DRONE WASHING, EXPLAINED
What is a drone wash, and how does it work?
A drone wash is exterior cleaning from the air: a commercial cleaning drone on a tethered hose sprays water and cleaning solution on your building while the pilot stays on the ground. Here is what it is, how a job runs, and when we bring other access.
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THE SHORT ANSWER
Not a wash for drones. A wash by drone.
A drone wash is a way to clean a building from the air. A commercial cleaning drone flies up the outside of your building on a tethered hose and sprays water or cleaning solution on windows, facades, roofs, solar panels and other structures, while the pilot stays safely on the ground.
It is not a way to clean drones, and it is not a car wash. Traditional window cleaning relies on squeegees and elbow grease; spray cleaning relies on the water's temperature, the pressure, the nozzle, the cleaning chemistry and the technique.
These are not hobby drones. They are commercial cleaning aircraft that put purified water or cleaning solution precisely where the pilot aims it, even on glass and walls that are hard to reach.
We clean buildings with a drone. Simple as that.
That is what Jay told FOX31 Denver for its 2024 story on our job at FlyteCo Tower, the former Stapleton airport control tower.
HOW A JOB RUNS
Five steps, start to finish.
Drone cleaning can look like magic from the sidewalk, but there is a lot of precision behind every mission. Here is how a job runs.
PRE-FLIGHT
Assess the site
Before the first flight, our team evaluates the property to see whether it suits drone cleaning: the height, the obstacles, and access to water and power. That gives us a cleaning plan built around the site's safety requirements.
SETUP
Stage the ground
Our ground crew sets up the launch zone, the safety perimeter and the water filtration. We use deionized or reverse-osmosis purified water, so nothing in it dries into spots or mineral buildup.
LIFT-OFF
Work the surface
Once everything is ready, the drone takes flight and sprays water or cleaning solution in precise patterns, taking off dirt, grime, bird droppings and other buildup.
THE RINSE
Rinse spot-free
We finish with purified water, so the surface dries streak-free and spotless. No squeegees, no residue, no ladders.
LANDING
Inspect and record
Every job ends with a quality inspection. We document the results with before-and-after photos or video, so you can see the difference for yourself.
Ask for the safety plan with your quote. Request a quote
THE RIG
What flies, and what stays on the ground.
Each cleaning drone carries a nozzle, a camera, GPS, a flight controller and a spray payload. Its sensors and GPS help it hold steady while it works evenly across a large surface.
Some cleaning drones carry their water and solution on board. Ours fly on a tether: a hose from our rig on the ground carries the water and the cleaning solution up to the aircraft.
On the ground, most systems connect to a pressure washer or a soft washing pump, and the surface decides which. Delicate surfaces get a low-pressure soft wash; brick and concrete can take high pressure.
WHY FROM THE AIR
The drone takes the height.
Cleaning high glass and facades the traditional way means scaffolding, a boom lift or a rope line, and people working at height. With a drone, the pilot and the crew stay on the ground while the aircraft does the high work.
That does not make the drone the answer for every pane. Drones do the height. For the rest we bring proven ground equipment: water-fed poles, lifts and traditional access when a job calls for them. We also clean windows by rope access and by lift.
On glass, we go after dirt, grime and bird droppings like we've got a grudge, and when a stain is baked on, we bring heated water and FoamStream to it.
Ready for a drone wash?
Send us the building's height, surfaces and access, and we will plan the flight.
QUESTIONS
Straight answers, before you call.
What can a drone wash clean?
Windows and glass, building facades, roofs and solar panels, from the air. We also bring hot water and steam for baked-on buildup, foam and chemical spray applications, and construction clean-up for new buildings; our services page lists every one.
Does a drone wash replace rope access and lifts?
Not everywhere. Drones do the height, and our crews bring water-fed poles, lifts and traditional access when a job calls for them. We clean windows by rope access and by lift as well, and on glass with heavy mineral staining we recommend restoration first, by rope access or traditional methods, before the drone takes over the maintenance.
REQUEST A QUOTE
Tell us about the building.
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