Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Poles R Us on July 05, 2011, 06:42:54 am

Title: Is there really such a thing as self cleaning glass?
Post by: Poles R Us on July 05, 2011, 06:42:54 am
anyone know?
Title: Re: Is there really such a thing as self cleaning glass?
Post by: AuRavelling79 on July 05, 2011, 07:01:27 am
Yes

Lemme explain

If there is enough rain it will wash away the muck better but ...

It is really only beneficial in places like shopping mall roofs and upper levels of hi-rise buildings where the shoppers don't care about the outside frames going green and the owners like the idea of little or no cleaning and more natural light to reduce electricity bills.

On domestics the frames still need cleaning and connies too. There may be a small benefit on conny roof glass panels as they are easier to clean, but on windows there is rarely enough rainfall and as the top part of the pane is partially shielded by the roof or building overhang it doesn't work.

You occasionally get a proud new conny owner tell you that it won't need cleaning and I wryly smile knowing that in six months time they will admit defeat and ask me to clean it!  ;D
Title: Re: Is there really such a thing as self cleaning glass?
Post by: Poles R Us on July 05, 2011, 07:22:06 am
thats why i asked , i did a conservatory roof not long ago and the bloke said it was supposed to be self cleaning glass ? .

it was coverd in crap , green in places and stuff like that .

so realy its not is it , not in his case
Title: Re: Is there really such a thing as self cleaning glass?
Post by: Llaaww on July 05, 2011, 09:11:51 am
thats why i asked , i did a conservatory roof not long ago and the bloke said it was supposed to be self cleaning glass ? .

it was coverd in crap , green in places and stuff like that .

so realy its not is it , not in his case

When they tell you it is self cleaning glass, simply explain that self cleaning means that they will have to clean it themselves.... simples.. ;)
Title: Re: Is there really such a thing as self cleaning glass?
Post by: the bfg on July 05, 2011, 09:15:08 am
they call it self cleaning glass but all the wood pigeons and other birds will argue differntly  :D :D :D
Title: Re: Is there really such a thing as self cleaning glass?
Post by: Wc Solutions on July 05, 2011, 05:58:22 pm
no not really.

if it was that good then it would be on windscreens wouldnt it!

find birds muck doesnt stick to it so much - aslong as it rains.
Title: Re: Is there really such a thing as self cleaning glass?
Post by: Mike_G on July 05, 2011, 06:14:44 pm
Yes there is, but most of it is rubbish. I would say it works reasonably well on vertical glass but on horizontal glass its useless. I agree with Gold, its ok on roofs  that are in shopping centres etc but on houses with people who care about having clean windows its a waste of money imo
Title: Re: Is there really such a thing as self cleaning glass?
Post by: matthewprice on July 05, 2011, 08:02:52 pm
i have 2 regular jobs that have self cleaning glass both done 4 weekly custie thought they would never need cleaning ;D one is a houff house (greenhouse) in fact it has never lasted a full 4 weeks
Title: Re: Is there really such a thing as self cleaning glass?
Post by: G Griffin on July 05, 2011, 08:11:25 pm
Our conny has a self cleaning glass roof and it is easier to clean; it doesn`t mean it doesn`t need cleaning.
Sorry, I can`t go into more detail, I`m in the middle of washing up......a pile of bloody non-stick pans  >:(.
Title: Re: Is there really such a thing as self cleaning glass?
Post by: CLEANCARE WC on July 05, 2011, 08:26:47 pm
Our conny has a self cleaning glass roof and it is easier to clean; it doesn`t mean it doesn`t need cleaning.
Sorry, I can`t go into more detail, I`m in the middle of washing up......a pile of bloody non-stick pans  >:(.

 ;D
Title: Re: Is there really such a thing as self cleaning glass?
Post by: Jeff Brimble on July 05, 2011, 09:01:36 pm
It should correctly called low maintainance glass.
Title: Re: Is there really such a thing as self cleaning glass?
Post by: RO-Sheen on July 05, 2011, 11:03:45 pm
I got a conservatory built two years ago with pilkington self cleaning glass. I regularly clean two sides but have never touched the other side. All 3 sides are just as clean as each other, and before anyone says...I clean the two sides very well!!  ;D

How it works.. (apparently!) There is a coating on the glass, A bird poops on it, Sun breaks it down to a powder and rain washes it away.
Obviously, when I clean the 2 sides I clean it before it has a chance to go through the 'process' but in this country we are never too far away from a good ole rain so the untouched side gets cleaned.
However, frames are getting grubby now and it wouldnt wash away debris like moss from your house roof or leaves etc.
Title: Re: Is there really such a thing as self cleaning glass?
Post by: gary999 on July 05, 2011, 11:15:04 pm
i do some work for a chap who manufactures conservatories
and he tells me its a coating that applied to the glass,apparently
it only lasts ten yrs max.

i clean his con every three months ;D ;D