[datec66]

Can any of you traditional cleaners (like u Squeaky, love your posts against WFP lol), help me with the best way to clean highlights, whether leaded, patterned or plain glass?

At the moment, I dump the scrim in the bucket, ring it out, then scrub the highlights. Sometimes it leaves marks, like white/grey stains and I don't know why. It seems to leave the stains when the scrim is dirty after a while during the day. I dump the scrim again, ring it out and it seems to work better.  My mate said that the scim must stay dry all day, as it's designed this way to soak up water. But how can a dry scrim clean the glass?

I therefore tend to use a tea towel and clean the glass highlights AGAIN to polish it off, although it's great when I finished. I suppose I'm looking to save time really and still get excellent results. It's starting to get on my nerves now as I could miss the marks 1 day and cop for it.

Is my scrim to wet causing this, I find it hard to wring it out completely.  Also, my scrims get loads of holes appearing in them after only a short while. say a 2 day week for 1 month.  Am I doing something wrong??

Cheers

Carl

[P @ F]

Try a damp scrim then a dry one

 Rich   P @ F

[gary evans]

Carl

You do what rich says, use damp scrim then dry but you must take water of after first application before it dry,s or this will also leave marks.

You can use tea cloth or buy cheap shammy leather both will do the same for this.

Also your scrim must be clean & dry or you wont be able to detail with it, the best bet is to try on your own then inspect the different methods when dry.

Gary

[Ian_Giles]

Oh dear, Your method isn't the best
For fanlights that are leaded it is far, far easier to use a hand sprayer to lightly mist the glass and then buff clean with a dry scrim, or better still a large (dry!) microfibre cloth.
As soon as your scrim or cloth gets too damp to be effective, change it for a dry one, but make sure it is a clean one and not just one you have let dry out.

Washing and rinsing out your scrim in your bucket is ok if all you are using it for is to clean the frames and sills and mopping up after you have squeegeed off the window, and if you keep washing and wringing it out you can get away with cleaning the fanlights with it, but while the glass is still damp you HAVE to buff with a clean and dry microfibre or scrim.

If your scrim is full of holes then you've worn it out, you should have a dozen or more of them at hand so that you can rotate them through the day.

When I was full time trad I could make do with 3 or 4 scrim a day.
I'd start the day with them clean and dry.
As soon as the first one got too damp to be able to detail or buff the glass dry with it became my wet scrim for the day.
The others I would rotate through the day.
The following day you start with a fresh set of clean, dry scrims.
A dozen scrim would take months and months before any holes begin to show in them.
Though were I trad only now I would have about a dozen large mocrofibre cloths and a half dozen scrim.
The scrim I would use for mopping up and wet work, the microfibre for leaded windows, georgian windows and detailing and any other glass that I wouldn't use a squeegee on.
Dump the tea towels too, it looks so unprofessional, and not remotely close to being halfway as effective as the proper equipment.

One of the best (and cheapest) window cleaning sprays to use is Tesco's own brand solution, 80p or so for 500ml. It really is very effective.

Ian

[Sir Squeaky]

Cheers Ian.
Saved me some typing.....

He's right Carl, get some Tescos spray, it's the clear one.
It's great.
Smells like booze too, I love it.

Must admit a tea looks dodgy.
At the moment I've got a big face-flannel for my mopping up (not a bright colour!).
Mops up and wrings out far better than scrim...

When I was full time trad I could make do with 3 or 4 scrim a day.

Blimey Ian, I only own one!

Cheers, Rog.

[brett walker]

Try a damp scrim then a dry one

 Rich   P @ F

spot on for best results in my opinion

Brett

[brett walker]

Carl

How long have you been window cleaning?  As many will tell you it is always best to go out with a local window cleaner, before starting your own round as its not as easy as it looks, using your wc equipment right will make your day so much easier.  Also give you the professional touch

Good luck

Brett

ps. dont turn up with a tea towel or your customers will get you drying the pots as well

[datec66]

Thanks alot guys. I'll dump the tea towel. Was going to anyway, it leaves bits of cloth or dust on the glass afterwards now. Didn't used to, so probably worn out.

I've been window cleaning for about 9 months now. Nearly all the window cleaners round here just scrim the highlights with a damp scrim, and that's it. It seems to work for them after a close up view from myself.  I've never had any problems with polishing it off afterwards, this works wonders so I'll use my microfibre instead or a dry scrim. Using microfibre for detailing at the moment, it's the business!!!!  I'll try the tescos solution too lol!!! 

Never had 1 complaint yet about my work, most say I'm the best they've ever had, just looking for a better, quicker idea that's all. Mind you, I've always been a perfectionist, this is reflected in my earnings.

I don't know how you guys get the prices you do, that's sky high compared to around here in Manchester. Maybe it's because most of the work round here is fortnightly. £3 - £4.20 a house round here fortnightly, average say £3.50- £4.  Some of you won't get out of bed for that. It sounds like you guys do them 4 weekly, charging £6 - £10 a house. Maybe that's the way I should go.  Very very hard day round here at the moment to earn £110 a day 9am - 5pm.

Thanks alot

Carl

[supernova77]

Best method to clean highlights???

Save up and buy a WFP system and use that!

It'll take half the time and give much better results.

Cue Squeaky...

