The window cleaner is a popular figure in the British psyche, immortalised by George Formby’s famous song and in a more risqué fashion by Robin Askwith’s ‘Confessions of a Window Cleaner’ film. But in an age of monumental technological progress the dependable services of the window cleaner have a new rival – self-cleaning glass.

At Brackenwood, we have been so impressed with the Pilkington Activ™ self-cleaning glass we supply to customers, that we fitted our entire showroom in Kimbell Road (opposite B&Q) with it.

Developed by internationally recognised glass experts Pilkington, Activ™ is the world’s first self-cleaning glass to utilise a microscopic coating which uses the elements of the weather to remove dirt. The first stage uses a ‘photocatalytic’ process whereby the coating reacts with daylight to break down organic dirt. The second stage is ‘hydrophilic’ – rainwater hitting the glass spreads evenly (instead of forming droplets) and removes the loosened dirt when it drains off, without leaving streaks.

There is a strong safety aspect to the use of self-cleaning windows. According to HSE statistics, Hampshire had the highest number of injuries from falls in the UK in 2004/2005, with 249 people suffering injuries at work following a fall. Self-cleaning windows are a particular benefit in hard-to-reach, largely inaccessible areas (where cleaning can be time-consuming and expensive, but which are ideal as a light source - such as skylights for example). Human intervention is rarely required, so the likelihood of potential accidents is reduced. Another benefit is that the chances of potentially environmentally damaging cleaning chemicals escaping into the local water and sewage systems are significantly reduced.

Self-cleaning glass promises significant benefits for all uses, as Brackenwood’s Managing Director David Medcraft explains: “The health and safety benefits are obvious, but also the work and effort involved with reaching and cleaning windows safely can be considerable, even with a small building.  Self-cleaning glass can bring real cost savings to homeowners and the windows are constantly cleaning any debris from themselves, rather than having to wait for manual cleaning, so in ground dirt is unable to settle. The coating also makes it quick and easy to wash off dirt if the weather is dry and unable to remove it naturally.”

Brackenwood’s Kimbell Road site has relatively difficult access from a window cleaners’ point of view (partially due to parking access on the ground level and sloping ground). Because of these challenges the building has particularly benefited from using Activ™ glass due to the high percentage window space used in its design.