[lucymulligan]

how close to the channel do you cut your squeege rubbers ..... feel mine could be cut closer but dont want to bu**er it right up 
ps what do you do when you quote someone for a four bed house and when you get ther realise it has 100 windows 

[Trevor Knight]

Channels - 2 mil either side.

Quote for the 100 windows then lol?

[lucymulligan]

i did it for a tenner but it took me over an hour  8 windows up a ladder 9 windows down stairs .....

[Jon T.C.]

Golden Rule: NEVER quote without seeing the job first. We've all done it Lucy. Don't do it again- this is a formal telling off

Jon

[lucymulligan]

my arms ache today ...only got a few to do though
i went to bed real early last night , didnt even eat the dinner my hubby cooked for me 
the windows muct be about 14in pannels  , i have a 10in squeegee
would it be a good idea to get a 14in so i can just do 1 pull straight down and be done

[Trevor Knight]

my arms ache today ...only got a few to do though
i went to bed real early last night , didnt even eat the dinner my hubby cooked for me 
the windows muct be about 14in pannels  , i have a 10in squeegee
would it be a good idea to get a 14in so i can just do 1 pull straight down and be done

That would leave water marks either side and by then end of your first year you would have a dozen different size channels?

We use a 9" channel and that is probably around the best size for pretty much all glass on houses. Fits nicely into georgian style as wellas being just big enough to cope with larger patio doors etc....

Regarding quoting "blind" now you've learnt ya lesson, DON'T do it! If someone asks us for a price I tell them it is a minimum of X subject to a site visit.

[lucymulligan]

ive always had to learn the hard way ...lol
is it possible to do a window with no detailing .... i think i am spendidng to much time on it 

[Ian_Giles]

I agree with Trevor, on the subject of channels and pricing!

However, on windows such as you've described you can develope a good technique that will allow you to be much quicker, and sometimes, depending on the size of the panes, you can be quicker using a sprayer and microfibre cloth.

Don't have your applicator too wet, on multiple pane windows you can end out with a lot of mopping up to  do otherwise.
Sometimes pre-detailing can work out much faster than doing the detailing after you have squeegee'd off the window, you don't have to be so fussy for one thing, and when you give the frame a wipe around, you dry off and clean the glass just the right distance in from the edges.

Either have a 'perfect fit' channel in your handle or one that is a few inches shorter than the width of the window panes, if you have a channel that is only a little shorter than the width of the pane then you can end out with kicks all over the place, you need to have the space to be able to manouver your squeegee comfortably.
As time passes of course, and you become more experienced this isn't such a problem, but even so, it still makes life easier

Hope you apologised to the customer and told her you made a cock up on the pricing front, and future cleans would be £xxx more!

Ian

[lucymulligan]

so am i right in thinking   i detail around the edges first with a spray and microfiber
then  wipe the center of the window with applicator
squeegee down and mop drips up at the bottom ?

[lucymulligan]

think ive got the wrong end of the stick on that one 

[Roy Harding]

There are many ways to do small windows, first spray center of window with a triger sparyer of your chosen cleaner and wipe out with microfiber if needed use a dry microfiber to polish.

Second dab the centers of the windows with your applicator, not to much water the more you put on the more you have to mop up. Use a damp scrim to spread the liquid out all over the pain then sqeegee off, this way you have detaied the window all in on go, job done.

Roy

[Ian_Giles]

No Lucy,
Use your applicator as normal, but don't have too much water on it.

Wash several panes, or as many as you can before they dry out.

Use the scrim or microfibre you would use for sills (providing it is a clean one, even if it's too wet for dry detailing) to wipe the top 3 sides of the upper panes of glass.

Squeegee those panes, done right you won't need to dry detail them.

Mop the bottom edge of those panes you have just squeegee'd at the same time as you wipe around the next set of panes, which of course will be under the ones you have just squeegee'd.

Squeegee those panes off and continue in that manner, finishing off with a mop of the sill.

job done

Ian

just read Roy's reply, I'd agree with that too! Though you'll struggle with his second method on a warm, sunny day...works in the wintoer though.
Ian

[cottonbud10]

i got a call to quote for a house,the lady said the last w/c did it for £28,and if i went in at between £35-£40 i,ll get the job.Well  when i got there it was like a greenhouse what with a them windows,i went round and counted the windows at £1 each, give or take small ones,came to £75..oops.funny thing is i got the job..did it on sunday..took  3.5 hrs,not bad rate is it..the main thing is don,t be scared to give a price that you think is fair,look at it this way if you don,t get it,you never had it anyway,if you get it...happy days

[marc]

i would tell the customer you got the price wrong then up it to what is a good price

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

  For trad work I have a 10inch and a 16inch.  When you get square panes you need to use a squeegee smaller than the width of the window.  If I have a long window though and it not that wide you can manage it in 1 sweep with the right size squeegee (wider than the window), no turning.
  Ian is right though the less water on the applicator the less water on the window the less water to mop off. And leaving a sud free gap on the top and sides of the window means much less mopping up also.
  As for under pricing just apologize for the pricing mistake and say it took much longer than you thought next clean is £XXXXX.

Simon

[Pat Purcell]

Lucy, when you get a bit more used to window cleaning try this , it cuts down on detailing


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtQ2PsbrD4M&NR

[rosskesava]

Hi Lucy

I've done what you've just done but experience has taugh me never to give a price without seeing the job.

What I'd do which I've done more than a few times when the job takes much much longer than expected is say that to the person, and also appologise, and ask for more money.

9 times out of 10, most people are happy to pay more. If they moan, well then you've lost a pain in the ar*e job that was underpriced.

There is some compulsion that once the job and price is agreed, then it has to be done no matter what. That ideology will in the future earn you good money if it's tempered of knowing when to say no.

Also for those place that have loads of paines all the same size, buy a channel and a hacksaw, and cut a channel about 1/4 of an inch smaller than the width of the paine of glass and cut the rubber to the exact width.

Then all you have to do is to wipe the top of the glass before squeegying. Also, use the mop fairy dry.

You made me laugh about being knackered. It's surprising just how physical window cleaning is. I can remember some days when we got going as a business that I could hardly walk up the stairs.

I used to work as a partnership in a business and one young kiddie we took on, after a few days working with us, we drove him home and carried him indoors. He was done for. His parents couldn't believe how window cleaning could be so tiring. We didn't see him for a few days but we didn't expect to.

Good luck.

Cheers