HOT WATER AND STEAM CLEANING
Hot water and steam, from the air.
We clean commercial and industrial buildings with drone cleaning systems capable of delivering heated water between 100°F and 220°F. Heat breaks down the grease, soot and bird droppings that cold water cannot dissolve.
Flown and logged: Denver Performing Arts ComplexUCHealth Memorial Hospital Central
WHY HEAT
Where cold water stops, heat keeps working.
Some buildup does not rinse off. Grease, exhaust soot, industrial residue and bird droppings bake onto glass, metal and masonry, sometimes for years, and a cold wash barely touches them.
So we bring the heat, with steam-assisted applications where the job calls for them. Heat breaks down grease, oils and pollution buildup better than cold water alone, and on the hottest settings you can see the steam.
Heat also does work that would otherwise take stronger chemistry, so we can lean less on chemicals, a difference that matters on sensitive sites and government projects.
WHAT WE CLEAN
Where hot water earns its place.
Many building and window cleaning projects can benefit from more than cold water alone. Hot water and steam are particularly useful on these.
Commercial windows
Bird droppings, exhaust soot and baked-on mineral scale on the glass, finished with a rinse of purified water.
Industrial buildings & warehouses
Grease, oils and heavy industrial deposits on metal-clad walls and masonry.
Infrastructure & heavily soiled façades or signage
Pollution buildup and caked-on organic residue on large, complex structures.
HOW A MISSION RUNS
From pre-flight to landing, with the heat on.
PRE-FLIGHT
Read the buildup
Before the first flight we assess the site and the buildup, set a safety perimeter and choose the heat, the pressure and any solution for the surface.
LIFT-OFF
Water up the tether
A tethered hose carries water and cleaning solution from our rig on the ground up to the drone, which sprays the glass from about ten feet away.
THE HEAT
Heat on the buildup
Heated water and steam-assisted applications break down grease, oils and caked-on organic residue.
THE RINSE
Rinse it clear
We finish with purified water to leave the surface streak-free and spotless.
Ask for the safety plan with your quote. Request a quote
THE RIG
Heat and pressure, in our figures.
- 100°F to 220°F
- Our industrial drone cleaning systems are capable of delivering heated water across this range, along with steam-assisted applications for large and complex structures.
- 900-1500 PSI
- Window systems run around 900-1500 PSI at the nozzle, sprayed from approximately ten feet away.
- 4,000 psi
- High-pressure washing, up to 4,000 psi, for masonry, concrete and industrial surfaces.
The pressure that reaches the glass is significantly lower, comparable to an automatic car wash.
RESTORATION FIRST
Years of mineral scale?
If your windows carry heavy mineral staining or years of neglect, drone cleaning alone will not fully restore them. We recommend restoration first, by rope access or traditional methods, and the drone comes back to keep the glass clean.
At a hospital in Colorado Springs, five years of sun-baked scale took a restoration clean from the drone, with hot water, a stronger solution mix, higher pressure than a maintenance wash and slower passes, while a rope access team and a ground crew covered the sections they could reach.
FROM THE FLIGHT LOG
Decades of soot, and no lift on the stone.
At the Denver Performing Arts Complex, decades of exhaust soot had settled on the glass and the white decorative beams, and the birds had added their share. Below, delicate stone walkways hide a snow-melt system, so a boom lift or a crane was ruled out.
We flew hot water at high pressure behind and between the beams, at angles a traditional crew could not reach, with 55 pounds or less applied to the walkways.
The heat broke down the organic waste and the industrial oils far more effectively than cold water alone, and heavy machinery stayed off the walkways.
Bring us the buildup cold water left behind.
Tell us what is on the building and how high it goes, and a project manager comes back with questions, then a plan.
QUESTIONS
Straight answers, before you call.
When does a building need hot water instead of cold?
When the buildup is heavy grease, industrial pollutants or organic residue like bird droppings, which cold water cannot dissolve. Heat breaks it down, and it lets us lean less on chemicals.
How hot does the water get?
Our industrial drone cleaning systems are capable of delivering heated water between 100°F and 220°F, along with steam-assisted applications. We match the heat to the surface, the buildup and the conditions on each job.
Will the heat or the pressure hurt my glass?
We choose the heat, the pressure and any solution for your surface. Our window systems spray from approximately ten feet away, and the pressure that reaches the glass is significantly lower, comparable to an automatic car wash. At a hospital in Colorado Springs, slow passes over five years of sun-baked scale gave the heated, deionized water and cleaning solution time to lift it without damaging the surface.
How do you keep people below safe?
Every site gets its own plan. Below the aircraft we mark a safety zone perimeter with caution tape, cones and barricades, put MUTCD standard signage on any sidewalk or street we work near, and station visual observers with the pilot.
Do you still use chemicals, and where does the runoff go?
When a surface needs it, yes: surface-appropriate chemistry with purified water, chosen for the dirt, the material and the conditions. Whenever possible we clean with purified water only, which is how we keep the environmental impact down. On tough stains our FoamStream system clings longer and rinses spotless. Where city or state rules require it, we reclaim and dispose of the wastewater.
Can you clean in cold weather?
Yes, above about 42 degrees Fahrenheit and under the right conditions. In winter we use heated purified water and schedule the work in safe temperature windows, and when freezing makes cleaning unsafe or ineffective, we postpone.
Do you need roof access, and will you disrupt my tenants?
In most cases roof access is not required. We fly from the ground, which keeps disruption to tenants and building operations to a minimum, and we review the site in advance to settle staging and access.
REQUEST A QUOTE
Tell us about the buildup.
Send your building details. A project manager will follow up with questions, then a plan.
Or reach us directly+1 (866) 838-1555info@trydronewash.com