Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Mike 108 on April 01, 2008, 08:54:26 pm
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Some WFPolers advertise/say that the process cleans the frames as well as the glass.
Some WFPolers say they NEVER try to clean the frame above the openers.
Is it even POSSIBLE to clean that 1" (25mm) of frame above the openers (using only the wfp brush) if the window is first floor or above ?
I would think it impossible to get the brush bristles into such a tight space and thoroughly clean the frame. Wetting and loosening some of the dirt without thoroughly removing it all is surely asking for trouble (slow drips of dirty water).
I think 'Highreach'/'macmac posted some good comments on this matter 3 or 4 months back - but I can't find the thread.
If anyone is convinced that they can clean this very awkward bit of frame - please tell me how.
Thanks
Mike
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Use a hand cloth or clean this bit first then wait an hour for it to dry. Trust me I've tried everything on my own windows and everytime dirt is drawn from the vents and leave spots.
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Use a hand cloth or clean this bit first then wait an hour for it to dry. Trust me I've tried everything on my own windows and everytime dirt is drawn from the vents and leave spots.
result there is dont clean them, defo not up stairs maybe a wipe down with a wet cloth, but wfp them take to much time and still you can get problems as neil said.
Ian
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squirt them with water and brush what you can, for 2minutes and then walk away and come back and do the glass, do this once and when you come back again give it a good clean and look for faint black water lines coming out, if this happens, take a cloth and wipe just the vent bit free of water than can drip down,
when you come back a further time and you squirt it should be all nice and clean, you will get a few merky runs get away from you but what customer is going to complain about one window not being perfect?
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I never clean a top frame, IMO it's asking for trouble. You need a rectangular brush, pencil jets & a bit of practice. have the brush angled at 90 degrees to the glass or even pointing down a wee bit (plastic angle adaptor, perfect). put brush on glass, apply a bit of pressure & use the top beading (the bit of plastic that holds the glass in) as a stop with the tops (not tips) of the bristles. run the tops of the bristles back & forth along the beading a couple of times to get any dirt off (this just wets it & doesn't soak it). scrub as normal (steadily) but don't push water above the beading onto the frame. to rinse, push brush in same way as before to top left corner of glass & move along to right then lift off. It may take a few tries to get into it but once you've cracked it you'll save time & hassle & it'll become second nature.
In this case you will still have to clean the bottom frame piece of the top openers but not the sides or the middle piece. job's a good 'un.
Tony
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Seems a shame not to clean the whole of the frame ??? Sorry but if you brush over and rinse enough on first cleans I cant see how you are going to have problems.
if its a subsequent clean that has a vent then I turn the flow off and wipe swiftly
with the wet brush to keep it clean then turn on again and continue.
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I'm similar to Chris, I just give a quick flick over with the brush, though I don't turn off the flow, but even that will depend on the type of vent.
If no vent then no problem, doesn't matter how high up it is, the things that then affect me are oxidised frames and so on, I adapt how I clean to on site circumstances.
Ian
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We clean the whole frame every time. including the vent.On first cleans we weash the frame and spend a fair amount of time on the vents. Then wash thye lower frames and then go back and do the glass. Never had a problem. We do explain that there may be a few spots appear due the vents and that is accepted.
We find that if you do everything all the time it keeps your standards high and if you do it all, all, the time the vents just dont get too dirty.
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I agree with Tony G.
The trouble is that if you don't clean them the time will come when you end up giving them a big squirt of water unintentionally.
Maybe just a bit careless with the rinsing or the brush moving around too much on a window day but it will happen.
I clean then now although it really makes the first clean a drag.
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Not cleaning the top part of the frame, with wfp, is going to give the same effect as not cleaning the top part of the frame using trad!
You will just end up with a BLACK top opener!
Mike i know how you work, and you wouldnt be able to sleep at night knowing you had left a dirty top opener.
If you are having a few problems with spots that you think are from this space above the opener, just persevere a bit longer and see if it comes good!
If it doesnt, what is worse a few little spots or a dirty black opener!?
Anyway, if the custy is happy then you should be happy!
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In my case i have never sold wfp to anyone by cleaning the frames, i never mention it & in 4 years never been asked to clean a frame wfp or had any complaints about it. I can clean windows wfp perfectly without cleaning the frame so this must be good enough for all my custys. i don't worry about vents, runs etc, life's a hoot :D IMO it's a mistake to over-sell wfp to custys, if you can clean windows spotless that's good enough. By the nature of some posts on here it would seem the custy is left expecting a miracle when indeed just spotless glass would suffice ;)
Tony
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First clean I wash everything (providing vents are closed).
