HOW TO CLEAN A SKYSCRAPER WINDOW

Discover how skilled window cleaners with nerves of steel tackle these towering glass facades

- WORDS AILSA HARVEY

As city planners move towards more tower-filled skylines, more and more office workers will be plying their trade from high above the bustling city streets.

The windows in these lofty office blocks, perched hundreds of metres above the ground, are constantly exposed to the elements, with wind, dust, rain and even animals hitting their surfaces. So how do the views remain crystal clear? The window cleaners can't rely on the ladders that are used to reach the upper windows of a two-storey home. Instead, these workers need to be able to expertly operate abseiling equipment, hydraulic platforms and specialised trucks and trailers.