Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: windows_chepstow on October 31, 2006, 09:32:26 pm

Title: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: windows_chepstow on October 31, 2006, 09:32:26 pm
I watched Mark H's Window Cleaning DVD today (I've yet to write a review of it).

Anyway, Mark H carries stuff that I don't and organises his kit much differently to mine.  I'm not implying he's right and I'm wrong, but it has got me thinking about the basics again.

I use Unger Ergotech belt kit; I like the padded belt since it doesn't cut into my waist (I must be getting fat), and I use a bucket on a belt on my left, with two Ergotech pouches; one on my right (for a dry scrim) and one on my rear for a micro-fibre in my rear pouch which I generally use as a sill cloth.  My sill cloth can get as wet and dirty as it likes, and I've used it for days on end without washing it!!!  I'll just wring it out and wash it under the odd outside tap.

I also carry a bottle of cleaning solution in my rear pouch too (to save carrying a bucket about).

I keep my two-and-a-half inch scraper in my bucket on a belt and generally use a 14 inch applicator and squeegie for my routine residental work.

The Unger Ergotech pouches also have a velcro pocket that's great for keeping your 'working list', pen,  and 'your window cleaner has been chits' in.  I used to use a 'bum bag', but that was a pain, since it's an extra bit of kit to cart about.

I wear Regatta work wear trousers; there's pockets with zips everywhere; great for keeping mobile phone, MP3 player, wallet, change and notes safe.

What trad gear do you use and how do you organise yourself?


Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: jeff1 on October 31, 2006, 09:42:38 pm
My Boss (mrs) wears the poches and the unger BOAB

But I wear a Trade coat with two rear pockets for my scrims & two front pockets for my scrims then I rotate them anti-clockwise as they get wet or dirty, also on the front of the coat it has two top pockets, one with a press stud were I keep my mobile the other I keep my wooden wedges for leveling my ladder and in front of that pocket is a small pocket were I keep my scraper. and I wear a BOAB.

I saw a plumber wearing one the other day and he bought his from the plumbers suppliers and they cost around the £40 mark.
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: pjulk on October 31, 2006, 09:44:30 pm
Two unger pouches and BOAB

Dry microfibre or scrim in one pouch
Damp scrim in the other.
Small retractable scraper in pouch pocket.
14" applicator and 12" squeegie. in BOAB.

Paul
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: DaveBrown on October 31, 2006, 09:47:40 pm
I use a webbed belt with an ettore bucket on a belt to my left hip with unger pouch at the back left for a spare scrim rolled up at the bottom and for the scrim I am using (tho its usually over my shoulder) and my phone in the small pocket, and a wide pouch at the back to the right for the sill cloth cos I found the unger pouches chaffed the skin on my hand reaching in and out all day. Must be cos of the mild green fairy liquid! :D

Dave
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: Tim Morton on October 31, 2006, 09:47:53 pm
I have a bodywarmer that carries most of my stuff. I have 2 largish front pockets that hold 1stly on the left; my "wet" scrim and my handy wedge at the base of the pocket; and the right pocket holds my dry(er) scrim, a stanley 2"scraper, unger safety scraper. I have a breast pocket that holds a mini fairy-liquid bottle with fairy type liquid in it. An inner pocket holds my docket book/ worklist.
I have a boab, but now that I'm wfp I dont use it. I have a 18", a 24" and just recently a 14" squeegy and I use a 18" applicator.

Tim
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: james cairns on October 31, 2006, 09:54:39 pm
2 unger pockets with cloths 1 unger boab and sweegee leather holster on leather belt , but the holster holds a small 2 ft pole which reduces to a foot, find this handy for reaching conservatories without getting the smal pointer out, just work with the one ladder and bucket, also handy for bottom windows just that slight bit high to reach, would not be without it

jinky
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: Pj on October 31, 2006, 10:00:56 pm
Two unger pouches and BOAB

Dry microfibre or scrim in one pouch
Damp scrim in the other.
Small retractable scraper in pouch pocket.
14" applicator and 12" squeegie. in BOAB.

