Cleaning big glass facades in Narva — how to do it safely

A large glass facade is a retail building's business card and, at the same time, one of the hardest surfaces to clean. The problem is not the glass itself but its size and height: tens of square metres of glass that must dry streak-free, often on the second or third floor, often above a busy street.

That is why it is not a bucket-and-cloth job. The result comes down to three things: water quality, the access method, and how safety is organised. Let's take them in order.

Why purified water makes the difference

Tap water carries dissolved minerals. When it dries on a large pane, those minerals are left behind as white streaks and spots — exactly what shows up most on a facade. Purified (deionised) water is free of them, so the glass dries mark-free, even without wiping it down.

On a big facade this is critical, because you cannot hand-squeegee the whole surface. Purified water and a soft-bristle water-fed pole let you clean quickly and evenly up to the third floor from the ground.

Access methods by height

Soft wash on the glass, not pressure

On a glass facade there is a temptation to use full pressure, because the surface looks tough. The glass itself takes pressure, but a facade is not only glass. The edges of a sealed unit have gaskets and silicone; aluminium profiles have joints. Pressure drives water behind them and into the sealed unit's edges, where it freezes in winter and pushes the seal loose.

So we clean the glass and profiles at low pressure with a cleaning solution. If the facade has algae or a green film (common on shaded north elevations), the solution kills it at the root, just as with any other soft wash.

Frames, profiles and seals

The most common mistake in facade cleaning is to wash only the glass and leave the profiles dirty. Aluminium frames collect road dust and an exhaust film that turns a silver profile grey. Clean glass in a black frame looks like an unfinished job. We clean the glass, profiles and seals as one job, so the facade looks whole.

How often to clean a commercial facade

2–4 times a year suits most commercial buildings. The frequency depends on location: an exhaust film builds up faster on a busy street, and near the coast in Narva and Narva-Jõesuu salt air lays a film on the glass. Restaurant and shop windows, where first impressions sell directly, are often cleaned monthly.

A regular schedule is cheaper than one-off jobs, because less builds up and each clean goes faster. Many clients take a quarterly contract that keeps the facade presentable year-round.

Safety is not an add-on

Height work above a busy street means responsibility. A proper job includes a lift permit, checked anchor points, protecting the work area from pedestrians, and valid liability insurance. Always check whether these are in the quote — a cheap price without them means the risk has been left with you.

At the walk-through we assess height, access and surroundings, and choose the method and schedule. The walk-through is free and the quote is fixed.