Water fed poles have been around the window cleaning industry for a while now, but have not been fully adopted by window cleaners yet. Many of them use the poles, but a lot of window cleaners don't make the switch due to cost, unwillingness to learn the technique or simply they prefer ladder work.
A water fed pole allows window cleaners to clean mid range windows from the ground, via a telescopic pole with a brush on the end. A thin hose runs either around the outside of the pole, or through the center and pushes a stream of water from two or more nozzles in the brush head. The water fed pole does use more water than traditional cleaning methods, but in Australia a water restriction exemption is easily attainable due to the safety benefits using this system provides.
To reduce water waste use a thin micro bore hose around 5mm which reduces water flow and increases pressure. Using a standard garden hose will use more water for the same level of pressure an also significantly increase the weight of the pole.
The windows are cleaned by pre-soaking, then scrubbing the glass with the brush head and finally rinsing the glass with water. This method is just as effective as the traditional squeegee and washer combination, but is much safer. Any window between 2 - 4 stories can comfortably be cleaned, but even higher floors can be reached. The current record for water fed pole cleaning is 88ft from the ground.
These poles can also be used with a De Ionize or Reverse Osmosis water filtration systems to produce mineral free water that attracts dirt away from the glass leaving it cleaner for longer periods. A de-ionize filtration system uses a resin inside a tank to attract the impurities of the water so the water that leaves the tank is 100% pure water and better for cleaning.
If you do not like climbing ladders or are worried about the safety aspects, a water fed pole is an effective solution and it completely eliminates the risk of falling from a ladder or any high point.
