Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: simp on November 25, 2007, 01:26:44 am

Title: Mucky Sills
Post by: simp on November 25, 2007, 01:26:44 am
Have been wfp for 7 months with a small round, building up slowly. Had a few custys ask about removing stubborn stains on there window sills as they are old upvc windows. Is there a product on the market that will remove the in ground dirt as pure water alone will not get rid of it? Someone mentioned TFR. Is it any good?
Title: Re: Mucky Sills
Post by: Village Gleam on November 25, 2007, 07:36:43 am
Funny thing to ask about at half one in the morning.

A green dishwash pad will clean them. For proper stains cellulose thiners. This is expensive and time consuming though, do they want to pay or just want you to do it anyway.

I can bring frames up like new, the problem i've got is the customers don't realise it's down to me and think they were always that way and then complain about a minor spot somewhere else.
Title: Re: Mucky Sills
Post by: Londoner on November 25, 2007, 07:55:49 am
Good point about the customers not realising its down to you. Why bother. Scotchbrite (green scouring cloths) are good but only do it if the customer asks. Don't necessarily charge extra but make sure they know and appreciate what you are doing.

A lot of upvc sills are spattered with masonery paint which ruins the sills and is hard to get off so be careful what you are getting into. I hate house painters. They don't give a toss about the windows.
Title: Re: Mucky Sills
Post by: elite mike on November 25, 2007, 08:37:56 am
A lot of upvc sills are spattered with masonery paint which ruins the sills and is hard to get off so be careful what you are getting into. I hate house painters. They don't give a toss about the windows.


i will second that
mike
Title: Re: Mucky Sills
Post by: Spursboy1972 on November 25, 2007, 09:51:52 am
I agree wholeheartedly with that. They splash paint everywhere and clean none of it up. Only then the customer expects scraping of the windows within your normal visit and are sometimes horrified when you want extra for it!
Title: Re: Mucky Sills
Post by: Londoner on November 25, 2007, 11:34:03 am
just a tip, if you have to scrape a window to get all the paint off wet it first with very soapy water  and use the scraper like a razor on your face. The soapy water makes it a lot easier. In fact we call it shaving the window. If you try and do each spot individually it takes forever.
Title: Re: Mucky Sills
Post by: mark dew on November 25, 2007, 02:11:02 pm
I agree wholeheartedly with that. They splash paint everywhere and clean none of it up. Only then the customer expects scraping of the windows within your normal visit and are sometimes horrified when you want extra for it!

i also agree. But i did a house that had been repainted 6 weeks ago. The painter had scraped everything and the gaps between the lead and glass on the windows were sealed with paint.
Top man.
The house took 5 mins less due to quality paint job as before the windows would always leech some muck (no matter how much rinsing and 1 1/2 years of wfp) and i'd have to quickly scrim the edges to avoid the odd run.
Quality painters do exist but they are like gold dust.
Title: Re: Mucky Sills
Post by: windowwashers on November 25, 2007, 02:58:30 pm
I agree wholeheartedly with that. They splash paint everywhere and clean none of it up. Only then the customer expects scraping of the windows within your normal visit and are sometimes horrified when you want extra for it!
I would defo charge for removing the paint as it is the painters job to clear up after himself I would say that to a customer aswell as telling them to bill it to the painter,
Title: Re: Mucky Sills
Post by: Davo on November 25, 2007, 06:47:11 pm
Yep its down to the painter to leave the job tidy and paint spot free that includes cleaning the paint splashes from glass and sills. and brickwork paths etc etc.

Sadly there aren't many good tradesmen out there anymore.

PS There is a coating which will restore stained uPVC to an "as new" condition (In any colour you like). However it has to be applied using spraying equipment and is a time consuming (thus expensive) exercise.


Mark