External and facade cleaning removes dirt, algae, staining and pollution from the outside of a building and its hard surfaces. Optus Glean UK delivers it nationwide - facades, cladding, render, signage and hard standing - using pressure washing, gentler softwash methods and safe high-level access, with COSHH-assessed products and DBS-checked, PAYE-employed operatives.
What external cleaning covers
The exterior of a building is its first impression and takes the brunt of weather, pollution and biological growth. External cleaning restores it: facade and cladding washing, render and brickwork, signage and canopies, entrances and glazing surrounds, and hard surfaces such as car parks, forecourts, paving and bin stores. Method is matched to the surface - a soft render or coated cladding needs a low-pressure softwash, while robust hard standing suits pressure washing.
External cleaning is part of our specialist surface and access work and pairs with window cleaning, pressure washing and gutter and solar-panel cleaning for a complete building exterior in one visit.
Pressure washing vs softwashing
Not every surface should be blasted. Pressure washing uses high-pressure water for durable hard surfaces - paving, forecourts, concrete. Softwashing uses low pressure with a biocidal solution to kill algae, lichen and moss at the root on delicate or coated surfaces like render, cladding and roofs, without driving water behind panels or damaging finishes. Choosing correctly protects the building; our pressure washing page covers hard-surface work in detail.
Working at height, safely
Facade work is usually work at height, which is tightly regulated. We follow the HSE Work at Height Regulations 2005 hierarchy: avoid working at height where reasonably practicable, then prevent falls with the right access equipment (reach-and-wash poles, MEWPs or access systems), and only then mitigate - never selecting harnesses as a first choice. See our working at height for cleaners guide; every job runs to a method statement and risk assessment. For upper-storey glass we also offer high-level cleaning.
Chemicals, run-off and the environment
Biocides and cleaning chemicals used outdoors must be controlled - both for safety and to protect drains and planting. Every product is COSHH-assessed, dilution and contact times are followed, and run-off is managed responsibly. Operatives use appropriate PPE and work to documented method statements.
Directly-employed teams, one national contract
Building frontages and estates rarely sit in one place. Optus Glean UK is the national alternative: one contract, one documented standard, and the same PAYE-employed, DBS-checked (Disclosure Scotland / AccessNI in Scotland and Northern Ireland) teams cleaning exteriors across every site - alongside your routine commercial cleaning.
Matching external cleaning method to surface
| Surface | Method | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Paving, forecourts, hard standing | Pressure washing | Durable surfaces tolerate high pressure |
| Render, coated cladding, roofs | Softwash (low pressure + biocide) | Kills growth at the root without damage |
| Facades, signage, canopies | Softwash / reach-and-wash | Gentle, from safe ground-based access |
| Upper-storey glass | High-level access / reach-and-wash | Work at height controlled to HSE hierarchy |