Abseiling Window Cleaning Vs Cradle Cleaning

There’s no doubt about it, Dallas is one of the most beautiful cities there are, with its tall office buildings and high-rise apartment complexes. The fantastic and gleaming glass sheets and windows that wrap those buildings are a miracle of modern construction. 

No matter the height, someone will eventually be tasked with cleaning all of that glass. But which method is best for your building? Is one type of cleaning really better than the other? These are some of the questions our certified experts here at Allied Facility Care answer nearly every day. 

Read on to see the differences of abseiling window cleaning vs cradle cleaning.

Why Would Anyone Need To Professionally Clean Windows on a Skyscraper or High-Rise Building?

The high-rise window cleaning business has been around since at least the late 1800s when skyscrapers were first being erected. There’s always been a need to clean the windows of the tall buildings, and features such as rope and pulley/cradle systems have always been included in a building’s cleaning plans. 

Before 1950 most skyscrapers used to have windows that actually opened so that cleaning could be performed from the inside. Since then due to the construction of ever taller buildings and the replacement of windows with sheer sheet glass, open windows are no longer practical.

This makes using either the abseil or cradle window cleaning method not only more practical, but a necessity. 

The main reasons your building’s windows and glass sheets need to be cleaned routinely are:

• Keeping the windows or glass sheet of tall buildings clean gives your building a very professional look.
• Clean glass is necessary for the efficiency of the building. Clean glass allows for more sunlight for offices, as well as any plants inside the building.
• Some glass sheets on buildings have solar collecting abilities that help to power their systems. Keeping them properly cleaned helps to keep those systems functioning at their best.

What is Abseiling Window Cleaning?

The term Abseiling refers to “rappelling”. It’s the same procedure you’ve probably seen people using when descending from a mountain, cliff, waterfall or other high structure. A series of ropes and pulleys are often used to abseil. 

In window cleaning applications, extremely strong ropes are often attached to the top of a building. One or more personnel with cleaning equipment then descend down the building in order to clean the windows. 

Rappelling in this fashion allows the worker to quickly get the windows cleaned off in a very short time. One main advantage of abseiling is that the worker can have many ropes dropped with them to use as additional points to attach to. 

This means the cleaner can switch ropes at any time to cover more window areas of the building without having to go all the way back up to the roof to start again and again.

What is Cradle Window Cleaning?

Cradle window cleaning is another popular system for high-rise buildings. It involves using what’s known as a cradle platform to raise and lower work crews along the sides of a building in order for them to perform window cleaning operations. 

Some advantages of using the cradle are that crews can take much more equipment with them, including water, cleaning solutions, etc.

The cradle normally hooks to the top  and or sides of a building through the built in pulley fixtures that are added to the building when it is first constructed. 

Depending on the size of the cradle, two or more team members can work on the windows at the same time. 

Pros of Abseil Window Cleaning

Abseiling Requires Much Less Equipment Than a Traditional Cradle System

• Generally the abseiler needs rope, some sort of boatswain’s chair or sitting harness, suction equipment as well as safety ropes, along with cleaning tools.

Greater Flexibility

• the cleaning team can often reach areas of a building that would otherwise be nearly inaccessible using other systems. 

Less Stress 

• Building mount points experience much less strains as opposed to much heavier cradle systems.

Cons of Abseil Window Cleaning

Does Not Allow for Additional Tasks 

• A good example of this would be that it would be extremely difficult to replace a window or sheet glass section without the support of a platform such as a cradle system.

  Only Allows for Descents

• Since abseiling is not a powered cleaning method, the cleaner can only go down or to the side. There is no way for them to go back up whenever they want. Once they reach the bottom of the building they’ll need to go all the way back up to begin again. 

Much Quicker Descending

• In case of severe weather or an emergency, abseiling allows for a much more rapid descent than a traditional powered system.

Pros of Cradle Window Cleaning

Multitasking

• With a dedicated platform, a team can perform many more tasks besides window cleaning such as sealing various areas, replacement of glass sheets or performing more intensive inspections.

Ascent Capabilities

• Since all cradle platforms are normally powered, cleaning teams can move up or down the building at their leisure.

The Ability To Carry Greater Loads

• Cradle crews can haul much more water, cleaning solutions, etc, meaning that they will have to make far fewer trips to replenish their supplies vs abseiling cleaning teams.

Cons of Cradle Window Cleaning

More Susceptible to Inclement Weather

• Cradles are at the mercy of Mother Nature during high winds situations. The cradles take much more stress than an abseiler. 
• Cannot reach all areas that an abseiler team can due to cradle travel limitations.