Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Craig 72 on April 07, 2009, 01:51:02 pm
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Hi folks.Got my WCW backpack over the weekend and used it for the first time today.I was delighted with it initially and everything seemed to go well.I finished a 3 story house and conservatory in probably half the time I would have done trad.Then right near the end of the job I've gone back round to check out how everything looked and there was a good few 'cloudy looking' run marks that were showing up here and there.I can only assume it's from the frames but I scrubbed the bejesus out of them before doing the windows.Anybody else had this?Obviously I'm doing something fundamentally wrong but is there a link or guide to the actual technique of water fed pole cleaning?I've checked out several videos on youtube and thought I had it sorted but apparently not.Thanks.
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i'm dreading this TBH :(
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Why's that JSMC?I realise this topic has no doubt been covered a thousand times but after doing a search I couldn't find a thread on the basic technique of WFP,strangely enough.
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if the frames are mucky specially at the top and especially above the opener, the trick is to clean the top of the frames and give the glass a do while your there but dont go mad on the glass, just make sure all the muck at the top isn't gonna come down. then do the next window the same. when the first one you did has stopped dripping at the top do the glass, scrubbing along the top of the glass onto the rubber seals alot. then rinse it down. just the glass and the separator/cross bar if its got an opener. first cleans on changeover are :-X
even after you've done all the above you walk away and the rubber seals will leech down from the top of the glass. 2nd cleans are easier but still need lots of care. stick with it bud, i was ready to put my system in orbit in the first few weeks ;D
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Clean all frames and glass on the whole house then go back round and do just glass, rinse rinse and rinse more, as you where trad theres probably loads of soap which you probably wont get off on the 1st clean wfp.
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I found that first cleans using cold water can be a challenge, but if you attack it in 2 stges the results are good 95% of the time.
1st clean all the frames, especially the top frame of the entire house
2nd, go back to the start and just clean the glass all the way round the house
The 2nd clean is a lot easier, so no need to do it in 2 stages ever again,.. and by the time you're on 3rd and 4th cleans you'll have very few problems.
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Ok gents cheers.Practice will make perfect hopefully.Luckily I get on well with the customers I did today and explained to them it may take a couple of cleans to get the technique right,which they were fine with.Other customers won't be so understanding though I'm guessing,so hopefully I'll pick it up a bit sharpish.
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i take longer on the windows i know they gonna look out of more, like kitchen and front room or near the telly. i dont do a bad job of the others, just covering myself really till all the first few cleans are out of the way.
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When rinsing if your not doing the top frame try and make sure the brush is as close to the window as poss and that the jets hit just under the frame, ive seen people rinse from about a foot away from the glass.
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good point, cos i dont do frames unless i have to, because of style of frame or they pay extra.
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Hook up to the custys outside tap on the first clean and give EVERYTHING a damn good going over with just tap water. Then go back and re-do them with RO.
I did it that way and out of 200 custys had one complaint.
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First cleans or swapping from trad, What I do is scrub frame + Glass, rinse frame then glass when done go round house again with a quick wash and rinse off of the glass only.
For me if you took half the time you did traditional then you haven't been thorough enough. first cleans I always allow twice as long, It really does need to be right its often the customers first impression of WFP.
Some UPVC frames have holes in the upper edges that are hard to spot but run onto the glass after you've cleaned, if that is the case do the windows above first let them drip then go back to the bottom window and clean the glass only.
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Did I say rinse rinse rinse?
If I didnt then make sure you rinse lots and then rinse lots more.
To me rinsing on first cleans is more important than lots of scrubbing.
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what i did was the clean before i went wfp was to wipe the top of every frame make sure they are clean
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Did I say rinse rinse rinse?
If I didnt then make sure you rinse lots and then rinse lots more.
To me rinsing on first cleans is more important than lots of scrubbing.
No you didnt matt i did
Clean all frames and glass on the whole house then go back round and do just glass, rinse rinse and rinse more, as you where trad theres probably loads of soap which you probably wont get off on the 1st clean wfp.
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You will find on many frames the customers have used a cleaner to get them clean or remove marks especially white ones.
When this has been done you get a "milky" residue down the glass.
The only way to combat this is to really scrub the frames down, then leave them to dry (coffee break time) then go back and only clean the glass.
After you have cleaned the glass check to make sure that there has not been a run down of the milky substance from the frames, if there has been, blade the glass dry.
On the next clean you should be ok.
Also warn the customers not to use that cleaner again, otherwise it will happen again especially when it rains.
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Somethings that i noticed when we switched over.
First clean took a lifetime,
We would have done a council house 10mins trad, first wash wfp took 15mins roughly. (More on the awkard ones)
Second clean takes a bit of time too.
After that 90% of houses were a doddle.
