Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Danno90 on March 24, 2022, 03:19:22 pm
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Hey all.
So I'm looking to start up my own small window cleaning business (had to quit my old job due to mental health/anxiety and such).
As most people do when starting out (I assume) I've bought myself a cheap "beginners kit" to practise on windows at home, however I'm noticing some issues.
Yeah, I know it's probably a mix of impatience, inexperience, and tool quality (what do they say about bad workmen again?!)
Squeegee I'm using is very basic stainless steel, but seems to not be applying enough pressure against the glass, particularly at the ends. The pre-fitted rubber has about a 6mm portion sticking out either end of the channel, so not only is the squeegee not gliding over the glass smoothly, but also leaving all sorts of drag marks.
Could also be because our windows haven's been cleaned in a decade since our own window cleaner pulled a no-show after a few visits, so just general grime build up.
Any ideas? Do steel channels need end clips like I've seen on the brass ones? Do I need to modify the rubber/channel? etc
And before anyone says, no I haven't got the money to splash out on water fed kit ::)roll
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just go on youtube ,theres lots of traditional window cleaning videos .
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What make of squeegee is it?
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just go on youtube ,theres lots of traditional window cleaning videos .
I have. Almost too many! Working my way through and thinking the pre-fitted rubber is to blame, too long and also needs to be broken in?
What make of squeegee is it?
Bayer. Yeah, not the best I know as they're mainly for general janitorial products...
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What area are you in.
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What area are you in.
Bournemouth, down on the south coast
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If your squeegee is dragging a lot on the glass it could be because the water you're using isn't soapy enough. As for the squeegee leaving lines and marks this is probably a combination of inexperience, the current sunny weather and possibly a poor quality rubber. When it's hot you'll usually get lines from the squeegee to some degree unless your rubber is very new. Just keep a microfibre or scrim cloth at the ready to quickly wipe them off before they dry. (When doing so in strong sun just wipe with a finger through the cloth, don't put the whole cloth on the glass or it will leave fibres).
In terms of the quality of the rubber itself I personally find that Unger 3 star rubber or the blue/turquoise colour one from Moerman is good in that they last a little longer than many of the others.
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You’ve got a tough job in Bournemouth all the windows are Bifocal 🤣🤣,in all seriousness don’t start off with a Liquidator I would buy from the Unger range and go for the S channels that are slightly dog eared.
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And Razor red rubbers the best squeegee to learn on is a 10” but I would get a 14” also and a 6” for smaller windows or top openers.
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just go on youtube ,theres lots of traditional window cleaning videos .
I have. Almost too many! Working my way through and thinking the pre-fitted rubber is to blame, too long and also needs to be broken in?
What make of squeegee is it?
Bayer. Yeah, not the best I know as they're mainly for general janitorial products...
There's the problem, rubbish squeegee and more than likely rubbish rubber in it too...go with some of the recommendations above.
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You’ve got a tough job in Bournemouth all the windows are Bifocal 🤣🤣
Bifocal windows? Is that some sort of trade speak that stands for something?
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Have a look at Trad Man on youtube - OK so he may not be perfect and a bit biased on kit but some of his videos are very good.
If it's a budget kit from a diy store or screwfix then it's probably 'domestic quality' and naff!!!!
Unger stuff is generally good quality.
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The windows are bifocal in Bournemouth because it’s full of old people like most South Coastal towns lol,Tradman is the man to watch for advise but don’t start off with a liquidator squeegee.
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What ever squeegee rubber you use, 6mm overhang either end is too much.
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Have a look at Trad Man on youtube - OK so he may not be perfect and a bit biased on kit but some of his videos are very good.
If it's a budget kit from a diy store or screwfix then it's probably 'domestic quality' and naff!!!!
Unger stuff is generally good quality.
Screwfix do Unger products.
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The windows are bifocal in Bournemouth because it’s full of old people like most South Coastal towns lol,Tradman is the man to watch for advise but don’t start off with a liquidator squeegee.
