Do Cleaning Drones Work? Before & After Photos

Do drones really clean as well as a crew on a lift?

The most common objection we hear from building owners and contractors is simple: a drone can't possibly get it as clean. The concern makes sense. Most people picture a toy drone with a spray bottle, not a drone specially built for the job.

So instead of arguing, we asked our operators for their before-and-after photos. Every photo below was taken on a paid job, from the same position, before the drone flew and after it landed. We did not retouch any of the "after" images.

At a glance

Yes, cleaning drones work. Apellix drones clean water towers, warehouses, silos, roofs, cruise ships, and office buildings with results comparable to lift and rope-access crews, and they do it faster, at lower cost, and with no one working at height. The 14 jobs above were all done by Apellix operators on real jobs.

8 days → 1 day: Drone Clean UK cleaned a multi-story UK warehouse in 1 day with an Apellix drone, a job that previously took 8 days with lifts. The client saved 20%.
11 days → 11 hours: An Apellix operator cleaned the Raymond James headquarters in 11 hours, on a project that used to take 11 days.
$113,000 saved: The City of North Liberty, Iowa, was quoted $160,000 to clean its four water towers. It bought a $47,000 Apellix drone and cleaned them itself.
9 stories in 2 days: Drone Shine Cleaning washed nine stories of a University of Florida building in 2 days with an Apellix drone, with no lifts or scaffolding.
150 feet with no one at height: WM Softwash cleaned a 150-foot water tower in New Hudson, Michigan, with an Apellix drone, using no scaffolding and no crew in the air.
Proven worldwide: Apellix operators work in 21 countries across 5 continents, on jobs ranging from Bimbo Bakeries silos in Argentina to the Aurora cruise ship in Southampton.
How it works: An Apellix drone is tethered to a ground pump for continuous water and cleaning solution. Its patented flight control holds a fixed distance from the surface, so coverage stays even.Before and after: real Apellix jobs

Before and afters

Industrial Warehouse in the United Kingdom Cleaned by Apellix Operator Drone Clean UK

Drone Clean UK used an Apellix drone to clean this multi-story metal warehouse in 1 day, a job that previously took 8 days with lift equipment. The client avoided a week of disruption and saved 20% compared with cleaning the traditional way.

Before image of a dark green and black metal warehouse wall that is several stories tall. After picture of the same wall that is now white.

Before: metal is dark green with black spots. After: White metal.

2. Windows for the Aurora Cruise Ship (Carnival Cruise) in Southampton, UK Cleaned by Apellix Operator Drone Clean UK

Drone Clean UK used an Apellix drone to clean the exterior and windows of the Aurora in port in Southampton, with no lift staged on the dock.

Before is a picture through a window that is highly spotted and difficult to see through. The after picture is clear and spotless.

3. 112-foot Cross at Christian Fellowship in Leesville, Louisiana Cleaned by Apellix Operator Flywash Drone

Flywash Drone cleaned this 112-foot cross with an Apellix drone, and no one left the ground. The drone removed mold, black spotting, and grime all the way down to the base.

Before shows a dark gray base with scribbles and hand prints. After shows a clean white pole.

Before picture has dark mold and black spots on the bottom of the cross. After image is white.

4. Residential Roofs in Orlando, Florida Cleaned by Apellix Operator Wash Me Fly

Wash Me Fly used an Apellix drone to soft wash these red tile roofs, removing algae, mold, mildew, and dirt. Soft washing uses low pressure, so the tile isn't damaged and no one has to walk on the roof.

Before picture is a dark mildew on a red tile roof. After picture is a red tile roof with no black mold.

Before picture is a red tile roof that looks black. After picture there is no more dark mildew and the roof is a soft orange.

Before picture is a large mansion with dark roofs. After picture the mansion has a clean red tile roof.

5. ASDA (British Supermarket) Warehouse in the United Kingdom Cleaned by Apellix Operator Drone Clean UK

Drone Clean UK flew an Apellix drone over the delivery bays to reach the top of this ASDA warehouse, an area that's hard to get a lift to. The mid-flight shot shows the difference: the drone-cleaned side is white, and the uncleaned side is still streaked.

Here you see the drone mid flight and the left side (drone cleaned) is white and the right side has many dark streaks going the length of the building.

6. Commercial Water Tower in New Hudson, Michigan Cleaned by Apellix Operator WM Softwash

WM Softwash cleaned this 150-foot water tower with an Apellix drone, using no scaffolding and no crew at height. The mildew on the bottom of the tower is completely gone.

