Everything You Need to Know About High-Rise Window Cleaning

HIGH RISE WINDOW CLEANING

Skyscrapers form a beautiful and essential part of the skyline of many cities. As the world’s urban population continues to grow, towers are needed to maximize vertical space.
In 1985, cities were home to two billion people worldwide. Today, that number has grown to four billion, and it is projected that six billion people will be urban dwellers by 2050. Unsurprisingly, projections also show that the number of skyscrapers worldwide will increase by a massive 41,000 by 2050.
Skyscrapers give the skyline an elegant look with their gleaming walls of glass windows, but these windows do not remain gleaming by themselves. Snow, rain, smog, dust, salt spray, debris, bird droppings and other things act together to obscure skyscraper’s windows. Luckily, window cleaners are here to help get your windows clean and shiny again.

How Often Should Business Windows Be Cleaned?

The answer to this question is subject to several different factors. The type of business located in the building, the environment around the building, the amount of movement in the building and whether people are allowed to smoke in the building all affect the skyscraper’s windows.
If a building is a clean, non-smoking office environment and is located on a clean side street, it is less likely to need window cleaning. If the building is an industrial or medical facility, has a lot of pedestrian traffic, is located on a congested street or near a major body of water or has to contend with smog or frequent avian visitors, windows will require more attention.

Is High-Rise Window Cleaning Dangerous?

High-Rise Window Cleaning
High-Rise Window Cleaning

Hanging hundreds of feet in the air is not for the faint-hearted, but safety is paramount for any reputable high-rise window cleaning company. Window cleaning in high-rise buildings is generally safe, as long as workers use the right equipment and take the necessary precautions to protect themselves.
Fatal accidents are extremely rare in high-rise window cleaning. As a class, high-rise window cleaners are exposed to 1.5 million exposures every year – the number of times they work on the side of a building. Yet, in the last four years, there has been just one fatal accident.

How Much Do Skyscraper Window Cleaners Make?

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How much do skyscraper window cleaners earn? According to one estimate, the wages of skyscraper window cleaners generally range between $15 and $25 per hour, depending on the skill level of the person and the years of service. However, these figures can vary. In an expensive city like New York, a skyscraper window cleaner can command a higher salary – dedicated cleaners can earn between $29 and $35 per hour. However, the people who make these sums have usually spent years, even decades, perfecting their skills.

How Long Does It Take to Clean a Tower’s Windows?

The answer to this question also depends on many different factors. How big the skyscraper is and how dirty the windows are – all these variables can make a difference.
According to a window-cleaning veteran interviewed by the New York Times, it takes 30 to 40 days to thoroughly clean a typical 50-story building. By contrast, it takes six men about four months to clean the 102-story Empire State Building – and once they are done, the window cleaners have to start again.

Skyscraper Window-Cleaning Facts and Statistics

Here are some statistics and fun facts about window cleaning in high-rise buildings:

  • Statistically speaking, window cleaning in high-rise buildings is safer than driving a cab.
  • Window cleaning can be a quiet job. When window cleaners are above the fortieth floor, normal city sounds such as traffic disappear completely.
  • Wind makes the job of window cleaners much harder. For safety reasons, window cleaners must get off their scaffolding or platforms when wind speeds exceed 25 miles per hour. Even 15 mph winds can cause serious disruption.
  • Window cleaners use lukewarm or cool water – in winter, hot water can break the glass.
  • If the skyscraper windows are open, they will probably need to be cleaned more often, as people on higher floors may throw out food that stains the lower windows.

The appearance of your building and windows is a direct reflection of the quality of your business. To make your high-rise windows shine like new, contact Cancore Building Services Ltd. Their high standards of safety, excellence and care make them one of the top high-rise specialists in Toronto.
Their high-rise window-cleaning services will get your windows shiny and streak-free and their teams of highly experienced window cleaners have the tools to get the job done cost-effectively, efficiently and safely.

2 Comments

  1. Generally I do not read post on blogs, but I would like to say that this write-up very pressured me to take a look at and do so! Your writing taste has been amazed me. Thank you, quite great article.

  2. Thanks for also explaining how the wind is factored into high-rise window cleaning. I’d like to know more about how to find a good contractor for that because I plan to live in a condo someday. Being able to get the right cleaning services for its maintenance would be important.

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