Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Davew on October 19, 2007, 10:01:57 pm

Title: First cleans
Post by: Davew on October 19, 2007, 10:01:57 pm
Take me ages because i do the frames too and have to clean twice. A fellow wfp cleaner couldn't understand why i did this. Do any of you get away with just once around the house? I've never been able to do it and get a satisfactory result.
Title: Re: First cleans
Post by: john tomkins on October 19, 2007, 10:08:44 pm
Twice for me too, if it's dirty I'll add to the price but generally just do it and accept it'll take me longer 1st time, just going round once always seems to leave some kind of dirty run no matter how careful I am.
Maybe the other blokes standards ain't as  good as ours ;D
Title: Re: First cleans
Post by: windowwashers on October 19, 2007, 10:10:19 pm
Take me ages because i do the frames too and have to clean twice. A fellow wfp cleaner couldn't understand why i did this. Do any of you get away with just once around the house? I've never been able to do it and get a satisfactory result.
Dave, my advice is to not listen to people if they say just do it once, do what you are doing as you will get complaints otherwise
Title: Re: First cleans
Post by: Dean Aspects on October 19, 2007, 10:24:20 pm
I go round once cleaning glass and frames then go back and check the windows if any look bad then they get done again as long as the windows are clean then the job has been done correctly

Dean
Title: Re: First cleans
Post by: mike richardson on October 19, 2007, 11:19:02 pm
ye me aswell i do as many times as necessary 1st time, then after that its easy to clean them frames aswell
Title: Re: First cleans
Post by: jeff1 on October 19, 2007, 11:45:51 pm
First clean I charge double and I explain why, then I wash windows including frames, then I start again and do just the windows.

Your first clean, is your first and only chance to make a good impression, so make it a good one. ;)
Title: Re: First cleans
Post by: Kwackers on October 20, 2007, 01:32:29 am
Did my first day cleaning, all first cleans obviously, went round once with all of them and all the customers to date are well chuft.

im no expert but i just took my time on the frames and they came up ok
Title: Re: First cleans
Post by: Paul Coleman on October 20, 2007, 04:01:24 am
Take me ages because i do the frames too and have to clean twice. A fellow wfp cleaner couldn't understand why i did this. Do any of you get away with just once around the house? I've never been able to do it and get a satisfactory result.

I go around first cleans twice as well and usually charge 50% extra.  A couple of times I've had people not wanting to pay the extra 50%.  In both cases I told them that I would only be going around the job once and that I would not take responsibility for the results.  They were both happy to have a below par job on the first clean to save money.  Both jobs came up fine over the first three cleans anyway.
Title: Re: First cleans
Post by: Davew on October 20, 2007, 05:54:01 am
This is why I hate first cleans - they are so time consuming - double the time of a maintenance clean but not double the price.
Title: Re: First cleans
Post by: Londoner on October 20, 2007, 07:26:22 am
I agree but you have to do a good job because its after the first clean that the lady of the house is probably going to go round the house inspecting what you have done in detail. Provided you pass that test you are accepted, and so is your WFP. After that she won't even look again.

I did four new ones yesterday including two side by side that had minging frames. You just have to take your time.
Title: Re: First cleans
Post by: pingu on October 20, 2007, 08:32:06 am
I too spend the extra time and 'double' clean....in the long run it is time well invested.

Title: Re: First cleans
Post by: john tomkins on October 20, 2007, 08:40:11 am
I too spend the extra time and 'double' clean....in the long run it is time well invested.



Unless when you turn up next time and they say "leave it this month" ::)
Title: Re: First cleans
Post by: Paul Coleman on October 20, 2007, 09:48:55 am
I too spend the extra time and 'double' clean....in the long run it is time well invested.



Unless when you turn up next time and they say "leave it this month" ::)

Which is why you charge more for the first clean.   :)
Title: Re: First cleans
Post by: macmac on October 20, 2007, 03:28:35 pm
First cleans hardly take me any longer than normal, BUT, i dont clean the frames only the beading. If i do get a problem however I dont leave untill all are perfect. to be honest, without cleaning the frames, my first cleans are perfect first time 95% of the time.

tony
Title: Re: First cleans
Post by: Davew on October 20, 2007, 06:19:42 pm
Tony i don't know how you do it, you must be like a sniper with that pole.  ;D
I was cleaning in really bright light the other day and couldn't believe how much overspray i had even on a low flow. :'(
Title: Re: First cleans
Post by: mark dew on October 20, 2007, 06:28:47 pm
Tony i don't know how you do it, you must be like a sniper with that pole.  ;D
I was cleaning in really bright light the other day and couldn't believe how much overspray i had even on a low flow. :'(

if he's using pencil jets, a snipers accuracy shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Title: Re: First cleans
Post by: macmac on October 20, 2007, 11:47:26 pm
Tony i don't know how you do it, you must be like a sniper with that pole.  ;D
I was cleaning in really bright light the other day and couldn't believe how much overspray i had even on a low flow. :'(

if he's using pencil jets, a snipers accuracy shouldn't be too much of a problem.


Spot on, a rec' vikan & 2mm pencil jets(no over-spray), angle adaptor + practise & you're away. no vents, no runs, no hassle. Oh, but dirty frames though, mind, after 4 years not one customer has ever said anything about me not cleaning their frames! :D
It's a very efficient method & quite easy once you get the hang, i have a very fail safe & quick method of this technique now.
I could still clean the side frames but choose not to, although, don't get me wrong, i would if asked to.

tony
Title: Re: First cleans
Post by: pjulk on October 20, 2007, 11:57:36 pm
I clean first cleans once i used to do it twice doing the frames and glass then going back and doing the glass again but now i just do it once of a high flow and rinse well.

Been doing it this way for about 18 months and never get a complaint on first cleans.


Paul