Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Jays Window Cleaning on February 06, 2017, 11:14:37 am
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I manged to injure my back slip disc between l4 and l5 at work cleaning WFP .
My fault totally unders a lot of pressure to get work done in December turnt up at a job early usually Street laps are on so I manged to clean the building fine no problems. This particular morning they weren't on 6am . I could see but not great . Got the hump and started the clean because of being in a mood I quickly pulled the pole away from the 3rd floor window and bang there you had it pain in lower back. I'm still in pain today working here and there . Adapting van so I can help my back heal im going to get a power up reel and a slx 25 with super light brush. Ive always used clx s .I'm off for the next 2 weeks resting . Are there any of you that have had simular injures or suffer from back problems WFP ? I won't do that again in a hurry "
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Had a bad back on and off since my early 20s when I did heavy manual labour for about 10 years.
Since then it gets set off my all sorts if things. Gym, riding bike and just lofting stuff wrong.
I find wfp gets my neck shoulders and upper back doesn't really affect the lower back. My lower back tends to get it from pressure washing or gutter vaccing. Obviously once my back is injured the wfp won't help.
I couldnt work with a clx all day. I have an slx and I don't think that's light enough. I really want an extreme next
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i used to sometimes strain my back when landscape gardening many years ago but never hurt my back using wfp.i dont know how you can.the work is a doddle compared to landscape gardening(which can be hard manual labour).
waving a very light pole around and occasionally reeling in/out here and there is easy compared to all the other work ive ever done(farm work,plant nursery work, etc)
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I was looking at getting an extreme . Surely the light the stuff is the better it is on your back .. maybe it was after winding the hose reel in that I did it . So annoying with back problems you can't always identify what did it . I'm thinking power up reel set up to arm height will help . And I might just pay that extra for a lighter pole. I've read the blue microbore is light too may go for that drop the gardiners tap to taped to the pole and get a uni value . Up until l now I've never had a back problem .
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i used to sometimes strain my back when landscape gardening many years ago but never hurt my back using wfp.i dont know how you can.the work is a doddle compared to landscape gardening(which can be hard manual labour).
waving a very light pole around and occasionally reeling in/out here and there is easy compared to all the other work ive ever done(farm work,plant nursery work, etc)
Totally understand that daz I use to do heavy labour and never had a problem with my back . That's the reason I asked to see if it's common on not as I never dreamt of it happening WFP .
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I had worse back problems from cleaning windows with ladders for thirty years than from wfp thankfully. Used to have several weeks off each year because of it until I made the switch to wfp. My problems manifested in the form of bad muscle spasms in my lower back which totally incapacitated me and produced pain similar to that felt from a herniated disc (slipped disc) with the exception that it heals quicker. I was usually laid up for a week to ten days before I was able to work and even then I was still in some pain. But I found that exercise though painful would help the recovery.
I still get muscle spasms from time to time but they tend to be more in the upper back, shoulders and occasionally the neck but seldom stop me working. The same rule applies. Exercise helps the recovery. 12-24 hours and the pain is gone usually. Standing still, gives me more problems than working now. Fortunately that's not something I often do.
I work with the lightest kit I can. My current pole is an Xtreme 22 combined with an Ultimate brush
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I've been WFP since 2010 and never have had this problem maybe it's not the WFP.
But I went out last Monday and after a few jobs i was in agony had to go home lay up . I found the higher level windows easier to clean then the bottom ones . It's mainly when I rinse side to side I've got to some how make sure I don't twist coz that's when it hurts .
Going to have a look at the extremes poles .
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I've had physio only this morning on my back. Mine started after I'd had a record day. I dropped my wallet and straghtened up too fast after picking it up. I used a wheelbarrow after that. These days I rarely get trouble as most customers pay online. I find googleberrys and yoghurt for breakfast washed down with soya milk and tofu sandwhiches help. I also go to the gym eight days a week and play the castanets.
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I wish I had that problem dave ...... lol you made me laugh so hard I made my back hurt. You definitely put a smile on my face back pain really gets me down .
You forgot you do the window cleaning courses too .
