Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Clear Vision on January 14, 2007, 10:18:02 pm
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Hi,
I have been asked to clean a few large houses and they all have small square pannes of glass. The client demands a good job from day 1! I explained how wfp works and he agrees to give it a go.
On 2 of the houses the the paintwork is in very good condition so I can't see a problem with flakey paint! They have been cleaned before by a trad guy and I can only asume he cleaned with a detergent?? which will have left a sticky residue?
The windows are the sash type and are quite deep and he insists all the frames are washed.
Any advice on how to do this proper from day 1 with wfp?
The 3rd house is slightly different! The windows are in good condition but are not 100% perfect.
Matthew
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Wash as per a new clean (overboard on frames) then simply wash frames yet again & glass and you should be fine! Reassure the customer if any windows need re-doing that you will re-visit at your earliest opportunity to resolve the problem BUT if cleaned and rinsed thoroughly you shouldn't need to ever!
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you will need a rectangular brush to get under the top sash & right into the corners, an oval vikan won't cut it for these type windows. i do loads of these, give all the woodwork a good scrub (the bits that seperate the glass) & rinse well. obviously clean the top sashes first then do the bottom half when the drips from the top have stopped. just be careful applying pressure to the brush cos' if they are very old windows the glass can be like paper, i've busted a few of these very easily with a heavy fibreglass pole and old vikan brush. ;)
tony
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p.s. the thing with the detergent, i've never had a problem with, i wfp windows sometimes that i did trad the month before & vice versa.
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As abpve with a double rinse depending on how dirty, one of them with straight tap water for frames and panes and sills. Then rinse later with RO using a soft filament brush thats not stiff and can cut into the glass corners etc. Possibly doing the panes in horizontal rows leaving a bit of time between each row. If the jobs a prestige one do the bottoms trad till you have the customer hooked. Pointbout the benefits of the windows staying cleaner longer.
Has the client seen you using a wfp before ? Is sea salt an issue ?
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As abpve with a double rinse depending on how dirty, one of them with straight tap water for frames and panes and sills. Then rinse later with RO using a soft filament brush thats not stiff and can cut into the glass corners etc. Possibly doing the panes in horizontal rows leaving a bit of time between each row. If the jobs a prestige one do the bottoms trad till you have the customer hooked. Pointbout the benefits of the windows staying cleaner longer.
Has the client seen you using a wfp before ? Is sea salt an issue ?
Sounds good advice Jeff. Personally, I have never used the line about staying cleaner for longer. I wouldn't want to put it into their heads that there may be a chance to reduce the cleaning frequency.
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On regular cleans I agree but some of the bigger jobs - say over £50 then cost can be an issue so if you can go 3-4 monthly they are usually happier, well in rural Wales anyway.
I also think using longer bristles to clean paintwork helps get in the nooks and crannies easier.
Brushes for all reasons and seasons :)
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I have a few Georgian window'd accounts and all of them come up great with the WFP apart from one largish house.
It has deeper than normal frames; approximately two-and-a-half centimeters deep, including the frame dividing up the panes; and although the varnished paintwork is in good condition, I never was able to get these windows looking good with a WFP.
So I'm back to ladders on them, which I don't mind since the customer is great and it's a nicely priced job.
I suppose I could've went round the house doing a section of Georgian windows, ie, one level of Georgian windows, giving the drips time to run-off one level of panes at a time; but I think it'd be quicker and less faffing about just using ladders for this one account.
But has anyone any tips so I can go back to the pole for this job without too much messing about?
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Fit a gardiners 'supalite' pole brush head on your WFP as this brush head is ideal for cleaning sash windows as it reaches all the crevices where the spiders hide and is also very useful on Georgian panes BUT you may have to apply too much pressure on initial cleans to scrub the windows clean so use for second cleans!! Very quick using this brush on these type of windows!!
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Fit a gardiners 'supalite' pole brush head on your WFP as this brush head is ideal for cleaning sash windows as it reaches all the crevices where the spiders hide and is also very useful on Georgian panes BUT you may have to apply too much pressure on initial cleans to scrub the windows clean so use for second cleans!! Very quick using this brush on these type of windows!!
Cheers, Easy,
I'll order one and give it a go.
Thanks.
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As abpve with a double rinse depending on how dirty, one of them with straight tap water for frames and panes and sills. Then rinse later with RO using a soft filament brush thats not stiff and can cut into the glass corners etc. Possibly doing the panes in horizontal rows leaving a bit of time between each row. If the jobs a prestige one do the bottoms trad till you have the customer hooked. Pointbout the benefits of the windows staying cleaner longer.
Has the client seen you using a wfp before ? Is sea salt an issue ?
Thanks for all the tips you guys have posted!
Jeff,
They have never seen me using wfp before and sea salt isn't an issue.
