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UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: rsaxon7 on October 12, 2003, 10:05:34 pm

Title: left handed windowcleaning
Post by: rsaxon7 on October 12, 2003, 10:05:34 pm
unger started making the "bucket on a belt" for right handed people ONLY. so, being left handed, i used to put the applicator in the wrong way around. i had to turn my wrist in a funny way and i got like a repetitive strain injury. so i had to start using the bucket on my right hand side. i'm now completely ambidexterous with all the gear, its great. now i've got the new style unger bucket, mine transparent though, not green (the woman who sold it to me gave me a free belt just cause the bucket was a different colour, they still do them in green as well). the new style on is made for both lefties and righties, but i still have it on my right. i sort of clean like this:

1. get applicator out with right and and pass it to left hand.

2. applicate window with left hand, pass applicator back to right hand and put it back in bucket.

3. get squeegee out with right hand and pass it to left hand, the get applicator out with right hand and 'catch' the water with it at the same time as i take the water off the window with the squeegee

4. put applicator away with right hand, then pass squeegee over from left to right hand then put away.

5. wipe all water of the windowsill with latex synthetic wash leather, then edge the window off with a scrim

any other lefty window cleaners do anything like this?
Title: Re: left handed windowcleaning
Post by: fez on October 12, 2003, 11:06:10 pm
I'm a lefty, but I "shoot" from the left. I too started with a right-handed bucket on a belt and I'm (just about)ambidexterous.

I don't know how you manage to pass your tools back and forth on a ladder, it would drive me nuts!
Title: Re: left handed windowcleaning
Post by: The_Fed_Man on October 13, 2003, 12:11:53 am
Why don't you stick it in the middle at the front??  ;D Then you can shoot both ways!!!!

Seriously, if you've got to work with your left for injury reasons, load your gear to the left also.
Title: Re: left handed windowcleaning
Post by: rsaxon7 on October 13, 2003, 02:10:25 am
er......i do shoot both ways. if ya know what i mean? like, if a window is directly infront of me, then i'll just pass the ap/squeegee over to the left hand. but if a window is slightly to the right of me, then i'll just clean the window in exactly the same way as a right handed person would. the only reason for me sticking to the right handed bucket on a belt way is cause i use the applicator to 'catch' the water taken off the window. if you think about it, its almost impossible to do this if i have the bucket on a belt on my left side. so in a way, i would advise right handed folks to put the new style bucket on a belt on their left side. this way you'll soon be ambidexerous and also won't have to mop up a pint of water off the windowsill

and no, i don't have to work with my left for injury reasons. i'm left handed. its just that left handers using the old style unger buckets can't have the applicator the proper way, and they will have to turn their wrists around awkwardly to get it, thus eventually giving themselves a repetitive strain injury
Title: Re: left handed windowcleaning
Post by: Polepro on October 13, 2003, 02:05:34 pm
I expect that Mr T shoots in both hands too!
Title: Re: left handed windowcleaning
Post by: Polepro on October 13, 2003, 02:07:53 pm
Did anyone elses kids see Mr T bustin some moves on cbeebies recently! Never to young to be introduced to Terry and his 12"
Title: Re: left handed windowcleaning
Post by: elite mike on March 25, 2011, 09:01:47 pm
thought everyone could trad with both hands

lmao  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: left handed windowcleaning
Post by: Sean Dyer on March 26, 2011, 12:39:26 am
thought everyone could trad with both hands

Same here ! :)

I am just as fast either side
Title: Re: left handed windowcleaning
Post by: Johnny B on March 26, 2011, 12:48:24 am
I am just as slow with both hands!  ;D

John
Title: Re: left handed windowcleaning
Post by: LWC on March 26, 2011, 08:17:55 am
Go WFP
Title: Re: left handed windowcleaning
Post by: Slash on March 26, 2011, 08:23:46 am
Go WFP
Yeah,get a left hand WFP ;D,I have a left hand sided pen for my window cleaning slips.
Title: Re: left handed windowcleaning
Post by: Tom White on March 26, 2011, 10:46:35 am
thought everyone could trad with both hands

Not Wor Lass - she can't - she's only been a ruddy window cleaner for nearly 9 years.  The problem is she's never done any ladder work, and it's when you're up a ladder you learn how to trad left-handed; 'cos it's quicker and easier than to keep on moving the ladder.

It's a touchy subject, so I don't even mention it to her, otherwise she gets all narky with me.  ;D
Title: Re: left handed windowcleaning
Post by: H S and Son on March 26, 2011, 10:49:51 am
Not Wor Lass - she can't - she's only been a ruddy window cleaner for nearly 9 years.  The problem is she's never done any ladder work, and it's when you're up a ladder you learn how to trad left-handed; 'cos it's quicker and easier than to keep on moving the ladder.

Thats what I found too. Learning right-handed was hard enough, then right-handed up a ladder; left-handed up a ladder was the pits but it greatly improves your ability to earn.
Title: Re: left handed windowcleaning
Post by: cozy on March 26, 2011, 11:40:02 am
You need to be as good in both left and right. Like the Geordie bloke said. When you use ladders, you're forced into cleaning lefthanded. After awhile it's not an issue.