Adding a hydrophobic agent to the cleaning agent allows drones to clean glass without watermarks.

2026-08-13 10:04:10

In drone‑based glass curtain wall cleaning operations, adding a hydrophobic agent to the cleaning agent effectively addresses the practical challenge of water marks and water stains left after air‑drying, since manual water‑scraping is not feasible at height.

When ordinary cleaning agents are sprayed onto glass by drones, they can wash away dust, oil stains and limescale. However, the rinsing water spreads and adheres to the glass surface. Without manual water collection or scraping at height, the water mixed with airborne dust and salt evaporates naturally, leaving streaky water marks and white spots. The surface may look acceptable right after cleaning, yet stains emerge once the glass dries completely. Rework at height is extremely troublesome, which has long limited the final cleaning performance of drone cleaning.

By blending a hydrophobic agent into the cleaning solution, the drone can complete both decontamination and film‑forming in one single spray pass. While the cleaning agent breaks down and removes various contaminants from glass, the hydrophobic agent acts on the surface to alter its surface tension. Rinsing water condenses into water beads and rolls off directly instead of forming a continuous water film. This minimizes residual moisture and greatly reduces the likelihood of water‑mark formation.

A comparison between before‑and‑after cleaning visuals shows: before treatment, the glass is covered with dirt and old water marks with greatly reduced light transmittance. After drone spraying of the cleaning agent mixed with hydrophobic agent, contaminants are thoroughly removed. The glass dries naturally to a bright, spot‑free finish with no obvious water marks or white residues.

This method eliminates the need for two separate spraying steps and post‑cleaning separate hydrophobic‑agent application. One‑pass operation delivers both cleaning and hydrophobic effects, cutting down repeated drone flights and improving working efficiency for high‑altitude jobs. The formed hydrophobic surface also helps resist dust adhesion. Raindrops can wash away loose surface dust and keep the glass clean for longer periods.

Fully‑automated high‑altitude drone operations avoid safety risks associated with human working at height and adapt to complex building facades. The cleaning agent with added hydrophobic agent compensates for the lack of manual water‑scraping in drone cleaning. Non‑corrosive to glass and aluminium curtain‑wall profiles, this solution is suitable for glass curtain‑wall cleaning in office buildings, commercial complexes, hotels, high‑rise residences and other building types.