Ah yeah. Deffo God's waiting room haha
Yeah been watching a few of Trad Man's vids, but sort of switch off when he starts going on about advanced kit and why xyz is best - blatantly been paid to push (or pull!) Moerman haha
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Best off getting a basic wfp trolly syastem
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The windows are bifocal in Bournemouth because it’s full of old people like most South Coastal towns lol,Tradman is the man to watch for advise but don’t start off with a liquidator squeegee.
Ah yeah. Deffo God's waiting room haha
Yeah been watching a few of Trad Man's vids, but sort of switch off when he starts going on about advanced kit and why xyz is best - blatantly been paid to push (or pull!) Moerman haha
Look at his early vids as not as much promotion of kit!!!
To be honest if you are switching off when he's talking kit then maybe window cleaning isn't for you ;) Window cleaning is quite a repetitive job, so you might need a higher boredom threshold ;D
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Look at his early vids as not as much promotion of kit!!!
To be honest if you are switching off when he's talking kit then maybe window cleaning isn't for you ;) Window cleaning is quite a repetitive job, so you might need a higher boredom threshold ;D
I think it's just when he starts talking about advanced tools - "use this because it's better than what you've used before" - but I've got nothing to compare it too! It's a hands on job, so need to get stuck in to see for myself what the problems are.
Don't get me wrong, I'm sure some of the kit he's showing is good stuff.
TBH from what I've seen so far, it's less repetitive than my previous two jobs which is good enough for me - checkout cashier/customer service in a supermarket for 7 years, then 4 1/2 in a call centre explaining why people's car insurance has gone up when I didn't even know fully myself.
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The windows are bifocal in Bournemouth because it’s full of old people like most South Coastal towns lol,Tradman is the man to watch for advise but don’t start off with a liquidator squeegee.
Ah yeah. Deffo God's waiting room haha
Yeah been watching a few of Trad Man's vids, but sort of switch off when he starts going on about advanced kit and why xyz is best - blatantly been paid to push (or pull!) Moerman haha
Look at his early vids as not as much promotion of kit!!!
To be honest if you are switching off when he's talking kit then maybe window cleaning isn't for you ;) Window cleaning is quite a repetitive job, so you might need a higher boredom threshold ;D
Nicely said
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The windows are bifocal in Bournemouth because it’s full of old people like most South Coastal towns lol,Tradman is the man to watch for advise but don’t start off with a liquidator squeegee.
Ah yeah. Deffo God's waiting room haha
Yeah been watching a few of Trad Man's vids, but sort of switch off when he starts going on about advanced kit and why xyz is best - blatantly been paid to push (or pull!) Moerman haha
Look at his early vids as not as much promotion of kit!!!
To be honest if you are switching off when he's talking kit then maybe window cleaning isn't for you ;) Window cleaning is quite a repetitive job, so you might need a higher boredom threshold ;D
Nicely said
Window cleaning isn't the most mentally stimulating of jobs. It's lovely to be out in the open air and sunshine in summer, but the winter months can be challenging, especially for those who have got used to working in a warm office.
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This is what I did 14 years ago and not having any knowledge about window cleaning ,I sat in front of my PC and researched everything about how to start a window cleaning business and how to build a profitable round,the way forward for me was to canvass,canvass,drop leaflets,advertise in local parish mag,all gained me customers but by far canvassing worked best for me.
I understand you have limited funds but please hear me out,when I was doing my research before starting I soon realised that the the window cleaners that were busy and were earning good money were all wfd,so I would suggest that you throw that trad gear in the bin !if your serious about building a business borrow some money for van and set up and the get canvassing.
Some guys will disagree with what I'm saying,but it worked for me .
Good luck
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I see nothing wrong with starting out trad - easy way to get the feel for it before going into a nice easy cruise with wfp - it appears he is having no issues getting customers which is a big part of the job but you also need to invest in the right equipment, which at the moment he has not - Im not saying spun£ 20k on an ionics system - just get recognised equipment like Unger for trad - gardeners, x-line or streamline for water fed pole - a trolley is good - but if poss get a cheap van and install a system - your learning from the ground up.
my only concern with the op is already he's making assumptions about videos and equipment instead of investigating and soaking up the knowledge on these videos
Has an old hand - they are boring and predictable as nigels posts - but for a noob - watch, learn and practice
Darran
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The windows are bifocal in Bournemouth because it’s full of old people like most South Coastal towns lol,Tradman is the man to watch for advise but don’t start off with a liquidator squeegee.
