Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Davew on October 20, 2007, 06:32:27 pm
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After taking tips on this forum i had a rather large (underpriced as usual :'( ) inside trad school clean today. It took a while to get going but for a newbie it wasn't too bad. I actually prefer it to wfp. You can see instantly your results no guessing no worrying and i found it quite theraputic. Still got a bit to do tomorrow.
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You've never done much squeegeeing before? ???
You've just become a window cleaner!
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You've never done much squeegeeing before? ???
You've just become a window cleaner!
lol....
yep it does get harder when you're doing it for 6+ hours a day everyday.
I would do it but wouldn't want to work trad again solely. The though of working all those little muscles again....
The only thing i really miss working trad was being up the top of the ladder and looking around me at all the beautiful countryside.
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Squeaks,
When I am unsure of a finish I squeegie off the droplets. Is it okay to do this. Will any bits I leave on show up? (such as a thin line of drawing the squeegie across).
Would I get away with just drawing my blade across the top or once i have started must I do the whole window.
Obviously I'm talking about after I have already wfp'd it. The reason I am asking you is that on this subject i respect your knowledge
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Thanks mate. ;)
Yes, that will be fine.
No need to detail, as providing it's been properly poled, it's only pure water.
I do this on a lot of windows.
Mainly front rooms or kitchens when they're sat in there.
It just looks better and more professional.
Lets face it, it barely takes 10 seconds. :)
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You've never done much squeegeeing before? ???
You've just become a window cleaner!
Nope came straight into the trade wfp. Got to squeeze another inside and out tomorrow afternoon (Sunday!) works gone absolutely mad all of a sudden - probably won't last.
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I asked a few months ago if it was possible to start WCing without having any experience of trad. There were a few people who said it could be done and that they had only ever used WFP.
Is this not the case? I'd be interested to have opinions on this.
Rog, you have done both. What's your opinion mate?
Arthur
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we all start off with no experience. Trad cleaning is easy to do. The skill comes in doing it properly and quickly enough to make a profit.
It's very hard work though if you are doing it all day everyday. But it does get you extremely fit.
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we all start off with no experience. Trad cleaning is easy to do. The skill comes in doing it properly and quickly enough to make a profit.
It's very hard work though if you are doing it all day everyday. But it does get extremely you fit.
Hi Mark,
Thanks for the reply mate.
Maybe the way i worded that wasn't very clear. What i meant was would it be possible to start off WCing without having done any trad. as in, straight off with WFP
Arthur
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yes. The same rules apply. Just that with wfp you cannot see the finish until the windows are dry. So whenever i take on a new job, i always return for payment and to check the finish and wipe off any marks with a damp cloth.
If there are runs or spots i will do this on each clean until there are no more marks. Once the windows have come up clean with wfp they will always come clean.
I was 3 months into wfp until i did this though and while it might extend the time taken, it does give me peace of mind.
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Maybe the way i worded that wasn't very clear. What i meant was would it be possible to start off WCing without having done any trad. as in, straight off with WFP
Arthur
Hi Art.
I would say no, not if you want to really excel at it.
There's always times when you need skills to do the job by hand.
I do a hell of a lot of squeegeeing still, and it often saves me a lot of time over getting the wfp system out.
Insides, shop fronts, small bungalows.
It's all important.
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Traditional cleaning is an art to a certain degree and i enjoy doing it
It will always be needed for certain properties as wfp sometimes just is not possible
it would be possible to start w/cing with no trad skills but you will not be able to offer a full service
Dean
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I know of a couple of window cleaners who only use WFP and have never used a squeegie.
They give me a shout when they need a job doing traditional.
As i do both.
I still don't think you can beat traditional.
Paul
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It's the ultimate for presentation.
Wfp is quicker, more efficient, does frames, safer, etc...
But you can't beat a clean dry shiny window.
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To be honest i still like to trad jobs & still do many this way, mainly bungalows & houses where wfp is not an option. I think people go over-board when they say how hard it is, lugging ladders about etc. like you dave, i find it a doddle. ;)
tony
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i still trad most days too, not letting 3 years of it go to waste, but i dont have a house or bugalow that i dont wfp
i do alot of insides and builders cleans. just got meself a porcipine...couldnt recommend it any more
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Art, i would say you could start a round with no trad skills, but you would have to be fairly careful about the kind of work you took on as some are better done trad , your best bet would be to buy an existing round that is all done wfp and expand from there when you,ve learned a little
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I like to make sure that the "eyeball" windows eg the kitchen and patio doors are pristine so I always trad them to be able to check that its all OK before I leave. It keeps my hand in and it saves on water. Trad is definitely not dead but it is slower and thats why I'm WFP.
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Do you wfp them and then trad or just trad?
I go round with a microfibre and blade attacking anything that looks suspicous. I use a towel on the sills.