7. Water Tower in North Liberty, Iowa Cleaned by Apellix Operator the City of North Liberty, Iowa

North Liberty was quoted $40,000 per tower to clean its four water towers, $160,000 in total. Instead, the city bought a $47,000 Apellix drone and cleaned the towers itself, saving $113,000.

Before picture shows very dark mildew that covers the entire bottom of the water tower. The after picture has no streaks and a white bottom for the water tower.

8. City of Grandville Above Ground Storage Tank Cleaned by Apellix Operator WM Softwash

WM Softwash used an Apellix drone to clean the City of Grandville's above ground tank. Multiple near-black stripes of mildew running down the tank came off completely.

The before picture has very dark, almost black, vertical stripes of mildew on the water tower. The after is a fully white water tower.

9. High-reach Industrial Silo in Florida Cleaned by Apellix Operator Drone Shine Cleaning

Drone Shine Cleaning soft washed this industrial silo with an Apellix drone, with no lifts, ladders, or heavy machinery. The full height of the structure came back to clean white.

The before picture is a grain silo with mildew on the right and horizontal mildew stains. The after shot of the silo is pure white.

10. High-reach Industrial Silos in Argentina Cleaned by Apellix Operator Drone Clean Argentina

In September 2025, Drone Clean Argentina used an Apellix B1 drone to clean three industrial silos for Bimbo Bakeries. The dark streaking along the silo walls was removed completely.

The before picture has dark grey streaks on the left side. The after picture is pure white silos.

11. University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida Cleaned by Apellix Operator Drone Shine Cleaning

Drone Shine Cleaning washed nine stories of this University of Florida building with an Apellix drone over 2 days, with no lifts or scaffolding.

The before building is dark. The after picture shows pale beige building.

12. Hotel Window Ledges in Orlando, Florida Cleaned by Apellix Operator Drone Shine

Drone Shine Cleaning used an Apellix drone to soft wash heavy green algae off these hotel window ledges, with no lift and no scaffold.

The before picture has lots of green mold on a window ledge. The after image shows the building without the mold.

13. Office Park in Orlando, Florida Cleaned by Apellix Operator Wash Me Fly

Wash Me Fly cleaned this office park with an Apellix drone, removing the gray vertical streaks from the facade.

The before picture is a white building with grey vertical streaking. The after image is pure white.

14. Office Park in Jacksonville, Florida Cleaned by Apellix Operator AirX

AirX used an Apellix drone to clear years of exterior buildup from this office complex, including the mold that collects along the tops of the balconies.

The before image shows mold growing on balconies, with the mold clustered on the top of the balcony. The after pictures have no mold.

Frequently asked questions

Do drone pressure washing results last as long as traditional cleaning? Yes, when the same cleaning agent is used. How long a surface stays clean depends on the cleaning agent and the climate, not on whether a drone or a person applied it.

Can a drone clean a roof without damaging it? Yes. Apellix drones support soft washing, which uses low pressure and cleaning solutions instead of high pressure, and is the method most roofing manufacturers recommend for algae and lichen. Click here to read a case study on roof cleaning with Apellix drones.

How fast is drone cleaning compared to a lift or rope access crew? In this case study, an Apellix operator cleaned the Raymond James HQ in 11 hours with an Apellix drone for a project that used to take 11 days. Click here to read about how Apellix drone cleaning caused a 90% reduction in project duration in the Raymond James case study.

Is drone cleaning safer? Yes. The operator stays on the ground, so nobody works at height. Falls are consistently among the leading causes of construction worker deaths in OSHA data.

Who operates Apellix cleaning drones? Independent cleaning contractors and facility teams, including the University of Florida, Universal Studios, Drone Clean UK, Drone Clean Argentina, Wash Me Fly, Drone Shine Cleaning, WM Softwash, the City of North Liberty Iowa, etc. Every Apellix pilot completes Apellix Academy and hands-on training before their drone ships.

Where are Apellix drones made? Apellix drones are 100% U.S.-made in Jacksonville, Florida, and are NDAA-compliant.

About Apellix

Apellix’ Power Wash Drone is the most widely deployed commercial cleaning drone worldwide, with active operators in 21 countries across 5 continents as of 2026. Founded in 2014, Apellix designs and manufactures autonomous drones for power washing, spray painting, inspection, and building maintenance. Apellix has National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) compliant systems, employs disabled veterans, and is flown by the U.S. Army.

See it for yourself. Book a live demo.

Have your own before-and-after? Send it to press@apellix.com and we may feature you.

Do Cleaning Drones Actually Work? Before-and-After Photos from Apellix Operators