When maintaining a high-rise building, it is important to consider how its windows can be kept clean. Choosing the right cleaning method for many facility managers can impact operational efficiency, safety, and even costs.
For tall commercial buildings, two of the most commonly used techniques to service high-level window cleaning are cradle cleaning and rope access cleaning.
In this article, we’ll discuss the key differences between the two during the cleaning process, allowing you to hopefully choose the best window cleaning strategy for your property.
What is Cradle Window Cleaning?
Cradle window cleaning is a technique that involves using a cradle or building maintenance unit (BMU) suspended from the roof and supported by cables. The cradle is then lowered down the building’s facade, allowing window cleaners to reach multiple levels and clean the windows.
Cradle access is suitable for large, flat-surfaced high-rise buildings and facades. It is commonly permanently installed on skyscrapers, providing a safe and reliable method for cleaning windows at great heights.
What Are The Benefits Of Cradle Window Cleaning?
Ideal for Large Surfaces
Cradle access systems allow window cleaners to cover large surface areas of windows quickly, making it ideal for large buildings with straight-forward, uniform facades.
The cradle system allows cleaners to cover extensive window areas quickly, making it ideal for skyscrapers and large office buildings with uniform facades.
Reliable and Safe
Cradle cleaning provides a secure mechanical platform for safely transporting multiple works and equipment down the external facade.
Due to the safety and reliability of the mechanical equipment, accidents involving cradles are extremely rare.
Consistent Access
As the mechanical equipment is permanently installed, the BMU system can be deployed when needed, pending favourable weather conditions.
This allows regular, hassle-free maintenance for buildings exposed to elements requiring frequent cleaning.
Minimal Disruption
The cradle cleaning equipment operates externally. This allows minimum disruption to business operations inside the building when cleaning windows.
What is Rope Access Window Cleaning?
Rope access window cleaning is a skilled method in which professional window cleaners use rope, harnesses, and climbing equipment to descend down tall buildings to clean windows. Due to its minimal equipment, it is highly flexible. It allows window cleaners to reach difficult or irregular areas of the building’s facade without the need for bigger, more mechanised cleaning equipment.
Rope access is highly suitable for buildings with unique architecture or non-flat surfaces. The cleaning method is commonly used in tight spaces, which wouldn’t allow for other cleaning techniques that involve larger equipment, such as a building maintenance unit (BMU) or a cherry picker from the foot of the building.
What Are The Benefits Of Abseiling Cleaning?
High Flexibility
Rope access window cleaning allows for more flexibility when it comes to reaching difficult areas, such as corners, recesses and irregular building shapes.
This makes rope access window cleaning ideal for buildings with a more complicated architecture.
Lower Setup Costs
Where cradle cleaning involves installing permanent fixtures, rope access cleaning does not require anything similar.
This makes rope access methods a far more cost-effective option for buildings not wishing to invest in a dedicated cleaning infrastructure.
Quick Set-Up, Minimal Disruption
With minimal equipment required, rope access technicians can set up and take down equipment, allowing for faster start times and reducing delays.
The lightweight and quick setup of rope access also allows teams to work without causing major disruptions to the building’s occupants while carrying out cleaning.
Safety Measures
Despite the understandable perception that abs
eiling down the side of high-rise buildings would be hazardous, rope access cleaning is actually a highly safe window cleaning method.
A rope access technician must be certified, adhere to strict safety protocols, and regularly inspect their equipment to ensure its full functionality.
Cost-Effective for Smaller Jobs
For buildings that require occasional window cleaning rather than regular maintenance, rope access provides a more cost-effective option than cleaning methods that require mechanical equipment or infrastructure.
When To Use Cradle Window cleaning or Rope access window cleaning
Whether to use cradle cleaning or rope access cleaning for your building depends on several factors, such as the building structure, frequency of your cleans, budget, and safety considerations for the environment around you.
When to Use Cradle Window Cleaning
Large, Flat Facades
Cradle systems such as BMUs are ideal for buildings with large, flat external surfaces, such as skyscraper apartment blocks or office towers.
The reason is the cradles allow for quick and safe cleaning of large surface areas without disrupting the nearby environment, such as pedestrian walkways.
Cradle access is usually the go-to commercial window cleaning method for these types of buildings.
Permanent Cleaning Needs
When regular window cleans are required, particularly in tall commercial buildings, investing in permanent cradle systems like the BMU can save money over the long term.
While the initial investment is substantial, the cradle system can be extremely cost-effective over time due to the lack of ongoing equipment rental costs and extra labour hours required to set it up.
Many modern buildings choose to install these cradle systems for this very reason.
Health and Safety
Cradle platforms provide a secure workspace for a window cleaner, making it suitable for buildings requiring multiple cleaners.
Because of this, BMU cradles are great for the more risky environments that experience varied weather.
Additionally, as the cradle access system is also attached to the building itself, it makes it extremely safe from a health and safety point of view.
Minimal Disruption to Occupants
Cradle window cleaning minimises disruptions for building occupants.
If your building is fully tenanted or has continuous business operations, the cradle system can lessen interruptions.
This is because the machinery operates externally and requires no internal set-up to carry out commercial window cleaning.
When to Use Rope Access Window Cleaning
Irregular or Complex Architecture
Rope access window cleaning is ideal for buildings with unique architecture, complex facades, and other non-straightforward building surface areas.
Because rope access requires no large equipment, the window cleaning process flows much more flexibly. This allows rope access technicians to reach areas that cradle access can’t, including hard-to-reach areas of uneven buildings.
Infrequent Cleans or Low-budget
If your building requires only occasional cleaning or is for a one-off project, rope access would definitely be a better option and more cost-effective than any cradle system.
No major equipment investment or installation work is required, so you can have your windows cleaned without incurring a large cost.
Speed and Quick Setup
Rope access can be deployed and removed remarkably quickly, making it the ideal option for buildings that urgently need window cleaning.
This commercial window cleaning method eliminates lengthy setup times, ensuring your windows are perfectly clean in no time.
Height Versatility
Rope access window cleaning is suitable for various building heights.
This window cleaning method can be applied to tall or medium-sized structures where using a cradle may be inefficient or unachievable.
Cradle Window Cleaning vs Rope Access Window Cleaning – Conclusion
Both rope access and cradle window cleaning can be great options to keep your building looking pristine.
However, each window cleaning method cannot be applied to every type of structure, so it’s important to consider the factors we have discussed in this article before deciding which one is right for your building.
Cradle window cleaning is ideal for tall buildings with large, flat external surfaces that need regular cleaning. On the other hand, rope access is more versatile and can be a cost-effective option for both large and medium-sized buildings, making it suitable for both frequent and infrequent cleaning.
Lion Cleaning – National Commercial Window Cleaners
We’re commercial window cleaners operating nationally, with some well-known buildings under our window cleaning management.
Our experienced team specialise in a variety of window cleaning techniques, including cradle cleans and rope access cleans, as well as more traditional methods such as reach and wash and water-fed pole cleans.
If you’re looking for a reliable commercial window cleaner, contact us today.
We’ll come to your building to provide a free site assessment and quotation with no hidden costs.
Let’s get your building shining!