Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Tosh on March 03, 2008, 05:18:39 pm
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A customer 'nicely' complained that I had scratched a bedroom window of hers with my brush.
I denied it, said the brush was just plastic, and it takes some effort to scratch glass; I suggested that the scratches were there before and she'd only just noticed them.
I checked the scraches out, using ladders, and they were indeed scratched. I suspected it was me because of the scratch pattern and thought it could've been using the side plastic bit of the brush to scrape off some compacted bird poo.
So I tested it on my car windscreen (which needs replacing due to a crack) and lo and behold, I managed to scratch the car windscreen with the brush head; without too much difficulty.
My point is, just be a little bit carefull when using the sides of your brush to remove bird poo - it may scratch the glass.
Oops!
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What brush is it you were using.
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A 12" (or it could be 14") black Ionics one. It's in pretty good nick. Plastic (aren't they all?)
I must admit, there's a bit of a rough edge on one side from being dropped on the ground, but it's nothing major.
On any post in the past regarding scratching glass with a WFP brush I always replied that it takes some effort to scratch glass and a WFP brush wouldn't do it.
But I've done it! :-[
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A 12" (or it could be 14") black Ionics one. It's in pretty good nick. Plastic (aren't they all?)
I must admit, there's a bit of a rough edge on one side from being dropped on the ground, but it's nothing major.
On any post in the past regarding scratching glass with a WFP brush I always replied that it takes some effort to scratch glass and a WFP brush wouldn't do it.
But I've done it! :-[
Probably because your meant to clean the glass with the bristles you plonker ;D
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Tosh - your post reads that you used the side of the brush - this will scratch the glass!!!!!
Rob ;D
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Tosh - your post reads that you used the side of the brush - this will scratch the glass!!!!!
Rob ;D
I know that know!
Probably because your meant to clean the glass with the bristles you plonker ;D
Well I've only been using the sides of the brush to clean tough bird poo from windows for over - well over - three years, and this is the first time I came across scratched glass from using this part of the brush.
I can't be that much of a plonker, can I?
That used to be the general advice here: Tough bird poo; wet it and go and clean other windows; still there; use side of brush!
I am a plonker though, I'll give you that.
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Tosh you are not a plonker....... coz if you are so am I!!!! ;) :-[
I always do the same as you, use the side of the brush....... maybe not so hard though from now on ;)
Thanks for letting us know.
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Gulp! me too. :-\
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about 2 years ago a customer accused me of scratching their very large living room window,i was sure that their was no way my wfp brush could have done it and i point blank refused to take the blame,in the end the customer believe me and let it go.
now im not so sure,praps it was me after all :-[
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Gulp! me too. :-\
And me! ..... :-[
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ive scratched a massive peice of glass on a roof, it had a massive bird mess on it
i blamed seeds in the bird mess ;) afterall they eat berries dont they
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Tosh, are you sure it's scratches and not a line of plastic?
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Logic says the plastic alone can't scratch the glass. Glass is harder than plastic (at least the type used for our brushes). to scratch a substance the scratcher must be harder than the scratchee.
There must have been a minute piece of foreign material embedded in the plastic. Perhaps it would be possible to inspect the plastic before using it to remove stubborn soiling?
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If you use cold WFP and you come across birds mess:
wet it, give it a good scrub (with bristles, NOT the plastic SIDE of brush), tap the glass using the bristles a couple of times, then wet it again and leave to soak.
Come back to the birds mess and repeat the same procedure again. Eventually it will come off.
You could always fit some white scouring pad to the side/back of your brush (with araldite), to remove the bird mess easier, or better still, use hot WFP as it really does shift stubborn, baked on birds mess a lot easier than using cold WFP.
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I often use the side of my brush to remove bird poo, but I don't think I have scratched any glass yet, at least I hope not! :-[
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If birds poo is so stubborn that I can't shift it even after several soakings, I get a scraper blade, put it on the end of a squeegee handle and place them on the end of one of those Unger poles that I sometimes use for trad cleaning. OK so those poles don't reach very high places but are plenty long enough for most 1st floor windows.
