Skyscrapers form a majestic and essential part of many urban skylines. As the urban population of the world continues to grow, skyscrapers will be necessary to maximize vertical space.
In 1985, two billion people worldwide lived in cities. Today, that number has reached four billion, and projections suggest that by 2050 six billion people will have become urban residents. Unsurprisingly, projections also indicate that by 2050, the number of skyscrapers in the world will increase by a tremendous 41,000 buildings.
With their walls of sparkling glass windows, skyscrapers give the skyline an elegant look — but those windows don’t stay sparkling on their own. Rain, snow, smog, salt spray, dust, debris, bird droppings and more conspire to obscure a skyscraper’s windows. Fortunately, window cleaners are on the job to get them pristine and shiny once more.
HIGH-RISE WINDOW-CLEANING FAQS
Here are some benefits and answers to a few frequently asked questions about high-rise window cleaning:
HOW OFTEN DO COMMERCIAL WINDOWS NEED TO BE CLEANED?
The answer to this question depends on a few different factors. The type of business in the building, the environment around the building, how much foot traffic the building receives and whether people are allowed to smoke inside the building all contribute to the condition of a skyscraper’s windows.
If a building is a clean, nonsmoking office environment and stands on a clean side street, it likely needs its windows cleaned less frequently. If the building is home to industrial work or a medical facility, sees a lot of foot traffic, is located on a busy street or near a substantial body of water, or must contend with smog or frequent avian visitors, the windows will need attention more often.
IS HIGH-RISE WINDOW CLEANING DANGEROUS?
Dangling hundreds of feet in the air is definitely not for the faint of heart, but for any reputable high-rise window-cleaning company, safety is the primary concern. High-rise window cleaning is generally safe if workers use the right equipment and take proper precautions to protect themselves.
Fatalities in high-rise window cleaning are exceedingly rare. High-rise window cleaners as a class see 1.5 million exposures — times when they are working on the side of a building — every year. Yet only one occupational fatality has occurred in the past four years.
HOW MUCH DO SKYSCRAPER WINDOW CLEANERS MAKE?
How much do skyscraper window cleaners make? According to one estimate, a skyscraper window cleaner’s salary generally ranges between $15 and $25 an hour, depending on the person’s level of skill and years in the profession. These figures can vary, though. In a large, expensive city like New York, a skyscraper window cleaner can command a higher wage — dedicated cleaners there can earn $29 to $35 an hour. However, the people making these figures have generally spent years, even decades, honing their craft.
