photo Karcher GmbH & Co, via KOMO

Via Kottke.org, some astounding photos of the Space Needle getting it’s first bath in decades. Further perpetuating local stereotypes, the wash is even chemical-free; so don’t worry about getting soap in your eyes if you’re strolling under the Needle during the clean-up:

… the crews aren’t using any soap. That’s because what they spray up ends up going down to the Seattle Center and the EMP. Splotches of grime run from the beams under the restaurant all the way down to the base.

“We don’t intend to spray waste water with detergent on them. So we just use pure water. And this is quite challenging because the dirt on the surface is really stubborn,” said Frank Schad with Karcher. [komo]

Cleaning an icon is a high-profile enough that the company, Karcher GmbH & Co.) is doing the work for free. According to KOMO, the Space Needle is only paying for rope technicians through a subcontract.