Between the 2 of us we find that we can get 4 council houses done now in 20mins, and not near as tired as we would have been previously.
a coupel of things i would mention, on a scorching hot day, give any hot windows a better than normal rinsing, and avoid frame vents like the plague.
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I hear a lot of people saying that it can take up to 3 to 4 cleans for the glass to come good!!! :o
Personally i think thats utter rubbish!
When i first switched wfp Most of my work came up good 1st time if not the 2nd time.
I have been wfp now for 3 years and I use the hot water system. New house that I take on and haven't had there windows cleaned for years i can get to come up perfect first time round!
I dont do them twice either. All I doo is scrub the top frame, side frame and sill then scrub the glass. I then start rinsing thourghly from the top frame right down to the sill and job done. 99.9% of the time they are all perfect and no complaints.
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Its easy to see the problem. :(
You say that you cleaned it in half the time you would have taken trad. There it is.
When you switch over to wfp, it should take you longer to begin with not quicker.
Bob
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Welcome to the world of WFP which can often bring headache's ;D
You really need to rinse loads and when you think you rinsed enough rinse again.
Its no magic wand it like starting window cleaning again you have to learn to use the tools correctly.
Do you know anyone near you with WFP who you could spend a few hours with as you will see what you are doing wrong.
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Without trying to sound clever, I think that the problem is, is that you have a backpack. I have one and they are very good for the odd job with access problems but on a dirty first clean, you need LOTS of water and lots of scrubbing. You can't get that with a back pack. I use my 500 litre van jobbie 99.9% of the time and I never have a problem with first cleans.
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The brush plays a big part in results a big part,all this go round the house and then go back again i don`t believe in.Take you time on the first clean and do each side of the house at a time thoroughly,if there plastic they will come up quicker and with hot water you`ll do them almost as quick as a cold WFPoler on a regular clean.
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Its easy to see the problem. :(
You say that you cleaned it in half the time you would have taken trad. There it is.
When you switch over to wfp, it should take you longer to begin with not quicker.
Bob
Nail on the head..... we've all been there :)
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The brush plays a big part in results a big part,all this go round the house and then go back again i don`t believe in.Take you time on the first clean and do each side of the house at a time thoroughly,if there plastic they will come up quicker and with hot water you`ll do them almost as quick as a cold WFPoler on a regular clean.
Be realistic.....
Even you with your infinite wisdom and knowledge didnt invest in a hot-water system before you'd mastered WFP
;D
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Your quiet right Matt you have to master cold water first although if someone could afford it there life would be easier than mine ever was from day 1.
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Hi folks.Got my WCW backpack over the weekend and used it for the first time today.I was delighted with it initially and everything seemed to go well.I finished a 3 story house and conservatory in probably half the time I would have done trad.Then right near the end of the job I've gone back round to check out how everything looked and there was a good few 'cloudy looking' run marks that were showing up here and there.I can only assume it's from the frames but I scrubbed the bejesus out of them before doing the windows.Anybody else had this?Obviously I'm doing something fundamentally wrong but is there a link or guide to the actual technique of water fed pole cleaning?I've checked out several videos on youtube and thought I had it sorted but apparently not.Thanks.
I suspect that part of the problem may be not using enough water. Backpacks are good tools but not really ideal for dirty first cleans IMO. It's too tempting to skimp on water to save from regularly refilling. Skimping water on first cleans is a bad idea.
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i finished a 3 story house and conservatory in probably half the time I would have done trad.
That is where the problem lies. You need to take as much time as you did traditionally.
Good results with that speed i don't think will be achievable for another year or more.
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Thanks for the excellent advice everybody.From now on I will scrub the frames all round then go back and do the glass.I scrubbed the frames and then straight away did the glass then rinsed and that sounds like the problem.I thought I was pretty thorough to be honest,it certainly wasn't a case of a quick going over then finish.I say that I probably finished in half the time with trad but that's probably down to the fact that I'm reasonably new to this lark and still not the quickest with trad!
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yep rinse rinse rinse and rinse some more,i still have some houses
now that cloud on the window if i touch the frames i just rinse till run
clear.
like others have said first cleans should take a lot longer you will
probably feel in your first month or so that its not worth the hassle..i
know i did :) but in the long run the advantages far out way the negatives :)
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If you feel better to clean them by hand on the first clean then do so that way every clean after that will be ok without the dirt running of from the frames.......or another good way is this.
buy another backpack if you can afford one...get a cheap pole from b&q or unger feed it through and at the top put an applicator with the hose through a small hole you can drill...then in your second pack pack fill with gg3 or 4 mixed with water scrub with your applicator then go over with your second backpack filled with pure water ..hey presto lovely and clean and no runs...and it saves water as youve pr cleaned with gg3 ...but only do this if it makes you feel better...i use this way on some self cleaning glass next to a road so pure water alone wont remove the traffic film with just the brushes so i use the applicator option first ..removes it quick then a quick rinse over job done...