Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110

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Qleen cleaning: far easier than it looks!

One of the things John and I love about exhibitions is that we get to try out the products rather than just talk about them, so when the opportunity arose to try the German-built Lehmann Qleen Pure Water Cleaning System for use on solar panels, we both had a go.

Although the cleaning head looked quite cumbersome, once it was up on the panel it was really easy to manoeuvre and its impressive size means you can clean a large area very quickly. A slight twist of the tube mirrors the action of the wrist of a cleaner using, say, a squeegee, in as much as it will angle the head to whichever extent the user requires, to facilitate the efficient cleaning of narrower panels and into the corners... very clever that!

Hanns Supthut explained that the Lehmann system for the treatment of water to make it 'pure' and the working technique(PuraQleen) was granted the European award for innovation in 2005 and that the Qleen Pure Water Cleaning System is a further development of this system.
"Soft rainwater is not suitable for cleaning solar panels, but even less suitable is normal tap water. It contains all the substances that are absolutely not wanted on a surface," he warned. "Calcium carbonate and other minerals leave stains and film on the surface. Under extreme conditions, calcium carbonate can even burn into the glass. Besides, drying is slow and the wet surface will attract new dust and hold it.
"That's why professionals use only 'pure' water (sometimes called 'clean', 'deionised' or 'demineralised' water) to clean glass and solar power units."

Hanns explained that the water is made directly from tap water in the mobile PuraQleen station. The tap water runs through a filtering substrate (blending bed), that absorbs minerals such as calcium carbonate and magnesia sulphates etc, which results in pure water that provides an excellent cleaning. It:

* offers very good removal of dirt
* bonds dirt immediately and washes it away quickly
* has high wetting ability and dries quickly to leave a streak-free surface - even under direct sun
* ensures that treated surfaces remain clean for much longer, so cleaning is needed less often
* is environmentally safe since no detergents are needed

"The high and environmentally safe cleaning power of the original PuraQleen technique has brought a development stimulus with regard to cleaning glass and solar power units and is the core of the Qleen systems produced by Lehmann," explained Hanns.

"The mobile stations are radio-controlled. They are available in di?erent sizes - practical for every task. They are also suitable for fitting into automobiles, trailers etc.

"Individual configurations are possible at any time. If the cleaning task is bigger, several stations can be connected and radio-controlled.
"The 'long arms' or QleenPoles, allow working distances of up to 20m, dependant on the height of the eaves and the reachable operating distance. They consist of single elements made from ultra-light carbon (157 cm) or titanium (TitanLight - 150 cm). They can be connected and locked with a little turn, while water or current supplies are fastened by Velcro fasteners.

"There is also a selection of various 'intelligent' tools. Depending on the intensity of staining, various cleaning heads can be fastened to the top of the QleenPoles. The newest trend is RotaQleen - an electrically operated brush that provides very good cleaning power, due to rotation and its dead load. It glides automatically on the surface, to save a lot of power and time. The specially arranged bristles clean edges and frame elements more thoroughly and help maintain value."

T: + 49 (0) 3981 48850
E: [email protected]
W: www.lewi.de

30th May 2013