Ungers 9000 Years Of Glass

Unger looks back at 9000 years of glass & how window cleaning originated.

The history of window cleaning: 9,000 years of glass - The material glass looks back on a nine thousand year old history. From prehistoric beginnings via handicraft and manufactu­ring, it found its way into industrial production. With the cost-effective production of glass, the commercial window cleaning industry was also finally born.

Glass is one of the oldest materials around. The discovery of glass date back to the Stone Age, around 7,000 BC. The organized production of glass in the form of jewelry and small jugs began in Egypt approximately four millennia later.

Only in 1861, did the Belgian chemist Ernest Solvay introduce the material to wide circles of the population with the cost-effective production of glass. Suddenly, countless office buildings, train stations, administrative buildings and ministries were equipped with massive window facades.

This laid the foundation for the commercial window cleaning industry. Frenchman Marius Moussy founded the French Cleaning Institute in Berlin in 1878. In other cities, Moussy’s former employees started up their own busines­ses. In 1901, the Federation of German Cleaning Institute Entrepreneurs was finally founded. The Göttingen publisher Ernst Kelterborn also published the first trade journal: the International Paper for Cleaning Institutes and Related Lines of Business. The industry experienced enormous growth.  Read more...

Also read: Window Cleaners In Days Of Yore

The first 150 up-and-coming pros who get in touch with us will receive a free Unger starter kit for window cleaning. All apprentices in the building cleaning trade and all participants in the JEZ competition can take part. Simply fill out the online form at here.

The first 150 entries will receive a window cleaning starter kit from Unger, worth over 40 euros. Each set contains a professional 18-litre bucket, a top of the range 35 cm ErgoTec Squeegee, and a 35cm ErgoTec Washer with a microfiber sleeve.

The reason we’re doing this? Sustainability is and remains an important issue in the building cleaning trade. Unger is well aware of its responsibility to future generations and is supporting the JEZ Award as a sponsor for the third year in a row.

Clean magazine not only provides young, up-and-coming pros with an exciting, industry-specific presentation platform; they can also discover fun application tips and insider tricks for using ergonomic and ecological cleaning tools.