I forgot to tell you all that the windows on two of the houses are only 2 years old and paint work is very good.
You mention doing the downstairs trad to begin with! I agree with you and I don't! It would take me ages to trad the bottoms on my own!!!! :'( I cant afford to spend too long on this job as I need to keep up with my regular work and I'm all ready behind this month as the weather hasn't been too good up here but at the same time I have to do a GOOD job for them.
you will need a rectangular brush to get under the top sash & right into the corners, an oval vikan won't cut it for these type windows.
tony
Tony,
I have a rectangular vikan ;) Was thinking of using my 18ft facelift but will swap it for my unger and rectangular vikan. Oh.... as I was writing that I just remembered that cleantech do a adapter for the facelift so it will take a vikan brush!
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Fit a gardiners 'supalite' pole brush head on your WFP as this brush head is ideal for cleaning sash windows as it reaches all the crevices where the spiders hide and is also very useful on Georgian panes BUT you may have to apply too much pressure on initial cleans to scrub the windows clean so use for second cleans!! Very quick using this brush on these type of windows!!
Will this supalite fit onto my facelift and what is the brush like?
Sorry but i'm not too sure what it is
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You can find the 'supalite' brush on gardiners website (Alex). It's the brush head used on the suplite poles. The brush head is very good but doesn't last as long as most brush heads when it comes to scrubbing frames but it does save a lot of time when actually cleaning the Georgian and sash windows. The brush is a screw in fitting for the tapered plastic angle adaptors.
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so it wont fit my facelift then???
Cheers
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clear vision
the fact that the paintwork is in good nick is the biggest bonus, a rectangular brush that is well splayed ( i think the correct term is) is essential like i said. its very important that you scrub extremely well under the top sash ( the top of the bottom section) as this in my experience is where a lot of dirt collects & is more prone to dirty runs/spots etc. this is where the brush comes in. the biggest problem is not the glass but the wood that seperates it, this must be scrubbed very well especially on a first clean. what i usually do is scrub it all at the same time i.e. not cleaning each individual pane but the whole lot, this way ensures that it all gets a good scrub, its essential that these peices of wood are clean of any oxidized paint/crap etc. when this is complete give a good rinse & all should be well.
good luck ;) ;)
tony
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Thanks tony!
How will I scrub underneath the bottom of the top section?
I can only assume I will need to adjust the angle of the brush, so a fixed head (gooseneck) wouldn't do for this type of windows?
Matthew
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no, a goosneck is fine, what i mean is stick the brush up as far as it'll go & move it from side to side. try to get the brisstles right up to get all the crap out. the side to side motion is needed as obviously the top section prevents an up & down motion as the brush/goosneck hit it. this is only needed for the top panes of the bottom section, the rest of the bottom section just do as said before. any drips you get tend to come from this section of window & this is down to not scrubbing it all off. ;)
tony
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The "Bentley" is the same as the supalite brush, £1.49 from Asda superstores or Wilkinsons, Its soft flocked.
(http://img86.i.us/img86/9853/25122006016xr3.th.jpg) (http://img86.i.us/my.php?image=25122006016xr3.jpg)
The Tesco "Melody" is also another flocked one at £3.99 (I think) and is rectangular.
If you want a monofilament, try a Addis from Co-Op pictured on the right with the Bentley on the left having an adjustable swivel from a 0 degree T bar fitted (http://img206.i.us/img206/1521/25122006019yh2.th.jpg) (http://img206.i.us/my.php?image=25122006019yh2.jpg)
If you just wrap pvc tape a few times round an unger threaded cone it will tighten in nicely and allow you to alter the angle to go up and under.
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an adjustable angle neck could be better for this but i've never used one so i cant say, in theory i think it probably would be better. may have to get one. :)
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Mathew, I think you have tds of 35-50 thats almost pure :) so a paintwork clean down with that and then a rinse of the glass only, not touching the frames too much, with RO in horizontal rows.
Subsequent cleans maybe just using RO water.
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Mac the first angle movement up and down should be on the brush head thats why I use the adjustable, for speed just drop the pole and adjust by hand the second movement is a twist or swivel which can then be done from the ground to go over roofs.
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thanks for that jeff
i have a facelift pole where would i get one to fit it? also is this what one of these gaz brushes do? the gaz brushes seem very highly rated on this forum & i would like to try one.
thanks
tony
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Gaz's swivel left to right first movement ( I think) so you cannot do the twist from the ground trick as well.
Facelift- get one of their own angle adapter fitting ?
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Jeff,
Thanks for advice!
My water reads 027ppm out of the tap so if I clean it twice like you suggest i wouldn't mind just using purified water as it's so cheap for me to make it ;)
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If it wasnt so darned heavy to move you could set up a factory and supply us all :)