Paul

I am identical!

But...mobile phone somewhere, cash in back pocket along with ID card.  And too many keys!
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: Cleaner Windows on October 31, 2006, 10:39:24 pm
atm i use a unger b.o.a.b with a 14" ergotec applicator and 14" squeegie, and also a cheap scraper in the b.o.a.b.
and a Pocket Large Cotton Drill Waterproof PVC Lined x1 with Zip from scrim city.(but want to buy the ergotec belt which most seem to have)
and i wear a pair of combats with pockets to store my mobile, list and pen etc.
i put my cash and cheques in the zip up pocket of the pocket around my waist.
keep my clean scrims in the car and the one i use over my shoulder.

basic sort of setup but i still do a damn good job, even if i do say so myself lol ;)
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: P @ F on October 31, 2006, 10:51:04 pm
Are you lot going to war ?
And people say wfp is a carry on !
If and when i do trad , and thats very rare , i carry boab ,12 " applicator , 10" blade , half a towel on left shoulder , scrim over the other .

 Oh and rocket launcher on back !   ;D

 Rich   P @ F   
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: DaveBrown on October 31, 2006, 11:00:06 pm
Is the half towel to wipe the sweat off, mate!! ;D

Dave
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: P @ F on October 31, 2006, 11:04:21 pm
I dont do sweat mate , if i  wanted to sweat i would still be working for somebody else .
I work hard but i dont bust my balls !   ;D

 Rich   P @ F
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: Pat Purcell on October 31, 2006, 11:07:31 pm
Doesnt anybody use a chamois for detailing
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: windows_chepstow on October 31, 2006, 11:09:08 pm
Doesnt anybody use a chamois for detailing

I've tried and bought quite an expensive one.

I found after it gets left in the car over a weekend; all damp; it ends up smelly and 'greasy' feeling.

They're lovely brand new though.
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: Pat Purcell on October 31, 2006, 11:45:45 pm
just wash it with fairy and wring it out its good to go again just dont leave it in the sun for the weekend,its the only thing i carry along with a sea-sponge for detailing and wipe-ups
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: mfwindowcleaner on October 31, 2006, 11:52:06 pm
1 unger pouch with Mobile pocket
1 Ergotech double holster (which is currently on its way back to unger for replacement) as it only lasted 4 weeks  :-[
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: Mr.G on October 31, 2006, 11:57:23 pm
I use a builders tool belt, with a clean scrim tucked in one pouch and a dirty one in the other, and a modified BOAB which clips onto it, and holds all my squeegees.
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: M4RK on November 01, 2006, 09:21:30 am
(Thanks Tosh for your review - Just read it.)

A lot of pouches have pockets and zips here and there, but I found that I never used them, or if I did they were too fiddly.

I found with some pouches that they get ruined aftere a while with flaky bits coming off everywhere...anyone else had that problem?

The best pouches I've ever had, (and I've had them for years now), are the ones I wear in the video. They still look like new. They are just 2 simple pvc pouches (Not PVC lined) with no frills.

Being PVC they are easy to wash out and they don't wear out. No fancy pockets etc. attached, but that's what I use the Unger bag for.

Mark
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: S_RICHARDSON on November 01, 2006, 02:45:43 pm
I Use a modified pulex boab and a special belt. I had one made by my local cobler which is two pieces of leather stitched and glued together, bit stiff at first but i've wore it in now. I have because now it doesnt twist and mishape after using my boab.

Then a double pouch for 1 wet 2 dry scrims. I then have a buildes hammer holder on the back to dry scrims on. Then i have a pouch for a scraper a pouch for spare blades some elastic for my gloves and a multi tool in another pouch.
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: s.hughes on November 01, 2006, 05:25:34 pm
Ettore boab, one pocket with seperate zipped pocket and a soap national belt. I use the wet cloth all the time so i just hang it over the applicator. I use the 18inch applicator and 16 inch blade.
I like the ettore sidekick boab but find the applicator holding part of it is not really wide enough and tends to squeese the water from the app. By the end of the day I still end up with a wet leg, does anyone else find this?
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: dai on November 01, 2006, 08:35:25 pm
Lightweight body warmer with loads of pockets, regatta or other polyester work trousers for quick drying, Unger BoB, one pvc pouch for sill cloth and chamois, one other pouch for 2 dry scrims, and my favourite piece of kit the Wagtail combi. I still can't figure why everyone doesn't use it. Dai
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: s.hughes on November 01, 2006, 09:30:11 pm
Hi dai, what do you use the wagtail for?
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: M4RK on November 01, 2006, 10:04:48 pm
Its a tool you use to mop and blade at the same time. You can use it on floors as well.