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Well i was off work for around 7 months a couple of years ago due to a herniated disk and because of the sciatica pain it caused i was so doped up on painkillers (and morphine at 1 point) i didn't even like answering the phone to customers (although i did have a conversation and play along once for 45 min with some scam call telling me i had a virus on my computer ;D )
I even began to think at the time that i may be forced into quieting window cleaning altogether. This made me really examine the way i worked and the type of work i was doing. After a nerve root block injection and hours of physio i managed to slowly over the rest of that year get back into the swing of things, however i did change the poles i use (to extremes from slx,s) i got a hose reel that i could fit in the van at waist height so no bending down to reel in (and anything else i could think off to make my working life as easy as possible) and completely stopped all the add on work like gutter cleaning, conservatory roofs etc and just stick to 100% window cleaning.
These days i'm back at it as normal but still can suffer from time to time a little pain but nothing like it was and it doesn't effect my work and i personally believe stopping all the add on work has been the key, although there was extra money from them , since i started focusing solely on the window cleaning i would say i haven't lost out money wise and can earn just as much from windows now as i could before doing add ons and without putting physical pressure on my back from bending, lifting gutter poles and so on.
I'm 45 now and no matter who you are your body weakens as you get older and especially with backs they will never be the same again once you have suffered a slipped / herniated disk and constantly adding unnecessary pressure on it will only shorten its life span in regards to it possibly getting to the point where you are severely restricted to the work you can do, so my advice would be to really start to think if your in this game for many years to come, how to make your working day as simple as possible even if you have to outlay a load of money to make it like that and just be really mindful of how you work.
i would also highly recommend regular physio even though sometimes i feel i dont need it i still do it, i believe prevention is the best cure anymore.
My back went when i bent down to to pick up the cored for the vacuum ::)roll although 3-4 years lifting an omnitrolly out of the van probably didnt help and the fact i used to take the hosereel out the van once i went van mount didn't help either.
Just my humble opinion on the subject
and after all that waffle I am now going to order my power up hd reel from wcw :D
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P1w1 I had the exactly the same thing the meds im on are made ne feel excatly tbe same way . had physio and it made it worst had to go hospital had bad numbness I'm tops of both legs . Consultant said don't do anything for 2 weeks. So why I'm off I'm working out how to move forward with my injury equipment wise and set up . Your post has been very helpful. I am going to drop all the add ons gutters, fascis,con roofs I'm looking at the gardiners xstreme pole but you can't use a uni value with them . Going to order a power up reel but don't know which hose to get ? I've read the blue micro bore hose is the lightest . The yellow microbore I've used for years is only good for a few months then it coils so easy .
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My back issues improved once I fixed my reel. Lifting it in and out of the van was a considerable strain.
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Its a slow recovery, mine were l1 and i think s1 and s2 (there the nerve parts) it actually started 3-4 months before slowly the extreme sciatic pain started and lots of pain killers it just slowly got worse and worse but the nerve root block helped completely although these things can last 2 months or 10 years its all down to the individual. i was told like you not to do any bending lifting that could worsen it but to do lots of walking (this helped my back to not stiffen up) which i did say 20 mins here and there every day and it did help, dont just lay in bed etc resting it as that could make it worse.
It really is an individual thing were everyone is different in regards to recovery, like now i feel fit enough to do gutter cleaning and all the add ons but i know i risk undoing all the good thats been done i would never want that pain again for the sake of a few extra quid.
I wish you all the best mate and a quick recovery but just remember it will not be the same again so dont go taking risks bud. I donated a kidney to my brother about 5 years ago and that was a walk in the park in compared to the back issues and sciatic pain i had.
You could be back on your feet within a couple of weeks just because your back went on that day doesn't mean that the problem wasnt already there you just did something to trigger it off.
Not trying to worry you ;D ,my specialist did say after my scan that i did have a severe herniation probably worse then what most can get . Just remember in future to bend those knees ;D
All the best mate.
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Alright Jay I have had back probs most of my life, well since early twenties, nothing thats ever stopped me working for more than couple of days, never had slipped disc though, have had a disc apparently shoot out and hit nerves but went back in, i collapsed and struggled to walk a few steps for a while, funny thing is my lower back only starts to hurt when i stop work for longer than a day. I have all the usual pains from wfp, neck, shoulder and wrist.
One thing I can advise about when lower back pain, keep moving even if really slowly, if you lye down for to long gets worse.
