What Is High Level Cleaning?

Out of reach usually means out of mind. Nobody sees the top of a beam or the dust on a light fitting from day to day, so these jobs rarely make it onto a cleaning schedule. Slowly, the dust and cobwebs build up until you can see them from the floor and by then it’s a bigger job than it needed to be.

A simple test is whether your team could reach the surface from the floor without climbing. If they couldn’t, it’s a high level job. It needs its own equipment and planning, so we treat it as its own service. Our high level cleaning service handles both the inside and the outside of your building, so you can arrange everything in one go.

Our high level internal cleaning looks after the parts of a building your team can’t reach. That’s ceilings and exposed beams, plus the dust that collects on light fittings and the accessible surfaces of vents. We also clean high-level windows and glass panels, as well as chandeliers and high-level interior wall surfaces.

It suits warehouses, industrial units, large commercial spaces and tall entrance lobbies. In spaces this tall, high ceilings cleaning needs specialist equipment, as ordinary tools simply won’t reach.

A SkyVac is a vacuum that works from the ground. It’s fitted to extendable poles, so the cleaning head reaches the ceiling or beam while the operator stays on the floor. We use SkyVac equipment and high-powered vacuums for high level dusting in tall spaces.

The outside of a building needs just as much care and our high level external cleaning is part of the same service as the internal work. Gutters are the usual starting point. Clearing debris and blockages helps water drain away and lowers the risk of water damage. Overflow can also leave damp on the walls below, which is one reason gutters should be cleaned regularly on commercial properties. Our gutter cleaning is for commercial premises only.

High windows are the next job. We handle high level window cleaning inside and out as part of our window cleaning service. Beyond the glass, we clean exterior surfaces such as signs and cladding, lifting off moss and algae. For larger sites, we also take on industrial high-level cleaning.

The simplest way to tell them apart is to ask where the work happens and what it protects. This table shows how the two compare.

Inside work shapes how the space feels to staff and visitors. Outside work looks after the building itself and the first impression it makes on arrival. Many sites need both, so it helps to plan them together and have the visit organised just once.

Safe work at height follows an order of priority set by the HSE’s work at height guidance:

1. Avoid work at height where you reasonably can. Tools that clean from the floor, such as the SkyVac, mean the operator can stay on the ground, which is why they suit work at height cleaning so well.
2.  If you can’t avoid it, prevent falls with a safe place to work or the right equipment.
3. If a risk remains, reduce the distance and the harm of any fall.
4. Keep ladders for light work of short duration. The HSE puts the limit at 30 minutes at a time and warns against resting one on weak surfaces such as glazing or plastic gutters, which matters most on external jobs.

If a risk remains, reduce the distance and the harm of any fall.

Keep ladders for light work of short duration. The HSE puts the limit at 30 minutes at a time and warns against resting one on weak surfaces such as glazing or plastic gutters, which matters most on external jobs.

The Work at Height Regulations apply to employers and to anyone who controls work at height, so it’s natural to want reassurance when you book a contractor. So is high level cleaning safe? When it’s planned well, yes. We plan every job around safety from the start, working through the steps above and thinking about how high the work is and who will be working, so you can feel confident leaving the details to us.

The benefits of high level cleaning start with the space people spend their day in. Clean ceilings and light fittings make a workplace feel looked after and visitors and customers notice that straight away. In warehouses and industrial units, keeping hard to reach areas free of dust also makes for a cleaner, healthier place for the people working below.

Outside, the benefit is protection. Clear gutters keep water moving away from the building and surfaces free of moss and algae stay in better condition. Gutters that overflow onto walkways can also create a slip hazard and the HSE has helpful guidance on slips and trips.

Planning is the third benefit. Regular visits mean small problems get dealt with before they turn into reactive call-outs and the work can be scheduled around your working hours instead of being squeezed in at short notice.

Warehouses and factories are the obvious fit, as dust and debris build up on beams and lighting in both. We look after both settings through our warehouse and factory cleaning, with high level work available where it’s needed. The two aren’t identical, as whether warehouse cleaning is the same as factory cleaning depends on how each site works.

Beyond those, high level cleaning suits any commercial building with areas the team can’t reach:

• Industrial units, where tall ceilings and overhead fittings sit well out of reach.
• Offices and entrance lobbies with high ceilings, where the space is the first thing visitors see.
• Large commercial spaces, where ceilings and light fittings are too high to reach from the floor.
• Commercial buildings with high windows, gutters or exterior surfaces to look after.
• Any site where nobody can remember when the ceiling was last cleaned.

If you’re not sure whether your building fits, tell us about it and we’ll help you decide.

They’re two separate services, but they overlap. Our deep cleaning includes high dusting and ceiling fan cleaning, which reaches surfaces such as light fixtures and vents. For work beyond that, such as beams or the outside of the building, high level cleaning is the service to book.

Many customers start with commercial deep cleaning to give the building a fresh start, high level areas included and then move to a regular contract. Our commercial cleaning services keep everyday surfaces looking right from there.

These questions help you compare contractors fairly and they’re handy to keep on file for your next supplier review:

• Can you provide a risk assessment and method statement (a written plan of how the work will be done)?
• How will the work at height be carried out and is it avoided where possible?
• Who will be doing the work and how are they trained?
• What insurance do you hold and can I see the detail?
• How will the job be planned around our working hours?

A good contractor will be happy to answer all of them. A written risk assessment and method statement shows they’ve thought about your building before they arrive and a clear answer on training tells you who will be on site. The insurance question is simply good practice and it’s much easier to ask before the work starts than after.

There’s no single price for high level cleaning, as every building is different. The size of the building and the height of the areas both matter, as do their condition and whether the job is inside, outside or both. That’s why the easiest route to a clear figure is to tell us what you’ve got.

It helps to mention the type of building, which areas you’d like cleaned and roughly how high they sit. Our get a quote form lets you choose the service and the frequency you have in mind, so you can say what you need from the start.

How often it’s needed depends on the building, but there are sensible starting points. As a general guide, a dusty industrial site such as a warehouse or factory often suits a visit every three months, while an office with high ceilings or a tall entrance lobby may only need one or two a year. Gutters usually need attention at least once a year and autumn, once the leaves have fallen, is a sensible time to clear them before the wetter months. Your own building might sit outside those, so a site visit or a chat about your premises is the best way to agree a plan that suits you.

High level cleaning looks after the parts of a building that everyday cleaning can’t reach, from ceilings and beams inside to gutters and cladding outside. Done regularly, it keeps the space looking cared for, protects the building itself and cuts down on reactive call-outs. Safety comes first throughout, with each job planned around the HSE’s steps of avoiding work at height where possible, preventing falls and reducing the harm of any that happen. The right plan depends on the size and height of your building, which is why every job starts with a conversation.

Thinking about high level internal and external cleaning, or a deep clean that includes it? Tell us about your building through our get a quote form, including the areas you’d like cleaned and roughly how high they sit and we’ll help you plan the right visit for your premises.