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we all start off with no experience. Trad cleaning is easy to do. The skill comes in doing it properly and quickly enough to make a profit.
It's very hard work though if you are doing it all day everyday. But it does get extremely you fit.
Hi Mark,
Thanks for the reply mate.
Maybe the way i worded that wasn't very clear. What i meant was would it be possible to start off WCing without having done any trad. as in, straight off with WFP
Arthur
Of course you can I went straight into wfp and had never had to use a squeegie in anger untill yesterday. Been at it since feb and never yet had a property i couldn't do wfp Only use trad for insides because everything else is crap.
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Have to say so far 1 day I have just done wfp on everything and there are no spots as yet, you have to gain confidence in the system, this IMO is why others still use a blade with wfp because they either lack confidence in it or have dobts about there cleaning with it, please tell me if I am wrong
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You are wrong. ;D
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WW things will happen when you are gone. Black rubber seals sometimes leach a stain down. Dirty wooden frames in enclosed spaces are hard to do without spots. If you touch the above vent dirt will come out. If you clean a double opener above another window it will steak down the middle. Some painted frames send the water chalky and contaminate the brush........
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The main problem is customers opening horizontal windows after you've gone.
You will get a line of spots down the middle below.
EVERY TIME!
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If you went inside and looked out windowwashers, I can guarantee you will find spots,you just can't see from outside.
It gets good after a few cleans but not always perfect ;D.but acceptable
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If you went inside and looked out windowwashers, I can guarantee you will find spots,you just can't see from outside.
It gets good after a few cleans but not always perfect ;D.but acceptable
Very good answer.
You'll always get some good windows and some bad ones.
A lot is down to the operator, we all have different standards, one persons "I never get any spots" could be anothers " what a crap job he does"
If it keeps the customers happy and it earns you a few quid you're laughing ;D
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If you went inside and looked out windowwashers, I can guarantee you will find spots,you just can't see from outside.
It gets good after a few cleans but not always perfect ;D.but acceptable
trust me when I say there are no spots I waited for every window to dry and looked from inside and out and there was no spots at all then again i did use quite alot of water doing them, not saying that i will not get spots as i know i will very soon.
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The main problem is customers opening horizontal windows after you've gone.
You will get a line of spots down the middle below.
EVERY TIME!
now that one I will agree with! I could throttle customers who open windows the second you have finished cleaning them.
Open windows? Fine, not a problem! Just don't shut them and then open them afterwards!
But in reply to other posts: Oxidised frames? I have learned to get them right now, hardly ever get them wrong.
Vents? Well use your eyes and steer clear of them.
Oxidised br
Black rubber seals? Again, I have more problems with doing them trad than I do WFP.
But trad skill are vital, there are no end of occasions when you need them, insides, builders cleans, certain windows that are so ropey that the only way you can clean them is trad. And so on.
Plus if you go into window cleaning via WFP without trad experience, and you are not well clued up on running a business (as against window cleaning as a simple job) you will almost certainly get your price structure totally wrong...
Ian
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Agree with your last line but disagree that you have to do trad. If it wasn't for the fact that insides are another form of income i wouldn't have bothered.
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to be a window cleaner IMO you have to have the trad skills, you would look a bit silly if they asked you to clean say an inside door to there office only for you to say sry cant do that I dont know how (window cleaning started trad and people thinking they dont need to know it boggles me ::)
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Funny thing is that because i entered the trade the wrong way so to speak i actually think wfp is harder to pick up than trad. Mind you i tried using a squeegie on a pole and couldn't master that! It's just my own experience and i have a lot of respect for all of you who started trad and worked off ladders and if you saw my work you would probably laugh! :)
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Funny thing is that because i entered the trade the wrong way so to speak i actually think wfp is harder to pick up than trad. Mind you i tried using a squeegie on a pole and couldn't master that! It's just my own experience and i have a lot of respect for all of you who started trad and worked off ladders and if you saw my work you would probably laugh! :)
Laugh no, help yes ;)
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Some good replies.
So i suppose as WFP is only something i'm thinking of adding to my current business. I could pick and choose what work would be suitable for WFP only.
At the moment as part of EOT and spring cleans we do internal windows with tescos glass cleaner so i don't suppose there's any harm in doing internals if asked the same way?
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Some good replies.
So i suppose as WFP is only something i'm thinking of adding to my current business. I could pick and choose what work would be suitable for WFP only.
At the moment as part of EOT and spring cleans we do internal windows with tescos glass cleaner so i don't suppose there's any harm in doing internals if asked the same way?
Art, even when you come across windows that aren't suitable for wfp, (ie spots and runs after they have dried) all you need to do is to wipe the offending areas with a damp cloth. Job done. It might be a bit difficult without getting ladders out if they are upstairs but another rinse of just the glass is usually enough.
It's generally wooden windows in a poor state that are the biggest offenders in my opinion. Pvc windows are less of a problem.