[g.brookes]

Hi chaps, i have a block of offices that i started to clean last week with wfp.  Now it looks like they have't been cleaned for about 5 years and are completely filthy.  I went last week to clean them, saw the dirt melting off the windows and spent the proper time required for first cleans.  Now the customer didn't believe i had even cleaned them.
 I re did them this morning, then went in to do the insides.  They were still absolutely filthy and i was very embarrassed.  I wouldn't have believed they'd been cleaned myself.  They all had what can only be described as 'cloud' like stains- most of the window covered in white and lots of dots.  Now i think that its just general dirt built up over the years, but i have now spent over an hour scrubbing away at 5 bloody windows.  What they really need is a good scraper blade, but the nature of the job means that ladders can't be used, and the guy is certainly not gonna pay for a cherry picker for a £20 job.
anyone had similar to this, and any advice about what to do?  p.s i don't have a hot system

[Mike #1]

Not come across this before myself but have tried tfr in a spray bottle . spraying onto brushead. liberably then giving glass a good scrub . pressure sprayer and leave to soak a while sorry not much good .

feel for you mate nothing worse than struggling with a tough clean . Mike

[david moss]

Are you sure it's not old soap residue seeping from the frames, I have had this before on old buildings with bad frames

[bobby p]

how high is it

[matthewprice]

i had some windows that were stained because they had lead above them that had leached on to the glass had to use brick acid left it on for 10/15 seconds then rinsed off took most of it off

[colin purewater]

Ate you sure the dg unit hasn't broken down mate and it's on th inside?

[Nameless Drudge]

I cleaned an office block in February WFP that sounds exactly the same,£240 job inside and out so i got to see the results close up.Anyones guess how long it had been since last cleaned,it has stood empty for 6 years.The windows looked great from some angles but from others it appeared they hadn`t been cleaned on the outside.I told them it was near permanent staining caused by hard water deposits and depending on what they consist of and how they had formed that quite possibly they were etched into the surface of the glass.Luckily some windows opened inwards and i was able to demonstrate that this staining/muck didn`t budge and wasn`t always visible due to the light.So i ran through mineral deposit remover/bronze wool/acid/damage caused by scraping and the labour cost and suggested glass replacement as the cost effective solution and that i had done all that could be done with normal cleaning methods.Got paid there and then.
              However it could have been so much different and i was lucky in that an interior refurb was taking place and the head honcho was in the building and i realised the problem very quickly,approached the man and explained.Lucky again as he had just leased the place temporarily and all being paid for by a contractors insurance due to the contractor flooding his usual offices.Valuable lesson learnt by me . I  tell anyone now that if the windows have been left to long without being cleaned properly then they may have near irreversible stain damage that i cannot remove and its a good feeling when they say "do the best you can".

[g.brookes]

thanks for the replies chaps. it sounds a lot like yourself drudge- hard water deposits ingrained onto the glass i think is what it was.  i too am lucky in that the guy has said youve done your best, but i really hate to look at the job (he wants me to clean them every month) knowing im not leaving them sparkling.  i think glass replacement, or a cradle are the only things to do

[Total shine cleaning services]

There is an American guy on YouTube who uses hydrochloric acid to shift hard water stains,anyone seen this..?

Graham

[Elfyn]

The Yanks have, I'm told, a completely different outlook on window cleaning.
They use wire wool and clean only ever 2 to 3 years. 

[dazmond]

£20 for a commercial office job?just how high are these windows?surely you can get a ladder out and scrape em properly?

[Londoner]

Can you not lean out of one or the windows and give some of the glass  a good spray with Cillit Bang or similar limescale remover?

It may not solve the problem but it may answer a few questions and give you a direction to work towards. I reckon the building has been hosed a few times.

[g.brookes]

its about 30 ft high and its on a riciulously steep hill so im not prepared to get up there on the ladder and he doesn't expect me to.  also the angle that the windows open at means i cant reach them from the inside.  and re: dazmond, like i said its only 5 windows- small section of a larger office block.
in two years this is the first time i've been defeated!

[king marko]

Ever heard of cerium oxide? (you can get it cheap on eBay) think theres a vid on YouTube also (search window cleaning tips hard water stains)- might be worth a shot?

[pure tech]

Why not test CC550 on these stains.
If it works wou could apply it using a trad pole then rinse wfp

[bobby p]

unless you can get hold of a big ladder ,i would walk away rather than dissapoint the customer

[g.brookes]

yeah, cheers for the suggestions chaps

[dannymack]

wouldnt bother m8 for £20 sounds like the windows are weatherd youll prob scrap them so they come up ok but then u may scratch the glass to bits !!!