How high windows are cleaned in Malta

Why high windows get so dirty here

Upper-floor windows in Malta and Gozo collect more than most. Sea spray carried by the majjistral leaves salt on seafront facades in Sliema, St Julian’s, St Paul’s Bay and Marsaskala. Saharan dust and red rain coat everything in a fine reddish film. Building work nearby adds cement dust. And upper windows rarely get a casual wipe because they are hard to reach.

The result is glass that looks cloudy from inside and grimy from the street, even when the lower floors look fine.

Never lean out or stand on railings

Every year people are hurt cleaning windows. The rules are simple:

• Do not lean out of a window to reach the outside of the glass.
• Do not sit on the sill with your legs inside and your body outside.
• Do not stand on balcony railings, chairs, planters or ladders on a balcony.
• Do not lean over glass balustrades. They are designed to stop falls, not to support someone leaning over them. See how to clean glass balustrades.

Clean the parts you can reach safely from inside and leave the rest. That is what professional equipment is for.

Water-fed poles

The workhorse of high window cleaning is the water-fed pole:

• a lightweight telescopic pole, often carbon fibre,
• a soft brush at the top with small jets,
• a hose running up the pole carrying purified water.

The cleaner scrubs the glass and frame with the brush and rinses with purified water. Because the water has had its minerals removed, it dries without spots or streaks, so there is no need to squeegee. Malta’s tap water is hard, so this matters. See removing hard water stains from glass.

Poles can reach several storeys from the street, a yard, a balcony or the roof. They also mean the cleaner stays on the ground or a safe surface rather than at the window.

Our guide to water-fed pole window cleaning explains the method in more detail, including its limits.

Working from the roof

Maltese buildings have one advantage: flat roofs. On many townhouses and smaller apartment blocks, a cleaner can work down from the roof with a pole, reaching the upper windows without anything standing on the street. The parapet must be safe to work behind, and the cleaner needs access through the stairwell or washroom.

Lift platforms and rope access

For tall facades, buildings on busy roads or windows a pole cannot reach, other methods come in:

• Mobile lift platforms (cherry pickers) lift the cleaner to the glass. They need a place to stand, which may be the road or pavement.
• Rope access is used on some taller buildings by trained teams.

If equipment has to stand on a public road, ask the company how they arrange it. The local council is the body to ask about what is needed. We do not give guidance on permits.

Stairwell windows in apartment blocks

Many Maltese blocks have tall stairwell windows, often fixed panes above the stairs. These are usually cleaned:

• from inside, with poles from the landings, where the window design allows,
• from outside, with water-fed poles from the ground or roof.

Stairwell glass is a common job for block administrators. See our commercial window cleaning for common parts and offices.

Questions to ask a window cleaner

Before you book anyone for high windows, ask:

• How will you reach each window?
• Will anyone lean out, use ladders or stand on railings? (The answer should be no.)
• What water do you use?
• How do you protect people, cars and plants below?
• Do you carry insurance? Ask to see it if it matters to you.

How often

Inland, high windows usually need cleaning every two to three months. Seafront facades need it more often, every four to six weeks, and monthly when directly facing the sea. See how often to clean windows in Malta and removing salt from sea-facing windows.

Booking

We arrange window cleaning for high and hard-to-reach windows across Malta and Gozo, mostly using water-fed poles from the ground or roof. Get a quote and tell us the floor, the type of windows and how the roof is reached.