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P1w1 I had the exactly the same thing the meds im on are made ne feel excatly tbe same way . had physio and it made it worst had to go hospital had bad numbness I'm tops of both legs . Consultant said don't do anything for 2 weeks. So why I'm off I'm working out how to move forward with my injury equipment wise and set up . Your post has been very helpful. I am going to drop all the add ons gutters, fascis,con roofs I'm looking at the gardiners xstreme pole but you can't use a uni value with them . Going to order a power up reel but don't know which hose to get ? I've read the blue micro bore hose is the lightest . The yellow microbore I've used for years is only good for a few months then it coils so easy .
You can't use a univalve with a extreme?
That can't be right?
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P1w1 I had the exactly the same thing the meds im on are made ne feel excatly tbe same way . had physio and it made it worst had to go hospital had bad numbness I'm tops of both legs . Consultant said don't do anything for 2 weeks. So why I'm off I'm working out how to move forward with my injury equipment wise and set up . Your post has been very helpful. I am going to drop all the add ons gutters, fascis,con roofs I'm looking at the gardiners xstreme pole but you can't use a uni value with them . Going to order a power up reel but don't know which hose to get ? I've read the blue micro bore hose is the lightest . The yellow microbore I've used for years is only good for a few months then it coils so easy .
You can't use a univalve with a extreme?
That can't be right?
maybe getting mixed up with the aqua adapter
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yes you can use xtreme poles with uni- valves mate.
microbore,xtreme poles,light brushes and leave the reel fixed in the van if your want an easier working day.
best wishes
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not direct from wfp but yes i have a back problem ;D ;D ;D ;D,
two metal rods and six screw into spine in between my shoulder blades from a RTA
Recovery to help me work again was Pilates and a load of physio which is still on going,
helpful way had a Extreme pole for day to day work,had to give away high work that strained me back and fixed reels and slowly winding the hose in have all help.which now going to a power up reel to help even more,
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Cheers fellas you really have helped me out a lot . I asked about the uni value as in the description on gardiners site it's says
We do not recommend the use of an Aquadapter or similar devices on Xtreme Poles - select our pole flow valve option if required
But if you guys are using them then I'm going with the uni value.
Fellas thanks again for your advise and support . I'm not on here much cause I'm always working and have a wife and 4 children that keeps me busy. I've been on this forum for quite a few years Thanks to the help I have had on this forum I got my business to where it is today.
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Cheers fellas you really have helped me out a lot . I asked about the uni value as in the description on gardiners site it's says
We do not recommend the use of an Aquadapter or similar devices on Xtreme Poles - select our pole flow valve option if required
But if you guys are using them then I'm going with the uni value.
Fellas thanks again for your advise and support . I'm not on here much cause I'm always working and have a wife and 4 children that keeps me busy. I've been on this forum for quite a few years Thanks to the help I have had on this forum I got my business to where it is today.
Jay Have left a link for the Gardiner goose neck valve on the uni valve thread, it might be a better option for your needs.
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Daz I've always had my hose reel fitted inside my van . Never would I keep lifting it in and out the van all day that is heading for back trouble and taking up more time. I still see guys doing this I can't understand it, you want to try make things easier not harder for yourself.
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Thank you dry clean . Much appreciated
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I gotta say it as I find it here I'm afraid.
As much as I like Gardiner's products and even the Gooseneck valve, I don't recommend the Gooseneck valve on the Xtreme poles. Whereas it works well on the stronger SLX and CLX poles, it requires lateral force on the pole in order to operate it otherwise the brush will just flip over on the glass. This is no issue for the Xtreme poles when using them collapsed or partially extended, but when fully extended or near fully extended I believe it is a big issue. I broke a perfectly good 2 year old SLX18 in December when my Gooseneck valve stuck and without thinking I applied a little more pressure to the pole to keep the brush down whilst I tried to open it.
The Univalve is a far better option on the Xtremes in my opinion as it requires no lateral force whatsoever on the pole to operate.
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After reading through the care for your pole guide I realised you have got to look after them really well as they are quite a delicate pole . I totally understand what your saying there . I did have an aqua tap before I think that's what it was called simular thing you twisted it to turn flow on or off . Now when I first got mine it was stiff and needed a lot of force to twist so that use to do my head in . Then eventually not that long after it was so loose it would swing side to side. I also don't like the fact that you have to push you brush on the frame or sill to turn it off. All to much messing about for me . I'm gonna go with the uni valve , extreme 22 and a power up electric hose reel. I'm gonna get that ordered
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I replaced my Broken SLX with an Xtreme 22. I'ts a very nice pole. You'll love it too I'm sure.
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Since having my neck surgery I've never looked back.