Ah yeah. Deffo God's waiting room haha
Yeah been watching a few of Trad Man's vids, but sort of switch off when he starts going on about advanced kit and why xyz is best - blatantly been paid to push (or pull!) Moerman haha
Look at his early vids as not as much promotion of kit!!!
To be honest if you are switching off when he's talking kit then maybe window cleaning isn't for you ;) Window cleaning is quite a repetitive job, so you might need a higher boredom threshold ;D
Nicely said
Window cleaning isn't the most mentally stimulating of jobs. It's lovely to be out in the open air and sunshine in summer, but the winter months can be challenging, especially for those who have got used to working in a warm office.
See, I don't mind being out in the cold, wet/damp etc at all. 8 - 10 hour long fishing trips at all times of year kinda hardens you up, (even if you don't catch much!).
I figure there's enough variety in window cleaning for me - even if once my round's established it is the same houses every 5 - 8 weeks, it's not the same 4 walls you're staring at from the same desk every day of the week.
I guess when it comes to practical things I prefer to learn through doing more than just watching/listening. Would rather see for myself the benefits/drawbacks of a certain piece of kit rather than just be told.
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I see nothing wrong with starting out trad - easy way to get the feel for it before going into a nice easy cruise with wfp - it appears he is having no issues getting customers which is a big part of the job but you also need to invest in the right equipment, which at the moment he has not - Im not saying spun£ 20k on an ionics system - just get recognised equipment like Unger for trad - gardeners, x-line or streamline for water fed pole - a trolley is good - but if poss get a cheap van and install a system - your learning from the ground up.
my only concern with the op is already he's making assumptions about videos and equipment instead of investigating and soaking up the knowledge on these videos
Has an old hand - they are boring and predictable as nigels posts - but for a noob - watch, learn and practice
Darran
Sorry, I think I may have worded it all a bit "not quite right".
It's not the "this is a squeegee" talk I lose interest in. It's the "this is the xyz squeegee which is better than the previous abc squeegee" - as a newbie I've nothing to compare it to myself until I've done the whole trial and error thing.
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Ettore squeegees mate. They're what you want.
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I'm in Bournemouth you cheeky whatnits!
It's not all Bifocal shop windows...what about the ramps, plenty of ramps ;D
If you want a hand learning to trad, look me up on Google: Peter Robinson Window Cleaning.
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Yeah ramps and anything soft to eat like ice cream and donuts 🍩 🤣 tbh as far as trad gear goes Ungers range is the best at the moment it suits all from beginners to the experienced.
Moreman stuff is good for pole work as you don’t need to detail the top and side edges and they only work at all with copious amounts of detergent.
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That’s called experience - and your being given an opportunity to avoid mistakes by going straight to better equipment from the experience of others
Darran
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I would avoid the Moreman squeegees I remember watching old skool window cleaner on YouTube trying to use one when he first started,painful to watch.
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It's not the "this is a squeegee" talk I lose interest in. It's the "this is the xyz squeegee which is better than the previous abc squeegee" - as a newbie I've nothing to compare it to myself until I've done the whole trial and error thing.
The problem is trial and error costs £££. It is really difficult to judge kit when you are in experienced even when it's in your hands. You don't know if it's a technique you need to learn or a poor tool. One of the other problems is it's not the actual cost of the tool it's the p&p that starts mounting up when you just want the odd tool.
While you will learn by trial and error get a good overview of kit from as many sources as possible then make your own informed judgement.
Personally I started wfp about 12 months ago - customers for last 9 months. However I did buy moerman kit to learn trad. There will be many people who say don't start with moerman but in my opinion why learn with 1 tool then switch to another where the technique is a little different to what you have just learned? I do very very little trad, only the very odd interior window where a custy asks specifically or 1 where 2 old sash windows leak like a sieve and are awaiting replacements.
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A Moreman tool is not a beginners tool even in the most capable hands it can be a nightmare I would go straight to an Unger S plus a 14”-10”-6” with a 14” washer and learn how to squeegee properly.
