[Londoner]

On wednesday morning I was driving past a smallish four storey office near Rayners Lane Station on the main roud. A young bloke was cleaning the windows with a pole system and a van pulled up on the pavement blocking the way for commuters going to the station.
The traffic was heavy so I had quite a long time to watch him.

Each window he did about three of four up and downs with the brush in the middle of the glass and then moved on to the next window.
 There was no attempt to "box the frame" and no rinsing afterwards. Not even a half hearted tilt left tilt right like you see some doing. The brush was a vikan so there weren't top jets to rinse with the brush on the glass.

Then the traffic moved off and I could not watch anymore. Hover half an hour later when I came back he was cleaning the windows on the floor above the one he had been doing before so all his water was running down onto the windows he had just done.

Now the question I have for you is this. Given that they must have a lot more contracts than just this one block of offices. How do these people stay in business?

[simon knight]

Possibly the guy who did the windows before him was dearer and even worse!

He can't have been in the job long to have made the elementary mistake of cleaning upwards 

[P®oPole™]

Hi Vince,

How do you know he wasnt doing it the proper way and your the one that has been doing it a dangerous and time consuming way!!

Might be wrong mate, but going from what I hear off some members here, he could well be a seasoned pro who knows exactly what hes doing. For instance you said about hes scrub how do you know that wasnt hes rinse, you dont need to lift the brush off or even "tilt" for the rinse you know!!! and you can rinse in an up down motion rather like a scrub. Also how do you know he didnt clean the frames first or "box in" as you say.

For cleaning windows above the ones he had already done I cannot comment on, other than he might of done a fly clean including frames and extremly soiled windows then gone back for the final rinse.

ProPole

[LSB]

I do a lot of work in that area , but it wasnt me !!  im trad !

[AuRavelling79]

Hi Vince,

How do you know he wasnt doing it the proper way and your the one that has been doing it a dangerous and time consuming way!!

Might be wrong mate, but going from what I hear off some members here, he could well be a seasoned pro who knows exactly what hes doing. For instance you said about hes scrub how do you know that wasnt hes rinse, you dont need to lift the brush off or even "tilt" for the rinse you know!!! and you can rinse in an up down motion rather like a scrub. Also how do you know he didnt clean the frames first or "box in" as you say.

For cleaning windows above the ones he had already done I cannot comment on, other than he might of done a fly clean including frames and extremly soiled windows then gone back for the final rinse.

ProPole

So it was you then ProPole!

[P®oPole™]

Hi Malc,

Not me mate, if it was me he would have no doubt of the skill and controll ProPole has when operating wfp's

ProPole

[Paul Coleman]

On wednesday morning I was driving past a smallish four storey office near Rayners Lane Station on the main roud. A young bloke was cleaning the windows with a pole system and a van pulled up on the pavement blocking the way for commuters going to the station.
The traffic was heavy so I had quite a long time to watch him.

Each window he did about three of four up and downs with the brush in the middle of the glass and then moved on to the next window.
 There was no attempt to "box the frame" and no rinsing afterwards. Not even a half hearted tilt left tilt right like you see some doing. The brush was a vikan so there weren't top jets to rinse with the brush on the glass.

Then the traffic moved off and I could not watch anymore. Hover half an hour later when I came back he was cleaning the windows on the floor above the one he had been doing before so all his water was running down onto the windows he had just done.

Now the question I have for you is this. Given that they must have a lot more contracts than just this one block of offices. How do these people stay in business?

I suppose when you saw him the second time he might have been on the second pass over the windows - perhaps doing a first clean.  Mind you, it doesn't sound like his first pass was very thorough if that was the case.

[simon knight]

So why you not working today big boy?

[Paul Coleman]

So why you not working today big boy?

I'm a day or two in front with my work and it's raining anyway.  I did go out to do a commercial job between 9.30 and 11.  I don't mind getting wet to keep up with my targets but I don't see the point of getting soaked if I'm already in front with my work.

[shammy davis jnr]

m ,bee he just got a new customer up stairs

[simon knight]

I need to catch up big time...past few weeks have had a combination of crap weather, a cold/hacking cough I just can't seem to shake off and a few domestic problems.  Oh well I guess I'll find out which customers are faithfull!

[Mike_G]

Price. I expect he is cheaper than the last guy. Or it may be that he is employed by a company and he just does not care.

[Paul Coleman]

I need to catch up big time...past few weeks have had a combination of crap weather, a cold/hacking cough I just can't seem to shake off and a few domestic problems.  Oh well I guess I'll find out which customers are faithfull!

Sorry to hear of your current woes.  Life does seem to go through those phases sometimes doesn't it?  The good thing is that it always passes.  Hope you are fighting fit and raring to go again pretty soon Simon.

[Londoner]

It wasn't Propole, I did clock the name on the van but thought it wise not to mention it just in case. Actually it wasn't a name I recognised as being a local outfit.
Lloyd If you work round that area you must be very close to my patch. Where do you do?

[chrismroberts]

Hope you dont mind me asking, but what does "box the frame" mean?

[simon knight]

I need to catch up big time...past few weeks have had a combination of crap weather, a cold/hacking cough I just can't seem to shake off and a few domestic problems.  Oh well I guess I'll find out which customers are faithfull!

Sorry to hear of your current woes.  Life does seem to go through those phases sometimes doesn't it?  The good thing is that it always passes.  Hope you are fighting fit and raring to go again pretty soon Simon.

Cheers Guv' Good weekend.

[LSB]

  Vince     I do harrow , PINNER , rayners lane etc !   
  LSB window cleaners .
  Lloyd .

[KJG]

Some of the cr@ppest window cleaners I've ever worked with have gone on to become very wealthy. My own dad, a slow bumper went on to become managing director of one of Birmingham's top cleaning firms.

How does it work? You tell me!

[Londoner]

Sheepmeister, "boxing the frame" is how most WFP users start to clean a window. It just means going round the outside edges first to clean them and into the corners before doing the main glass.