Watch as The Mitchell Library in Glasgow receives a satisfying clean

The Mitchell Library in Glasgow has received a jet wash. placeholder image
The Mitchell Library in Glasgow has received a jet wash. | Jim - stock.adobe.com

Which other buildings in Scotland need this treatment?

If you’re among those who enjoy watching videos of pressure washer cleanings online, then the transformation of this Glasgow building is sure to satisfy.

The city’s Mitchell Library has received a deep clean with all of the progress and results captured on camera.

The video shows workers as they blast and clean the bricks until they sparkle again, getting rid of decades of grime and build up.

This iteration of The Mitchell Library first opened its doors in 1911 and was designed by William B Whitie. One of Europe’s largest public libraries, it is home to more than one million items.

Bringing new life to the old building, special attention is paid to Wisdom, the statue above the North Street entrance, which was created in the early 1900s by Johan Keller.

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Glasgow City Archives

No stone is left unturned - or in this case unclean - with the dedicated workers seen using equipment such as cherry pickers and even abseiling from the top of the building to ensure no spot is missed.

Courtesy of a partnership between Secret Glasgow and Listerine, the work on The Mitchell Library - which overlooks the M8 motorway - began on July 1.

The work was part of a multi-building project which also includes the former Bermondsey town hall in London. The organisers of the cleans do highlight that mouthwash definitely isn’t used in the restoration of these buildings.

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