Euromast - Rotterdam, Netherlands

Kärcher cleans Euromast in Rotterdam

Euromast has been a landmark of the Dutch port city of Rotterdam for over 50 years. The famous observation tower is exposed to harmful air pollution due to the high volume of traffic in its surrounding area as well as extreme weather conditions. Its 50th anniversary celebrations in 2010 were the perfect opportunity for Kärcher to clean the skyscraper as part of its cultural sponsorship programme.

Euromast is made of different materials, which react differently both to dirt and cleaning. From tests carried out at the start, it quickly became apparent that the stubborn dirt could not withstand high-pressure warm water. The top part, consisting of iron covered with industrial paint, and the bottom part, made of concrete, were therefore relatively easy to clean this way.

The overhanging sections, however, had suffered heavily from the fumes from diesel-powered furnaces from times gone by. Hard, encrusted dirt had formed over a long period of time due to the chemical reaction of the sulphur with the concrete. Four hot-water high-pressure cleaners with an output of 1,000 litres of water per hour, a pressure of 200 bar and a temperature of 75°C were used on Euromast. Kärcher placed the high-pressure cleaners on the middle level at the same height as the restaurant and the viewing platform. Water and electricity were fed up to that point so that the giant construction could be cleaned from top to bottom from that position. A total of 500 metres of high-pressure hose was used to do this.

Thanks to the perfect combination of gentle cleaning methods, water pressure and temperature, long-term cleaning results were achieved without the addition of any chemicals.