The history of window cleaning is essentially a history of glass itself. For centuries, windows were small, rare, and cleaned by servants with rags. It wasn’t until the 19th century that it transformed into the professional, “daredevil” industry we recognize today.
1. The Early Eras: Rags and Vinegar
Before windows were mass-produced, cleaning was a domestic chore rather than a trade.
- Ancient Times: The Romans were among the first to use glass for windows (around 100 AD), but the glass was thick and uneven. Servants cleaned these panels with simple water and cloth.
- The Middle Ages: Glass was a luxury. In wealthy households, servants used vinegar and water or even old newspapers (later on) to scrub away grime.
- The “Horse-Sweat” Squeegee: Interestingly, one of the earliest specialized tools was used in 5th-century Greece. It was a tool designed to scrape sweat off horses, which Greeks found was also effective at pulling water off glass.
2. The 1800s: The Birth of an Industry
The mid-19th century changed everything thanks to the Industrial Revolution.
- Mass Production: In the 1850s, Belgian chemist Ernest Solvay developed a way to make glass panes cost-effectively. Suddenly, buildings had massive glass facades.
- Professionalization: As skyscrapers began to rise in cities like Chicago and London, “housewives with rags” could no longer do the job. The first professional window cleaning companies emerged in the mid-1800s.
- The First Union: By 1887, the first cleaning trade group was formed in Berlin by Marius Moussy, marking the transition from a chore to a recognized profession.
3. 1936: The “Ettore” Revolution
Before 1936, window cleaners used heavy, bulky steel squeegees that required loosening several screws to change the rubber.
- Ettore Steccone: An Italian immigrant and window cleaner in Oakland, California, Steccone invented the modern T-shaped squeegee.
- The Design: It was made of lightweight brass with a single, sharp rubber blade. He called it “The New Deal.”
- Legacy: To this day, the “Ettore” squeegee remains the gold standard in the industry, and the design has barely changed in nearly 90 years.
4. The Era of the “Human Flies”
In the early 20th century, safety regulations were virtually non-existent.
- The Daredevils: Cleaners would walk out onto narrow ledges 40 stories up, holding onto the window frame with one hand while scrubbing with the other.
- Leather Belts: Eventually, “anchor bolts” were installed in window frames, and cleaners wore heavy leather belts to hook themselves to the building—though many still performed stunts for the crowds below.