient in using all the right equipment for the job, but they must have access to the very best. Water-fed pole systems are a relatively new and efficient method of cleaning and can reach up to 72 feet (that’s around 6 or 7 stories). Because this equipment can be used from ground level, it eliminates the many risks usually involved with reaching such a height. A constant feed of chemical-free, 100% pure deionised water removes the environmental impact of the clean, gives a streak-free finish and leaves windows cleaner for longer. This is the most cost-effective and the safest cleaning method – a far cry from the traditional squeegee, mucky-water, bucket and sponge combination.

Above 72 feet is where a professional high-rise window cleaning firm come into their own. If your building has its own lowering platform, this can be used; however, most don’t, which is when abseiling is the next best method used. Whether for commercial or industrial cleaning, insurances, and training from the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA), should be checked for when employing a company to work in this way.

If it’s not possible to use a water-fed pole, or abseil to do the cleaning, for instance when cleaning fragile glass roofs or areas that are harder to get to, a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) would be needed to reach and remove the dirt from every nook and cranny. It’s important that a company with International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) training is used with this high-level access equipment. There are also different vehicle combinations to be had, depending on whether the cleaning is taking place inside or outside – after all, no one wants a diesel fume-filled foyer full of tyre track marks.

With the right equipment, knowledge and experience, professional window cleaners are able to get the job done in the quickest, safest and most efficient way, to leave your windows sparkling for longer.