Window cleaningHigh-level glass, without an aerial work platform
We clean glass facades, windows, glass canopies and atriums with technology controlled from the ground, such as drones and robotics, choosing the most efficient approach for each building. It is meant for glass that a window cleaner with a water-fed pole can't reach, where you would otherwise need an aerial work platform (cherry picker), rope access or a gondola.
Every clean is planned, tracked and reported on the OPPY platform, our client portal, so you can see for each building when the glass was cleaned and when it is due again.
How drone window cleaning works
- 01
Intro call
In a 30-minute call you tell us about the glass: how much there is, how high it is, what type it is and how often it is cleaned now.
- 02
Building assessment
During a site visit or a remote assessment we look at the glass, the frames, the access and where the safety perimeter will go. You then receive a quote.
- 03
Authorisation and scheduling
Cleaning by drone falls under the specific category: the EU category for drone operations that need an operational authorisation, issued in Belgium by the Directorate-General Aviation of the FPS Mobility and Transport (Federal Public Service). We prepare the authorisation file and schedule the work with you, zone by zone.
- 04
Cleaning and after-treatment
The drone cleans the glass with purified water at low pressure. If you want longer between cleans, we can then apply a dirt-repellent coating.
- 05
Report
Once the job is done, the report is on the platform, with before and after photos and any findings, such as a damaged pane or a loose seal.
Purified water, then a coating
We clean windows with purified water: water that has been through reverse osmosis and has no minerals left in it. Nothing in it can stay behind on the glass, so it dries without streaks or limescale marks and nobody needs to squeegee it afterwards.
Purified water
Purified water dissolves the dirt and rinses it away. With no minerals in it, it leaves no marks as it dries.
Low pressure
We rinse at low pressure, so seals, gaskets and frames aren't put under strain.
Dirt-repellent coating as an after-treatment
After cleaning, the glass can be given a coating that dirt adheres to less and that rain rinses more easily. The glass still needs cleaning, but the gap between cleans can get longer.
Which glass we clean
The method is designed for the glass on offices, hotels and commercial buildings, including places a ladder or an aerial work platform struggles to reach. We check the type of glass and frames on your building during the assessment.
Curtain walls
Glass facades that hang as a continuous skin in front of the structure, often over the full height of the building.
Windows with aluminium frames
Conventional windows in a brick, render or panel facade, together with their frames.
Glass canopies
Canopies over entrances and terraces, where dirt and leaves collect.
Atriums and glass roofs
Sloping and horizontal glazing that can't be cleaned from inside and is hard to reach from outside.
Rooflights and domes
Daylight openings in the flat roofs of offices and industrial halls.
Solar control or coated glass
Glass with a manufacturer's coating on the outside. We check it first, so we don't use a product or coating that doesn't suit it.
Drone, aerial work platform, rope access or gondola
For high-level glass there are four options: a drone, an aerial work platform (a cherry picker or boom lift), rope access (window cleaners abseiling down the facade) or a gondola. A gondola hangs from a BMU (building maintenance unit), a permanent rooftop installation found on some tall buildings.
Cleaning windows from an aerial work platform is tried and tested, but it needs space at the foot of the facade and a machine that can reach the glass. A drone earns its place mainly on glass that is hard to get to. It doesn't fly in rain or strong wind, and that belongs in the comparison too.
High-rise window cleaning: drone compared with traditional methods
| Drone | Aerial work platform | Rope access | Gondola (BMU) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who works at height | Nobody: the pilot stays on the ground | A window cleaner in the basket | Window cleaners on ropes | A window cleaner in the gondola |
| What the site needs | A clear area at the foot of the facade | Firm, level ground and room for the machine | Anchor points on the roof | Its own installation, which needs maintenance and inspection |
| Canopies, atriums and rooflights | Reachable from the air | Only if the machine can get close enough | Often awkward, depending on anchor points | Usually not: the installation follows the facade |
| Reporting | Before and after photos and findings on the platform | Depends on the contractor | Depends on the contractor | Depends on the contractor |
What does window cleaning cost?
What cleaning your glass costs depends on the factors below.
Look at the total cost as well. With an aerial work platform, hire, transport and sometimes a permit to occupy the road come on top of the price per m², and they come back at every visit.
Glass area in m²
How much glass we clean. On a larger area, the set-up cost is spread over more square metres.
Height and reach
How high the glass is and how freely the drone can work, given nearby trees, cables or projecting parts of the facade.
Type and degree of soiling
A light layer of dust comes off faster than limescale, bird droppings or dirt that has built up over years.
Type of glass and frames
Vertical glazing, a sloping atrium or a flat rooflight, with or without a solar control coating.
Access and safety perimeter
How much space there is at the foot of the facade, and whether we need to cordon off an entrance, car park or terrace for a while.
Frequency, contract and coating
A one-off clean or a maintenance contract, with or without a dirt-repellent coating as an after-treatment.
Every window clean recorded on the platform
After every visit, the report is waiting on the OPPY platform, our client portal. You see before and after photos, findings such as a cracked pane or a loose seal marked where they are on the facade, and the history of the building. For your maintenance plan or ESG reporting, you export it all as PDF or CSV.
You can give colleagues or your board their own access, so everyone looks at the same record instead of a chain of forwarded emails.
Questions about window cleaning
How much does high-level window cleaning cost per m²?
The price for your building depends on the glass area, the height, the type of glazing and the space around the building. A dirt-repellent coating and a maintenance contract with fixed intervals also play a part. After a call and an assessment, you receive a quote with a price per m².
How long does the glass stay clean after a coating?
That depends on the coating and on the building's surroundings. A dirt-repellent coating means dirt adheres less and rain carries more of it away, so you can leave longer between cleans. The glass still needs cleaning. On the platform you can follow, building by building, how the glass looks after each visit.
What happens if it rains on the day?
Then we don't fly, and the drone also stays on the ground when the wind is too strong. We agree a new date with you, and the updated schedule appears on the platform. Because the weather always plays a part, we plan with some slack, especially in autumn and winter.
Do we need to close anything while you work?
Only the area beneath the drone. At the foot of the section being cleaned, we mark out a safety perimeter that moves along with the work. For a glass canopy over an entrance, we agree beforehand when that entrance can close for a short while, early in the morning for example.
Do you clean the inside of the windows too?
No, the drone works on the outside of the building. The inside of windows, atriums and glass roofs stays with your cleaning team or regular window cleaner. If you already use a window cleaner for the inside and the lower windows, we can align our schedules so the inside and outside are done in the same period.
Talk to us about your glass
In 30 minutes we go through your building, the type of glass and what drives the price. Photos or drawings help, but there is nothing you need to prepare.