Glossary of window-cleaning robots
Every technical term used on our product pages and in our filters, explained in one sentence. We use the same terms throughout the site: if a word trips you up while filtering window-cleaning robots, you'll find its definition here.
- Power supply during cleaning
- Manufacturer's intended use
- Compatible surfaces
- Indoor / outdoor cleaning
- Window compatibility
- Spraying
- Control
- Safety features
- Scrubbing system
- Cleaning modes
Power supply during cleaning
Determines how the robot receives power while cleaning, affecting where you can use it and whether a power cable limits its movement.
- Cordless
- Runs on an onboard battery without a power cable during cleaning, so you can work away from outlets but must recharge between sessions.
- Mains-powered
- Needs a connection to an electrical outlet during cleaning, so cable reach affects which windows you can clean.
- Powered by the station's battery via a cable
- Receives power through a cable from a battery in its station, letting you clean away from an outlet while remaining connected to the station.
Manufacturer's intended use
Indicates the type of work the manufacturer designed the robot for, helping you judge whether it suits your cleaning routine.
- Household
- Designed for cleaning windows around the home, with suitability for frequent or demanding work depending on the manufacturer's guidance.
- Professional
- Designed for use in cleaning work as a business, with the manufacturer's guidance defining the workload and conditions it can handle.
Compatible surfaces
Identifies which materials the robot can safely clean, helping you avoid surfaces where it could lose its grip or cause damage.
- Mirrors
- Allows cleaning of mirror glass, provided the mirror's dimensions, edges, and mounting meet the robot's requirements.
- Tiles
- Allows cleaning of suitable tiled surfaces, provided their texture and grout joints do not interfere with the robot's grip or movement.
Indoor / outdoor cleaning
Indicates where the robot is approved to clean, helping you choose it for the exposure and conditions around your windows.
- Indoor
- Suitable for cleaning the room-facing side of windows, where the robot is sheltered from outdoor weather.
- Outdoor
- Suitable for cleaning the exterior side of windows within the manufacturer's weather limits and with the required fall protection.
Window compatibility
Determines whether the robot can navigate your window's edge design safely, helping you avoid glass it cannot reliably detect or stay on.
- Framed
- Suitable for windows with a surrounding frame that forms a physical boundary the robot can detect as it moves across the glass.
- Frameless
- Suitable for glass without a surrounding frame, using edge detection to help the robot avoid moving beyond the pane.
Spraying
Determines how cleaning liquid reaches the glass, affecting how much manual wetting is needed and how moisture is distributed.
- Automatic
- Dispenses cleaning liquid during the cleaning cycle, reducing the need to stop and wet the glass or pads by hand.
- Dual spray
- Uses separate spray outlets to spread cleaning liquid across the glass, with coverage depending on their placement and operation.
- Ultrasonic
- Uses ultrasonic vibrations to turn cleaning liquid into a fine mist that moistens the glass for wiping.
Control
Determines how you start, stop, and guide the robot, affecting how easily you can adjust cleaning while it is on the glass.
- Remote control
- Lets you start, stop, or guide the robot with a handheld controller, so you can adjust cleaning without reaching the device.
- App
- A phone app lets you control the robot and adjust available cleaning settings without reaching the device.
Safety features
Safety features help reduce the risk of falls or alert you to problems that need attention during cleaning.
- UPS backup battery
- A backup battery temporarily maintains suction if external power fails, giving you time to retrieve the robot.
- Safety rope
- A tether attached to a secure anchor helps catch the robot if it loses its grip on the glass.
- Edge detection
- Sensors detect where the glass ends so the robot can change direction before moving beyond the edge.
Scrubbing system
The way the robot moves its cleaning material against the glass affects how it loosens and removes dirt.
- Rotating pads
- Spinning cleaning pads rub against the glass to loosen dirt as the robot travels across the window.
- Cloth moved by the robot's motion
- The robot drags a cleaning cloth across the glass as it travels, using its movement to wipe away dirt.
- Vibrating cloth
- A cloth moves rapidly back and forth against the glass to help loosen dirt while the robot cleans.
Cleaning modes
Available cleaning routines let you adapt the robot's coverage and cleaning effort to the condition of the glass.
- Quick
- A shorter cleaning routine handles light surface dirt when the window does not need extensive cleaning.
- Deep cleaning
- A more thorough routine spends extra cleaning effort on the glass to help remove stubborn dirt.
- Edges
- A dedicated routine focuses cleaning along the window's perimeter to help remove dirt near the edges.
- Selected area
- This setting limits cleaning to a chosen section of the window so you can focus on the area that needs attention.
- Spot cleaning
- This setting concentrates cleaning on a small patch of glass to tackle a localized mark or dirty spot.