[Phil J]

Hey Guys,
Just wondering what you prefer for detailing, microfiber or scrim?
Thanks, Phil.....

[Nick Day]

Hello,

I cleaned M & S daily for twenty five years, Next, Debenhams. McDonalds, Mothercare   and numerous others. It is only since I came on here I've read about detailing etc. and seen all sorts of alterations to squeegees.
Squeegees were invented I believe in about 1928, millions upon millions of square meters have been cleaned.
Why the need for any of the detailing and alterations to squeegees.

[Matt.]

Unger microfibre ones mate.

Best there is about

[M & C Window Cleaning]

I was a trad cleaner for 30 years and still do a little. The day I discovered microfibre (Unger to be specific) I never touched another scrim.

[Tadgh O Shea]

For optimal results its best to use microfiber HPD (high performance detailing) cloths, you won't get a better finish for detailing internal glass,mirrors, or small georgian window panels.  just use one damp with water to detail and then a second one dry to polish off for a 100% smear and lint free finish.

[Shane sharples]

Aldi microfibre cloths, £1 for 2, they are unbelievable , use one damp, fantastic results

[stan stansfield]

always use scrim,have just started using microfibre for leaded and georgian,but scrim is best for deatailing

[Matt.]

I was a trad cleaner for 30 years and still do a little. The day I discovered microfibre (Unger to be specific) I never touched another scrim.

There you go mate

Small ones about £3
Big ones about £6

Will never ever use a scrim again 

[sunshine windows]

 unger or blue microfibres all the way for me. How anyone can say scrim is better for detailing is ridiculous. They leave lint all over the glass

[Tadgh O Shea]

the best scrim is supposed to be natural Irish linen scrim, when it comes to detailing its best to use South Korean microfiber detailing cloths which are produced specifically to achieve optimal results on glass surfaces, when using these authentic high performance glass detailing cloths you will only barely dampen the glass surface so when you use a second one dry to polish off the results are phenomenal, we stock 19 x 19  inch x 150gsm  microfiber HPD cloths, i can say with confidence we wont be beaten on price and quality when it comes to authentic South Korean glass detailing cloths, if anyone would like more information send me an email to info@jskcleaning.ie       regards  Tadgh

[stan stansfield]

unger or blue microfibres all the way for me. How anyone can say scrim is better for detailing is ridiculous. They leave lint all over the glass

you must be buying the cheap scrim,or kept it to long

[Tadgh O Shea]

Hello,

I cleaned M & S daily for twenty five years, Next, Debenhams. McDonalds, Mothercare   and numerous others. It is only since I came on here I've read about detailing etc. and seen all sorts of alterations to squeegees.
Squeegees were invented I believe in about 1928, millions upon millions of square meters have been cleaned.
Why the need for any of the detailing and alterations to squeegees.

  Nick, no matter how experienced or skilled you are with a squeegee its just not possible to remove all the moisture from corners and edges, the only way to achieve optimal results is to use authentic glass detailing cloths, as we all know for general window cleaning you don't need to go to the extent of detailing the glass, when it comes to the likes of  high end retailers, jewellers,opticans, etc, they are prepared to pay extra when you educate or demonstrate to them the end results which are achievable, i will even add that high end retailers are more than willing to pay for detailing their interior glass and mirror surfaces (especially their glass presentation cases) which is an add on that is widely untapped by many window cleaners, just to share some of my thoughts on detailing.

[Nick Day]

Hello Tadgh,
I don't know who you are, but you sound like someone who sells microfiber.
I can assure anybody  that if you develop "the technique", it is touch, a feel, when using a squeegee on corners and edges, you will not leave any moisture.
I had the contract for cleaning all mirrors , internal glass, escalator sides etc. for M & S, Debenhams etc there was no problem with the results.
As for commercials paying extra for great results, I would love to hear the extra they are paying and who is paying!!!

[Johnny B]

I have used 'A' grade scrims, and both the Unger flat weave and Paragon fishscale cloths. Both microfibre cloths are brilliant and superior to scrims in that they both leave a lint-free finish, even in direct sunlight. The Paragon cloths win it for me as they last a lot longer.

John 

[Ian Lancaster]

As Tadgh O Shea says, the best scrim is genuine natural Irish linen scrim.  Unfortunately there's no such thing!!

