ECOVACS, cited as the No. 1 Brand in Global Home Robotics by Forbes China in 2026, today released survey results ranking Scottsdale, Arizona, as the U.S. city with the dirtiest windows. Twenty-nine percent of Scottsdale respondents described their windows as somewhat or very dirty, followed by Portland, Oregon (24%) and Chicago (20%). The findings point to a broader pattern: dirty windows are common across the country, people notice them and often feel embarrassed, and window cleaning remains a chore many Americans keep putting off.
“Americans clearly want clean windows, but window cleaning is time-consuming, physically demanding and difficult to do safely for a lot of people,” said Michelle Jones, associate brand marketing director at ECOVACS Americas. “That gap between what people want and what they’re actually able to get done is why we commissioned this research.”
The Dirtiest Windows in America
ECOVACS surveyed U.S. adults on the condition of their windows and ranked cities by the share of respondents who described their windows as somewhat or very dirty:
- Scottsdale: 29%
- Portland: 24%
- Chicago: 20%
- Las Vegas: 18%
- Los Angeles: 18%
- Seattle: 17%
- San Francisco: 16%
- San Diego: 15%
- New York: 14%
- Miami: 9%
Wanting Clean Windows, Not Getting Them
Nationally, 61% of respondents said they would ideally like their windows cleaned at least once a month. Only 38% actually clean the outside of their windows that often, compared with 54% for the inside. Twenty-six percent clean their exterior windows just once a year, and 10% never clean them.
Exterior Windows Going Long Stretches Uncleaned
The gap between what people want and what they actually do shows up at the city level, too. Chicago ranked highest for infrequent exterior cleaning, with 48% of respondents saying they clean their outside windows only once a year or never, followed by Portland (44%), Seattle (43%), Las Vegas (42%) and Scottsdale (39%). In several of the same cities that rank among the dirtiest, exterior windows also go the longest stretches between cleanings, so the perception numbers and the cleaning-frequency numbers point in the same direction.
A Chore People Hide From
Dirty windows carry a social cost for many respondents. Thirty-nine percent said they have hidden dirty windows from guests at least once, and another 23% said they have considered doing so. Twenty-nine percent said someone has pointed out that their windows were dirty. Just 1% said they see no need to clean their windows at all.
A Chore Consumers Want Automated
Window cleaning ranked as the top household chore respondents would most like to automate, chosen by 35% of respondents ahead of vacuuming, laundry and mopping. ECOVACS pioneered the robotic window cleaner, launching its first model in China in 2011 and in the U.S. in 2013, when no other brand saw the need for one. The company has since introduced a string of firsts in window-cleaning robotics, including the first portable power pack, the first self-cleaning station, the first edge scrubbers, mini-sized models and anti-fall safety technology. Today, WINBOT holds 73% of the U.S. robotic window cleaner market year to date, with its models taking the top six best-selling spots on Amazon. WINBOT is built to meet the exact demand this survey identified.
Survey Methodology
The survey was conducted online by Propeller Insights on behalf of ECOVACS between Aug. 28 and Sept. 13, 2026, among 1,063 U.S. adults ages 25 and older with annual household incomes of $80,000 or more who live in homes with glass windows. Respondents opted into online research panels and were targeted based on demographics, with additional targeting across select U.S. cities. Respondents also self-identified in the survey to verify their qualifications. The maximum margin of sampling error for the overall sample is +/- 3 percentage points at a 95% level of confidence.
