Do Self-Cleaning Windows Really Exist?
Self-cleaning windows are relatively new to the market. These windows contain glass with a special photocatalytic coating. It is made by chemically bonding and integrating a microscopically-thin surface layer to the exterior surface of clear glass. The integrated coating reacts to the suns ultraviolet rays to gradually and continuously break down organic dirt through what is called a photocatalytic effect. In other words, photocatalytic means that the active integrated coating on the outside of the glass absorbs the suns ultraviolet rays. This causes a reaction on the surface which breaks down dirt and loosens it from the glass. This type of glass also has hydrophilic properties, meaning that rain flows down the pane as a sheet, washing away the dirt instead of, as with normal glass, leaving the dirt behind. As a result of these two effects, the special self-cleaning coating keeps the glass cleaner for a longer period in applications where it is exposed to the rain. In dry climates suc