Somewhere along the line someone decided that eastern European 'scrim' would be just as good and since then the genuine Irish version has been unobtainable.

Real scrim could be used as a 'once over' cleaning cloth.  You could wet this, wring it out (special technique that I could show you, but no point as it doesn't work on 'modern' scrim) and use it just slightly damp.  It would take off the dirt and polish the glass spotless in one operation, all it needed was a bit of 'elbow grease'.

Back in the day we would clean everything with just the one 'tool' and get perfect results every time, the only draw back was it was hard work!!  'Ragging' (as it was called) was the preferred method of every professional window cleaner when cleaning small panes of glass.

We would clean a whole school (see my thread 'The way things were') just using scrim which we would dunk in the bucket every time it became too dry to do it's job and then wring out again to exactly the right level of 'dampness' to achieve the required result.

[Matt.]

Get every scrim ya want............ They still won't be as good as the unger microfibres

[Tadgh O Shea]

Hello Tadgh,
I don't know who you are, but you sound like someone who sells microfiber.
I can assure anybody  that if you develop "the technique", it is touch, a feel, when using a squeegee on corners and edges, you will not leave any moisture.
I had the contract for cleaning all mirrors , internal glass, escalator sides etc. for M & S, Debenhams etc there was no problem with the results.
As for commercials paying extra for great results, I would love to hear the extra they are paying and who is paying!!!

  Hi Nick, yes i do promote microfiber technology, i have been on the glass for over 30 years and would be dab with a squeegee, i have no problem putting up my hand and say it again its just not possible to remove all the moisture from the glass no matter how experienced one is with the squeegee,   the retailers i was talking about would be more high end than the ones you have mentioned, there are plenty of high end retailers especially in the UK who will pay for detailing their expensive fixtures and fittings as they will tell you presentation is everything to them. As for detailing cloths to the best of my knowledge Unger and Paragon don't promote  microfiber detailing cloths.

[Plankton]

Hello Tadgh,
I don't know who you are, but you sound like someone who sells microfiber.
I can assure anybody  that if you develop "the technique", it is touch, a feel, when using a squeegee on corners and edges, you will not leave any moisture.
I had the contract for cleaning all mirrors , internal glass, escalator sides etc. for M & S, Debenhams etc there was no problem with the results.
As for commercials paying extra for great results, I would love to hear the extra they are paying and who is paying!!!

I have previously jumped to the conclusion that Tadgh was 'just a salesman'. Yes he dose have products to sell as others do but I don't have the same opinion now! And as I'm looking for good micro fibres I'll be ordering a few. Scrims take a while to break in (my opinion) Micro fibres are far better for working with from the start.

[Tadgh O Shea]

Just to confirm i am not knocking other companies microfiber, but just to explain there is a big difference in quality and performance between microfiber glass cleaning cloths and microfiber glass detailing cloths.  Tadgh

[trevor perry]

As Tadgh O Shea says, the best scrim is genuine natural Irish linen scrim.  Unfortunately there's no such thing!!

Somewhere along the line someone decided that eastern European 'scrim' would be just as good and since then the genuine Irish version has been unobtainable.

Real scrim could be used as a 'once over' cleaning cloth.  You could wet this, wring it out (special technique that I could show you, but no point as it doesn't work on 'modern' scrim) and use it just slightly damp.  It would take off the dirt and polish the glass spotless in one operation, all it needed was a bit of 'elbow grease'.

Back in the day we would clean everything with just the one 'tool' and get perfect results every time, the only draw back was it was hard work!!  'Ragging' (as it was called) was the preferred method of every professional window cleaner when cleaning small panes of glass.

We would clean a whole school (see my thread 'The way things were') just using scrim which we would dunk in the bucket every time it became too dry to do it's job and then wring out again to exactly the right level of 'dampness' to achieve the required result.

Spot on, we cleaned hundreds of schools this way and they where only cleaned every 4 months so very dirty in areas where smokers had been ie staff rooms and offices we would use a rat tail mop before scrumming.
 A brand new scrim used to take time to break in so we would boil them them and use them as a wiping up cloth for a couple of weeks before using for ragging.
 My dad wouldn't let me use a squeegee for my first year I was to clean everything mop and scrim , doing large plate glass windows at Lancaster university in offices with windows full of nicotine in direct sunlight was definitely character building and it certainly built up my strength as a young lad