There's a promo video for it here.

http://www.windowcleaningresources.co.uk/html/window_cleaning_video_clips.html

Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: matt on November 01, 2006, 10:14:59 pm
unger belt (might be the cheaper WCW type though, i forget and have 3 on the go)

unger BoB

Unger green pouch (with the 2 small pockets in the front) 1 pocket for change 1 for pen

unger pole scraper and unger cone in main pouch with wet cill microfibre cloth

dry detailing scrim tucked into belt at the rear when WFP upstairs, when doing downstairs its over my shoulder (i dont know why people say this looks cowboy-ish ???)

Work book in rear pocket, with "windows have been cleaned " tickets in other read pocket, 2 mobiles in front pocket with wallet in the other front

MP3 Player on a cord around my neck tucked into t-shirt (thus hidden)

basic and simple, but works well ;)
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: captain lard on November 02, 2006, 02:59:25 pm
Basic Unger belt with an Unger BOAB on it plus two pouches,one for dry microfibre/scrim the other for a wet sill/frame cloth.
In me BOAB I have a 15 inch ettore sqeegee and a 10 inch unger sqeegee with a 18 inch  unger applicator.In me cargo pants have mobile ,wallet,change,pens and business cards plus me MP3 in me back pocket .
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: JM123 on November 02, 2006, 03:21:24 pm
14inch squeegee, 22inch squeegee, 18inch applicator, damp cloth, microfibre and a smith and wesson sawn off 12guage.
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: dai on November 02, 2006, 11:24:07 pm
The Wagtail combo is a dedicated one pass window cleaning tool, and less than half the weight of a backflip. That video is for something entirely different. The handle swivells in thedsame way though, making it very easy on the wrist. Dai
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: Pj on November 02, 2006, 11:35:26 pm
14inch squeegee, 22inch squeegee, 18inch applicator, damp cloth, microfibre and a smith and wesson sawn off 12guage.

Not a Magnum?
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: JM123 on November 03, 2006, 12:05:47 am
No it would melt too fast.

You talking bout the big old .44?  They really aren't that good although dirty harry had one so if its good enough for him its good enough for me.

Must get the lend of tosh's SA80 if he doesn't need it this weekend, my garrett m50 is in for a service.
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: windows_chepstow on November 03, 2006, 04:17:54 pm
No it would melt too fast.

You talking bout the big old .44?  They really aren't that good although dirty harry had one so if its good enough for him its good enough for me.

Must get the lend of tosh's SA80 if he doesn't need it this weekend, my garrett m50 is in for a service.

I spent two years at the Weapons Research Centre in Northern Ireland, just down the road from where you (JM) went to university. 

We had an example of every terrorist weapon there was, an indoor sound-proofed fireing range, where you could fire any calibre upto 7.62; but only on semi-automatic.

If you like guns, that was the job to have.  Each Friday we'd have a 'play' with some of the serviceable weapons, and I've fired just about every modern and old weapon available.

The Martini Carbine was good fun and I loved the large calibre Magnum (Dirty Harry).  It's a revolver that takes rifle amunition.  What a kick!

My favorate was the sawn off shotgun, sawn off at the butt and barell.  There's something really savage about it.

Capt Lard needs something like this, for one of his customers I think!
Title: Re: Back to basics. What do you carry on your belt kit?
Post by: M4RK on November 03, 2006, 04:42:59 pm
Remind me to stay in Tosh's good books.  :o

I carry a water pistol.