[tonyoliver]

has anyone found shop windows almost impossible to clean off the greasy fingerprints and hand marks of the doors extra soap rub like mad stand back to quality control and hell still there get the cloth out rub like hell stand back still there thins its the other side do same again still there  roll eyes walk away  convinced you are a rubbish cleaner
any ideas

[Spruce]

has anyone found shop windows almost impossible to clean off the greasy fingerprints and hand marks of the doors extra soap rub like mad stand back to quality control and hell still there get the cloth out rub like hell stand back still there thins its the other side do same again still there  roll eyes walk away  convinced you are a rubbish cleaner
any ideas

I was just thinking the same thing today. At one time I would get a cleaner out and clean them up, but now I don't bother as often. But I do sometimes feel guilty not cleaning them to the same standard as I used to.

The question is; what lengths are acceptable? I once heard it said by a fellow windie that he was looking for customers that were happy with an 80 to 90% job. He felt that as you can't do a 100% job (perfection), why spend twice the time to add perhaps another 5%. I was shocked at the time as my philosopy was to give 100% at each customer, but I'm starting to wonder about this.

Where do you draw the line between a UPVC restore and clean every mark off the door? I know what I expect, but what does my customer expect?

The case in question was dirty paw marks from the family pet scratching to door to gain entry. Whilst I was being paid the dog just messed up the door as we were talking. No apologises for the mess etc, so I just walked away - before I would have got a cloth out and wiped it off.

[tonyoliver]

spruce your right we get a little jaded as the years roll by quality control is important but so is a payoff between ocd and making a living sometimes a 5.00 shop front just isnt worth the extra mile  or a time when you think this job is still priced at a 1980 s price so you get a dash and splash as it just isnt worth your exta effort the low pticed jobs seem the worst but the marks seem to just hang on ten years ago the plauge was diamond rings scratching the glass i wonder whats next

[Matt.]

I do a lot of work for mcdonalds, and the windows are rotten with greasy finger marks, plenty of fairy on applicator and still won't move. Leave soaked up.......... Still nothing.

Get yourself some microfibre cloths £20 for a bag of 50 from screw fix.

Drop them in your bucket and wring out, soap window up as normal and cloth with microfibre before you blade it off, a little bit of extra pressure on glass.

Bingo

I have to use this method daily and do it on all doors & frames

The microfibres grip the grease and does the job first time.

[Tadgh O Shea]

Before you use the microfibers, just use a magic eraser pad damp with water excellent for removing greasy finger or hand marks from glass surfaces, magic eraser pads are about 40 times more effective than microfiber which makes them the ideal pad for deep cleaning glass surfaces, they are now available in so many different outlets.

[Spruce]

Before you use the microfibers, just use a magic eraser pad damp with water excellent for removing greasy finger or hand marks from glass surfaces, magic eraser pads are about 40 times more effective than microfiber which makes them the ideal pad for deep cleaning glass surfaces, they are now available in so many different outlets.

I agree that Matty would have to go the extra mile for his McDonald job and hopefully this is reflected in his price. But the recession and a glut of window cleaners has seen mainly stagnant pricing in our area since 2008. At one time there was 'a little money on the table' so doing the odd extra wasn't an issue. But that 'fat' isn't there any longer.

The trouble with cleaning a section is that it quickly shows how badly stained the rest of the door is, so you end up doing the whole thing.

[CleanClear]

Spruce, the OP appears to me to be talking about fingerprints on shop glass. You appear to me to be talking about UPVC cleaning and restoration ?

[tlwcs]

Spruce, the OP appears to me to be talking about fingerprints on shop glass. You appear to me to be talking about UPVC cleaning and restoration ?

I read it as customer perception 

[jimiwindows]

I do lot of restaurants aways food finger prints lot of mess on windows,these are great.

[Spruce]

Spruce, the OP appears to me to be talking about fingerprints on shop glass. You appear to me to be talking about UPVC cleaning and restoration ?

Hi Cleanclear.

You are right and my post probably went off at a tangent a bit. Sorry.

The OP definitely needs to remove every finger print from the glass he is cleaning at that moment in time. Jimiwindows has a complete answer to the original post.

However, the question is; how far does he go? I watched a cleaner at MacDonalds about 6 months ago. He cleaned the door glass to a very high standard but within a few moments a few customers came in and left leaving finger marks all over the glass that had just been cleaned. The cleaner was still working on the next few glass panels next to the door whilst this was going on.

I did see him returning to those doors and give them a final clean before he packed up and went on his way. Was it necessary for the cleaner to revisit the doors? But if the manager did an inspection a short time after the cleaner had gone he would have questioned the quality of the clean if he looked at the doors alone. (The rest of the clean he did was perfect.)  

This was the reason why I questioned how far you would go. Did that MacDonald's cleaner I saw go further than he needed to by revisiting the entrance doors? The way I see it is that the cleaner's quality standards are high (and good for him), but could he do a perfectly acceptable job to McDonalds without returning to those doors again.

[Matt.]

Well said spruce !!!!!!!

If I turn up at a mcdonalds, and the front door is rotten I will do it when I arrive, now I know this is going to get filthy again whilst am working but it's the entrance to the restaurant and more than likely will need doing twice.

I then do the doors last so that at least for that one small moment it's clean, when I leave.
It's one of those things you have to accept with jobs like this........... Worst thing is when a mother stands there watching you clean the windows then parks the children next to the window with hands full of food and just sits there while they rub it everywhere. By the time you are finishing the outs off the insides are destroyed.
Heart braking 😪😪

[CleanClear]

The OP definitely needs to remove every finger print from the glass he is cleaning at that moment in time. Jimiwindows has a complete answer to the original post.

Yeah i'd agree the finger prints need removing. I've found a rub with a dry microfibre or scrim is as good as anything. I've never tried Jimiwindows suggestion although i would.

I think when cleaning traditional with a mop and squeegee you tend to look at your finished work and be more critical. God only knows what state they're in when they dry out after we've WFP'd them 

[Sean Dyer]

i do two indian takeaways / restaurants that also serve nados style chicken and then glass on the doors is a nightmare i can scrub and scrub but squeegee off and all the fingerprints are there still!
I end up wiping with a cloth then doing it again ...
All part of the fun I think we get spoiled sometimes thinking everything should be easy

I havent cleaned a dirty window for ages then with all the wind and rain this week even my 3 weekly work was minging - i was gutted i had to actually give them a good clean