I may run a wet brush over the vents (without using water) if they are starting to show noticeable signs of dirt.
Explain to customers I don't wash the vents because of trapped dirt accumulating inside the vents which runs down onto cleaned, dried glass after windows have been washed.
Like to keep window cleaning simple and quick. Washing vents is making work for oneself (even if done regular).
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In my case i have never sold wfp to anyone by cleaning the frames, i never mention it & in 4 years never been asked to clean a frame wfp or had any complaints about it. I can clean windows wfp perfectly without cleaning the frame so this must be good enough for all my custys. i don't worry about vents, runs etc, life's a hoot :D IMO it's a mistake to over-sell wfp to custys, if you can clean windows spotless that's good enough. By the nature of some posts on here it would seem the custy is left expecting a miracle when indeed just spotless glass would suffice ;)
Tony
I can quite understand not cleaning frames if your trad, but personally I hate seeing dirty frames now I'm wfp, it really doesn't take much more time and I think it just comes down to taking pride in your work.
If there's is something you can do to improve the finish on a job and still hit your hourly rates then why not do it? I have been known to brush off the gutter on a conservatory if it spoils the look of a clean.
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We have started washing gutter lines on conservotories as standard. We do incorporate it in the price but the client does not know that.
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In my case i have never sold wfp to anyone by cleaning the frames, i never mention it & in 4 years never been asked to clean a frame wfp or had any complaints about it. I can clean windows wfp perfectly without cleaning the frame so this must be good enough for all my custys. i don't worry about vents, runs etc, life's a hoot :D IMO it's a mistake to over-sell wfp to custys, if you can clean windows spotless that's good enough. By the nature of some posts on here it would seem the custy is left expecting a miracle when indeed just spotless glass would suffice ;)
Tony
I can quite understand not cleaning frames if your trad, but personally I hate seeing dirty frames now I'm wfp, it really doesn't take much more time and I think it just comes down to taking pride in your work.
If there's is something you can do to improve the finish on a job and still hit your hourly rates then why not do it? I have been known to brush off the gutter on a conservatory if it spoils the look of a clean.
Personaly i'm in this game to make money, i take pride in my work, which is cleaning the glass! I would only clean a frame if it was requested of me & they would be charged accordingley. Why should i start cleaning frames?
Tony
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I dont know how to clean "just " glass with wfp...
surely cleaning the small window above the lage window will cause clean water to run over a dirty frame onto the glass...
any how ,how can you clean glass at the top without touching a dirty frame causing dirty water?.
you must be capable of doing it or you would not say...
personally i cant walk away from aouse unless i have cleaned all dirt away, including the doors...
i lookat the other way...
i am a window cleaner, not a glass cleaner. ;)
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I dont know how to clean "just " glass with wfp...
surely cleaning the small window above the lage window will cause clean water to run over a dirty frame onto the glass...
any how ,how can you clean glass at the top without touching a dirty frame causing dirty water?.
you must be capable of doing it or you would not say...
personally i cant walk away from aouse unless i have cleaned all dirt away, including the doors...
i lookat the other way...
i am a window cleaner, not a glass cleaner. ;)
read my earlier post carefully,
Personally i can walk away from a property safe in the knowlage that i will be leaving no dirty drips. ;)
I'm quick, 1st cleans take hardley any longer than any regular clean, no complaints in 4 years, no requests to clean a frame in 4 years, no mention of dirty frames in 4 years work coming out of my ears all on recomendation & best of all, none of my custys frames look particularly dirty either. ;)
Work it out for yourself, or just follow the sheep :D
Tony
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you cant beat walking away knowing all the windows and frames are gleaming... job satisfaction is important to me, and i like my customers frames to sparkle, and so do they, the amount of times i get told..." my last cleaner never touched the frames" ,
i dont follow sheep , i clean everything as i take pride in myself and my work.
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Personally I'd rather take pride in my work and survive than maximise profits and be faulted, but that's just me I like giving my customers a fair deal.
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Personally I'd rather take pride in my work and survive than maximise profits and be faulted, but that's just me I like giving my customers a fair deal.
Fair deal? so am I. Look at what i'v posted, no complaints in all that time. year after year big increases in work with no effort, just by recomendation from happy customers, can you boast the same? it's proof that you don't have to clean frames at all to be sucsessful at wfp & that's my point. Many believe that you HAVE to clean frames to wfp, you don't! every wfp'er i've ever come across has been led to believe they must clean all the frame to get results, this is just not true. If you want to clean frames, fair doos but, it doesn't have to be done. ;)
Tony