The technique you need for a Moreman is totally different you need to use very shallow arcs or it will look like someone’s gone over the glass with a sharp knife when it dries from turn marks.
Cut the rubber blade to the edges so it only just goes over the ends that’ll give you something to start working with.
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Starting trad isn’t a bad thing all window cleaners imo should be efficient with traditional tools,this business is full of people that haven’t a clue with a squeegee and you are limiting yourself to what you can clean sometimes it’s a pleasure to do a bit of traditional work as long as it doesn’t interfere with earnings over the pole.
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Day 2 update with a second attempt (after some much needed further research! and sleep coz micro-analysing what I was doing was getting me nowhere in the end).
Have tried the same windows again as yesterday (still not managed the whole house, just picked the easiest windows while I practise initially).
Have trimmed the rubber, played around with squeegee-to-glass angle, grip on the handle, and pressure.
Getting slightly better results than yesterday, but tbh definitely need to spend a bit more £ as there's only so much cheap gear can do.
So thank you all very much for your input and advise. Given me lots to think about moving forwards :)
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I'm in Bournemouth you cheeky whatnits!
It's not all Bifocal shop windows...what about the ramps, plenty of ramps ;D
If you want a hand learning to trad, look me up on Google: Peter Robinson Window Cleaning.
Will definitely keep this in mind, thanks :)
And yeah, ramps... and hand rails!
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You need to keep the squeegee moving as soon as it stops you’ll leave a line,that first turn at the top of the window is the part I always go up and half back over again that’s usually the section of the window you’ll leave a turn mark.
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Day 2 update with a second attempt (after some much needed further research! and sleep coz micro-analysing what I was doing was getting me nowhere in the end).
Have tried the same windows again as yesterday (still not managed the whole house, just picked the easiest windows while I practise initially).
Have trimmed the rubber, played around with squeegee-to-glass angle, grip on the handle, and pressure.
Getting slightly better results than yesterday, but tbh definitely need to spend a bit more £ as there's only so much cheap gear can do.
So thank you all very much for your input and advise. Given me lots to think about moving forwards :)
Wait til you have to squeegee off a ladder, left handed as well as right handed 😀😀
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The best tutorial I’ve ever seen on YouTube was by the bloke that owns D&A components he sells the bronze wool,honestly well worth a look he explains cleaning a window traditionally in the best way possible very similar to how I work with a blade.
You will see no need for Moreman squeegees to achieve great results in the same time,I don’t care what anyone says you need to detail to some degree even if it’s a very small amount.
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Then there is the choice between hard and soft rubber!
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So will be getting the Unger Ergo-Tec S Channel 10 inch complete squeegee (with whatever rubber comes in it from WCW) and also the Unger Power rubber and RazrBlade red - should be ok for now?
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you can get unger stuff from either screw fix or toolstation , toolstation do squeegee handles for 7.50 and channels for 5 . t bar with moonson sleeve 12.50 .
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you can get unger stuff from either screw fix or toolstation , toolstation do squeegee handles for 7.50 and channels for 5 . t bar with moonson sleeve 12.50 .
It looks like Screwfix and Toolstation are stopping selling Unger stuff as Screwfix don't show channel and Toolstation have very limited stock!!
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Hi Danno. I'm same as you just starting out. I'm learning hard way but lots of help on here found it very useful. I spent money on things like unger ninja. What a load of s##t my best is one I bought from poundland bent the ends a bit and basically stops so much detailing. Im only doing trad on bottoms and built my own wfp for less that 100. I made it with a 15ft Aluminium decorators pole £15 from b and q of course as I move forward and get more jobs I will get better gear but for a start up business you can do it cheap. All this if formation is online if you look. Buying my water it my biggest expense even over desial.
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screwfix have been stocking unger stuff for years they have loads of channels on there site
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screwfix have been stocking unger stuff for years they have loads of channels on there site
Very true but they are listed as 'Low Price' which usually means they are discontinuing the items! I hope not as they are handy in an emergency.
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Look up on utube diy wfp by wagga this is what I use. I work full time and do weekends and my brother in law helps me so to pay him I don't earn but its my 3 year plan that keeps me going