 

Andy

[jeff1]

For doing the fanlight windows and for cills and frames, I wash them with the beer towls you used to find on the bars, these are not allowed on bars anymore HSE again, so go into your local pub have a pint, and ask the landlord if he has any spare. use your scrim to dry the windows and give a final buff with a nice clean dry one, no complaints in eight years.

[leander]

I'm still a trad cleaner at the moment and use 'huck' towels for most of my work i.e. detailing and leaded windows. I keep about 40 in the vehicle and 2 or 3 on me while I'm working. I use an ordinary microfibre for frames, sills etc.

[KJG]

First off, your mate is wrong. A bone dry scrim is good for nothing bar detailing. The 'proper' use for a scrim is to polish or buff glass after cleaning it with a leather, or swab (rough cloth) then leather if the glass is really dirty. Using just a scrim is called 'ragging' and is an open invitation for other window cleaners to scream cowboy at you whilst passing in their vans

The scrim should be ever so slightly damp - borderline dry. If it's new-ish, it is a bit harder to ring it out to the correct dry/dampness but nothing you can't get used to. You'll soon have very impressive Popeye style forearms and a chest to match. As for the holes, make sure you get grade 1 (one) scrim. The weave is visibly tighter and has a thicker, weighty feel to it.

If you can't be @rsed with all that, try microfibre as an alternative. I was quite surprised and found them great for leaded but make sure you get the biggest size.

[Ian_Giles]

if you have misted the glass using a hand held sprayer then you need a scrim as dry as possible due to the moisture on the glass.
If you are using a leather to clean and a scrim to buff then yes, that scrim does need to be slightly damp as the glass will be very nearly dry anyway.
But getting it 'just right' is a bit of an art, and needs a higher skill level to get a top job done.
When I first started out I was doing plate glass with this method, very hard work too!
But even on the inside of georgian pub windows it is pretty easy to get top class result using mist and buff techniques using the large microfibre cloths and [for me at any rate] the Tesco's own brand window cleaning spray.
The microfibre cloths out perform scrim by quite a margin, and the price of them has dropped to the point where you are just being penny pinching by not getting them.
Use the scrim for the rougher work, frames and sills and so on, and the microfibre for detailing and final buffing of the glass.

But a word of warning...the microfibre cloths perform best when dry, unlike a scrim you can't wring the life out of them and continue to use them for buffing to a final finish.
When they get damp [or too damp to be effective], swap for a dry one.

Ian

[Sir Squeaky]

Best method to clean highlights???

Save up and buy a WFP system and use that!

It'll take half twice the time and give much better worse results.

Cue Squeaky...

 

Andy

Absolute piffle.
My average opening light window takes about 10 seconds and it's shiny and dry.
You're in dreamland. :

[KJG]

Absolute piffle.
My average opening light window takes about 10 seconds and it's shiny and dry.
You're in dreamland. :

Squeaky: What don't you like about wfp? Is it the thing itself or is it 'some' of the new boys with little or no trad skills that smugly bang on about it.

[Sir Squeaky]

It's mainly the people banging on about it, when I know they're no quicker, have to deal with complex equipment and can't rely on decent results.

I won't usually comment on it unless it's rammed down my throat.
It's up to them.

It's just that this thread asked for the best method.
It didn't say "Can you recommend a way that I can spend hundreds of pounds to clean a tiny window?"

Cheers, Rog.

[Andrew McCann]

OK here we go.

You will probably think that I am biased towards WFP.. which in truth I am.

Doing leaded trad isn't too bad in shade or cloudy weather. We do a couple of estates with the stuck on lead. Every window has this on these estates. 300 + houses in total so I reckon I have a good idea of the best methods. Trad way: Not in direct sunlight.. damp then dry scrim works fine. In hot sunny weather it's a different story. As soon as the damp scrim is used the window goes dry. Then it's really hard to buff off. This is where the spray comes in. You have to be fast though. Spray a mist on then very quickly buff off with a microfibre. Doing the odd one or 2 like this is OK but all day and you are shattered.

Now we come to WFP... it's so much easier, especially in the hot weather its very much faster and the results really are very good. They shine like diamonds.

And you do get to deep clean them. Unlike when ragging.  Another benefit is that you arent in front of the window in the hot direct sun getting baked from behind and in front from the reflection of the sun from the window. The same goes for georgian. Its even faster on these than on leaded with the same benefits.

I am honestly talking here from experience. Not just blurting out.. get WFP.

In all honesty we used to dread the summer doing these estates. Now its a different story.


Andrew

[Sir Squeaky]

Another benefit is that you arent in front of the window in the hot direct sun getting baked from behind and in front from the reflection of the sun from the window.

So no tan then?

Unlucky!

[Andrew McCann]

LOL Squeaky   

You crack me up mate!!!!


Yup still get a tan  .... errr or is it rust from the water wat splashes everywhere 

[KJG]

...Doing leaded trad isn't too bad in shade or cloudy weather. We do a couple of estates with the stuck on lead. Every window has this on these estates. 300 + houses in total so I reckon I have a good idea of the best methods. Trad way: Not in direct sunlight.. damp then dry scrim works fine. In hot sunny weather it's a different story. As soon as the damp scrim is used the window goes dry...
Andrew

WFP is definately faster on leaded but using a leather and scrim can give good results, even in direct summer sun. Just use a wetter leather and a damper scrim.