[Dave Anderson]

Hi...now only having ever spent around 6 weeks as a full-time trad window cleaner and never in the icey throws of winter...at what temps did you work to...not what was your most heroic moment but the temps you would sensibly work to?

Cheers
Dave.

[Steven Shoreditch]

+2

[elite mike]

even with antifreeze in the water, i have worked in -5

but if there is any sort of wind it will still freeze

then its time to find some inside work or go home

[bobby p]

spikes on ladder  so it isnt bothering me yet . i stop when i cant grip the top end of my ladder  properly.  still just wearing t-shirt plus windshirt , but am tucking the t-shirt in my joggers better now the winter chill is here

 did u enjoy those 6 weeks dave

[Jack Wallace]

When my hands stopped working.  

Unless your thinking of carrying a thermometer around with you all day and checking before you start each house.

just use common sense!

[Gordon_Taylor]

I've been cleaning windows for about 15 years now and I can honestly say I only had it a couple of times when I couldn't clean windows, normally when it's really early on commercial buildings when there's no heating on.

With modern central heating the windows are normally warm enough for it not to freeze, that's not to say your applicator won't freeze in the bucket.

Personally I don't look at the temperature I just crack on and see what happens.

Although I have had it in the past where I've been cleaning a house and the owners have not had the heating on in the spare bedroom and it froze as soon as the water hit the glass.

My advice would be take all your gear in doors at night, have some desent screen wash in your motor and just take every job as it is.


Gordon

[glen parva]

-5 with anti frezze in water only on shops

[dave0123]

I did some trad stuff not last year but year before i think it was around minus 4 or minus 5 about 8.30 and water froze on the glass!! big white soapy ice lol..

Waited till around 10 ish then all was fine but that was the first time i had experianced trad water freezing.

[Tom White]

-5 with anti frezze in water only on shops

I was taught that anti-freeze - the stuff you put in cars radiators - is a carcinogenic (it causes cancer).  This was some years ago mind, when I was in the army; so maybe it's not?

But did you really use anti-freeze or screen wash?

[Chris - CBWC]

It was supposedly +2 here in Surrey last Thursday but it didn't feel that cold, even when it snowed and I carried on working as it didn't settle.  Supposed to be snow on Tuesday, -1 Wed, -2 Thurs but advanced forecasts are 95% unreliable!  I don't tend to start work earlier than 10am as have various things to do in the morning, school run being one of them so the frost has generally thawed, just don't do conservatories early as they sometimes take a while to heat up.  Be very careful with the ice, especially on decking.  Put your ladder up to the window and try and slide the feet backwards and forwards along the floor.  If it slides easily, don't go up it, customers generally won't mind you not doing them once, most of them won't notice either!

It's only going to get colder as we head towards January and don't worry about getting behind with your work.  I'm pretty sure I have too much work (not complaining!) - have spent the whole year a couple of weeks behind, but I have great customers who won't mind   And they keep asking me when I'm going to put my prices up and telling me I should do it soon

Chris

[cozy]

Screenwash 50/50 water. Lowest is minus 6c. We don't start before 9 am and finish about 2 pm at the latest in that weather. The first 30 minutes are the worst, after that your hands warm up and it's comfortable to work. Learned all the tricks to keep warm when I was a squaddie.

Thank God for carpet & upholstery cleaning. Have enough work lined up and have griiting & snow clearance contracts set up this year. Not getting hammered like last winter!!

[Johnny B]

I take each day as it comes. I don't worry about it being cold (just put on extra jumpers etc).

With regard to the ground being icy, if it feels slippery underfoot, it will be unsafe to attempt ladder work, so I don't. Obvious really.

In the winter I use hot water, at least as hot as I can put my hands in.
I don't normally have problems with water freezing unless the property is unheated inside, but if I do, I wipe the windows with a clean, dry cloth after mopping and blading.   

John 

[chopsie]

Do you think customers will be ok with just having downstairs done trad in this weather? Then whole clean on next visit in the new year?

[cozy]

We did some of that last winter with our Brit custies mate. Had no complaints. Did alot of trad work with a 12 ft pole too, again, no complaints.

[chopsie]

No doubt I will be doing some this week then, Dunno about pole work though, Think I will make more of a mess than a clean!!

[cozy]

It's not perfect mate. We did it for 2 cleans last winter and no probs with custies. You being WFP though, may be more trouble than it's worth. Dazmond and that gay bloke (Matt Bateman) gave me the tip last year.

[glen parva]

-5 with anti frezze in water only on shops

I was taught that anti-freeze - the stuff you put in cars radiators - is a carcinogenic (it causes cancer).  This was some years ago mind, when I was in the army; so maybe it's not?

But did you really use anti-freeze or screen wash?

yes mate  i do got some in my trad water now thats screen wash never had a problem
with freezing windows

[chopsie]

It's not perfect mate. We did it for 2 cleans last winter and no probs with custies. You being WFP though, may be more trouble than it's worth. Dazmond and that gay bloke (Matt Bateman) gave me the tip last year.

I think if needs be I will trad some downstairs only, I am not too worried about using fairy, or whatever on windows that I wfp. I think it a bit of myth that one, A good rinse on next clean will sort it, Its dirt spots of frames or from leaking seals I worry about (when wfp).