We adapted a window-cleaning robot to use with large and tall vehicles such as trucks and SUVs and found that it works amazingly well.
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Torque News is blessed to be in the business of testing vehicles. We sometimes have the chance to test very tall and very large vehicles. You can click here to see a video of the washer in use.
One difficulty we have experienced with such very big vehicles is cleaning the windshield. Our past method was to open the front door, climb up onto the running boards, and then bend and twist to reach way over to try to clean the glass on each side. This has caused us back pain, and it is often difficult to reach the middle. We knew there must be a better way.
Car washes work perfectly, but they are expensive, and it takes a lot of time to get that done. We like to clean our windshields frequently. Using the wipers simply does not work at all. Bugs and other things are not removed by the wipers effectively. We needed a better cleaning method.
Torque News long-term vehicle tester Hande Tuncer loves gadgets and technology. She recently purchased an autonomous window-cleaning robot from Amazon. The robot uses vacuum to hold itself against a vertical window outside your home where it is hard to reach. It then uses two rotating cloth cleaning pads in conjunction with window washer fluid (like Windex or Armor All Glass Cleaner) to clean the glass very effectively.
The robot is sort of like the ones that clean your floors by themselves. Once you set it to operate, it does the job using sensors and covers all of the glass very nicely. To keep it from falling and braking, there is a safety tether one can use. The robot is not wireless, so you have to plug in its long power cord and let it go about its business. The one Dr. Tuncer purchased also did not store and dispense its own washer fluid, though those types are for sale.
The very week that Dr. Tuncer took receipt of her new window cleaning robot, I happened to have a 2024 Chevrolet Canyon ZR2 Bison lifted pickup truck for testing. Indeed, I hurt my back while climbing and leaning to wash its windshield. While watching Dr. Tuncer test the robot on a large window of our home, the little cartoon lightbulb appeared above my head. Why not put the robot to work on the truck?
Yes, It Removes Baked on Bugs
The hardest item to remove from a windshield is tree sap, and we are not sure this robot is cut out for that duty. However, tree sap is seasonal and occasional, whereas bug splatter is a three-season occurrence. The worst bug splatter is sun-baked bugs. We had exactly this scenario to test the robot on.
We started by giving the windshield a good soaking with Armor All Glass Cleaner, my personal favorite windshield cleaning product. Then we set the robot in place, and let it go. It easily removed the bugs, pollen, and road grime off the windshield. We gave the windshield a few added squirts of cleaner ahead of the robot’s path as it worked. In under five minutes, the robot did the work. You can let it work on its own. When it finishes, it simply stops and waits for you.
Robot Window Cleaning Robots - Cost and Retail Locations
We purchased our robot from Amazon for $90. It was not a sample product, and we paid full price out of pocket. Ours was made by GXXZDN and is a model TRJK. It is now out of stock, but there are many more like it for sale. Ours came with multiple re-usable cloth cleaning pads. They go in the washing machine and come out like new. Most of the other robots are priced between $130 and $230.
Conclusion - Great if You Own a Big Truck or SUV and like Clear Glass
If you have a garage or outside electrical outlet and like clear glass, a robot of this type can help you to keep your glass very clean. It is more effective than windshield wipers and does a much better job than a squeegee.
Author note: No products mentioned in this story were samples. We paid full price for each item mentioned.
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John Goreham is an experienced New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on Linkedin and follow his work at our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ Grammarly grammar and punctuation software when proofreading.
Images by John Goreham.
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