It’s fair to assume that a lot of people don’t consider window washing one of the more exciting topics in the world, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of interesting pieces of information to be shared about the respectable trade. In this blog you will find out the origins of the delicate and surprisingly complex task of window washing, which may or may not have you thinking twice about how interesting it really is.
In the Beginning:
Like any good retrospective, it is always best to start out at the beginning. Since glass was invented, there was some kind ofwindow washer to help clean it. There is no exact date in regards to when glass was first created, it is somewhere around 2,000 BC in ancient Egypt or Mesopotamia, which is much earlier than many people originally believed. The first actual windows came much later in the mid-19th Century, which were cleaned at that time by housewives and servants with a simple bucket, cloth and water.
When the Squeegee Came Along:
Once windows became more commonplace in the late 1800’s, there became a demand for people that were skilled with cleaning them. With the simple water and cloth method, there were much less satisfactory results and only the eventual popularity of the skyscraper caused the push for a better invention to assist with window washing. Using the same technology fisherman use to scrape left over fish off of boat decks, the first squeegee was invented. While the first few iterations of the squeegee were bulky and difficult to use, an Italian immigrant named Ettore Steccone used his knowledge to create the modern day squeegee with the sharp rubber blade. The name “ Ettore” became synonymous with window washing and to this day his invention is used to create spotless windows.
Modern Day:
After the squeegee became a great success, there were many that thought a more thorough method was needed to clean more difficult and dirty windows. This is especially true for people that didn’t want to hire a team to methodically squeegee all of their windows. The invention of power washing equipment was a revelation for the window cleaning industry, allowing technicians to stay on the ground oftentimes with long poles that can spray purified water at an impressive velocity. Allowing the windows to air-dry after such an impressive power washing also guaranteed no streaks or smears, meaning this new technology produced the cleanest windows. Needless to say, despite the continued popularity of squeegees in specific situations, power washing equipment has quickly become the favorite over time.
Conclusion:
While on the surface window washing isn’t the most exciting topic in the world, there are plenty of impressive pieces of information to learn about the trade. If you need your windows cleaned, it is important that you get the best possible results and bring on the most experienced team. Ernest Windows employs a team of talented window washing specialists and care about providing you the best possible final product, so contact us today!
