Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Cookie on April 17, 2015, 09:00:54 pm

Title: Greyish looking UPVC
Post by: Cookie on April 17, 2015, 09:00:54 pm
Hi All,

I'm new to window cleaning and as I am slowly building a round up I am getting a lot of first cleans. Currently using a Pure Freedom trolley and a CLX-22.  I did a bungalow today and the UPVC window frames & sills looked more grey than white. When I cleaned the frames the water came down  black at first (from the seals). What are your recommendations for getting the UPVC back to white again the options I am considering at the moment are Virosol, CIF or proprietary UPVC cleaner.

Thanks,
James

Title: Re: Greyish looking UPVC
Post by: Matt. on April 17, 2015, 09:04:32 pm
All the ones you have mentioned would do the job.
Title: Re: Greyish looking UPVC
Post by: JSMC on April 17, 2015, 10:08:49 pm
to be honest just get the dirt from them. plastics age n fade through time. To be getting them back to white  would take time and charge well for it fella.
Title: Re: Greyish looking UPVC
Post by: chris turner on April 17, 2015, 10:32:40 pm
If it's on a bungalow what I would is soak a cloth in pure cif cream, run it around all the frames then wash with pure water.
Virasol will not remove the stains from upvc, pure cif will.
Title: Re: Greyish looking UPVC
Post by: CleanClear on April 17, 2015, 10:33:38 pm
Hi All,

I'm new to window cleaning and as I am slowly building a round up I am getting a lot of first cleans. Currently using a Pure Freedom trolley and a CLX-22.  I did a bungalow today and the UPVC window frames & sills looked more grey than white. When I cleaned the frames the water came down  black at first (from the seals). What are your recommendations for getting the UPVC back to white again the options I am considering at the moment are Virosol, CIF or proprietary UPVC cleaner.

Thanks,
James

CIF is great as is UPVC cleaner, they're both labour intensive though. Never used Virosol so i don't know. Anyway they'll clean up the UPVC. Not sure how you're going to get around black running off seals. In my experience this is because they have degraded and they always do it. So new seals ?
Title: Re: Greyish looking UPVC
Post by: Matt. on April 18, 2015, 05:26:33 am
Out the 3 cif  would be first to try, this will bring them up spot less, big squirt into microfibre cloth and rub it all over the frames, open the window while doing it, or you will see were you have missed, but don't get it on bricks and everywhere, and wen done that damp cloth over it rubbing it into all corners and frames. Keep cleaning ur cloths out and going over it a few times til all stains have vanished.

 virosol will remove any stains moss and things, it's good but won't bring frames back to White it's mainly used to help loosen the ground in dirt, to make the job easier.



Upvc cleaner, or solvent cleaner is again ok, I used this to remove cement, or anything stuck solid, cleaned a tiled staircase after builders left it covered in cement, recently.
Title: Re: Greyish looking UPVC
Post by: Cookie on April 18, 2015, 07:07:39 am
Thanks all for your advice. I'll give CIF a go.
Title: Re: Greyish looking UPVC
Post by: SeanK on April 18, 2015, 03:10:27 pm
Firstly you need to make sure  you leave nothing that drips from the seals or you will end up with runs and spotting.
Trying to restore upvc frames can be time consuming and to be honest at times it can be unsuccessful no matter what you
use. More hassle than its worth.
I find that most frames improve over time just by the rubbing of the brush against them so that's what I tell the customer.
My own frames had went slightly greyish before I started cleaning them with pure they are now nice and white again
took about 30 or so cleans to get them this way.


Title: Re: Greyish looking UPVC
Post by: Richard Stevenson on April 18, 2015, 05:30:42 pm
Plastics natural colour is grey, in the manufacturing process they put colour in. The grey you see wil never return to white. When the seals bleed black this because oil is used in making rubber, its the oil coming out, i have never seen it stop bleeding once it starts.  Sorry to be negative.
Title: Re: Greyish looking UPVC
Post by: Cookie on April 19, 2015, 09:27:28 am
Thanks guys for the feedback. I'll discuss this with the customer & let them decide!