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Hi all intersting read this post!
if we read all the posts on all forums everyone is of the same opinion wash the frames and glass then rinse (bear with me)
however when we clean the down side frames (not top or bottom) the edge of the brush rubs against the walls, this causes excessive wear to the plastic brush head then when someone flips the brush to aggitate mird muck they increase the risk of scratches ten fold.
remember brush damaged plastic will cause damage ensure you check the sides of your brush reguarly and replace when damaged.
regards, stuart
www.skypolewfp.com (http://www.skypolewfp.com)
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Shiner,
Attatching a scrapper to an extension pole is a bad idea check with H&S before as this can be deemed as dangerous.
regards, stuart
www.skypolewfp.com (http://www.skypolewfp.com)
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A 12" (or it could be 14") black Ionics one. It's in pretty good nick. Plastic (aren't they all?)
I must admit, there's a bit of a rough edge on one side from being dropped on the ground, but it's nothing major.
On any post in the past regarding scratching glass with a WFP brush I always replied that it takes some effort to scratch glass and a WFP brush wouldn't do it.
But I've done it! :-[
Where you have dropped it and the edge is rough there will be impacted particles of sand and grit. This is what will have scratched the glass not the plastic itself.
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Logic says the plastic alone can't scratch the glass. Glass is harder than plastic (at least the type used for our brushes). to scratch a substance the scratcher must be harder than the scratchee.
There must have been a minute piece of foreign material embedded in the plastic. Perhaps it would be possible to inspect the plastic before using it to remove stubborn soiling?
I agree but what surprises me is the damage aluminium can do to glass. Aluminium is quite a soft metal, but it can scratch glass more effectively than steel. Dai
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chris,
why not try an auction like blackbush they have tousands of vans with great savings.
regards, stuart
www.skypolewfp.com (http://www.skypolewfp.com)
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unfortunately its very possible, ive done it myself Tosh, left 4 0r 5 scratches while scrubbing bird muck with the side of the brush. When i inspected the brush it had tiny particles of brickwork/dust where it had nudged the edge of the window reveal. I try to be more patient now and let it soak.
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Ive been accused of scratching window sills before with my brush which i sorted with some upvc cleaner.
But i also removed stubborn birds crap from the glass with the side of my brush.
Maybe a little rub with wet and dry on the edges of the brush from time to time would keep them smooth so this would not happen again.
Paul
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hasnt someone yet . invented a brush .with an abrasive side . like the trad mops .
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Shiner,
Attatching a scrapper to an extension pole is a bad idea check with H&S before as this can be deemed as dangerous.
regards, stuart
www.skypolewfp.com (http://www.skypolewfp.com)
Hadn't heard of that. Then it sounds like damned if I do and damned if I don't. Can't go up a ladder to scrape it in case I fall off. Can't scrape it from ground level in case there is an accident with the scraper.
Can't see what the problem would be with scraper on a pole really. The blade and holder fit tightly into a squeegee handle as they seem to be designed that way. The squeegee handle fits tightly onto an end cone on the pole - provided the end cone hasn't had excessive wear. The only potential problem I see is if the end cone has had excessive wear which would mean a loose fit and the squeegee handle coming off.
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Shiner,
Attatching a scrapper to an extension pole is a bad idea check with H&S before as this can be deemed as dangerous.
regards, stuart
www.skypolewfp.com (http://www.skypolewfp.com)
Hadn't heard of that. Then it sounds like damned if I do and damned if I don't. Can't go up a ladder to scrape it in case I fall off. Can't scrape it from ground level in case there is an accident with the scraper.
Can't see what the problem would be with scraper on a pole really. The blade and holder fit tightly into a squeegee handle as they seem to be designed that way. The squeegee handle fits tightly onto an end cone on the pole - provided the end cone hasn't had excessive wear. The only potential problem I see is if the end cone has had excessive wear which would mean a loose fit and the squeegee handle coming off.
Perhaps it's when the scraper is 3 ft wide ;D ;D ;D
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Good for cutting rubbers, the real guillotine way. :) ;)