[NWH]

Maybe he's happy yeah I'd expect he would be if I told him I'd done his weeks wages by Tuesday afternoon lol.

[G Griffin]

Trad and wfp both use the same principles. Break down what's on the glass and then remove it. Trad, you wash the glass, break the dirt down and then blade it away. Wfp, you scrub with the brush to break the dirt down and then rinse it away.
It's that simple.
But in practice it's not because we all want to get on to the next window. If there's no dirt left on the window and all your gear is sound then you should have no problems, generally.

In Johnny's case and the problems most tradders have, in my experience, is in the soaping up and not the blading, I reckon.
They don't do enough and end up with lines, kicks and smears as the dirt left is squeegeed around. If a window is dirty, keep washing it until you think all the dirt is gone. Then wash it again another 2 or 3 times! 
John, microfibre the window BEFORE soaping up. As an experiment, target areas of six square inches, say, and wipe and wipe and wipe. Then soap up- with enough water- and and there should be no problems.
It's the same with wfp.
But I'm not as good at wfp 

[LT carpet cleaning]

Maybe he's happy yeah I'd expect he would be if I told him I'd done his weeks wages by Tuesday afternoon lol.

Yawn 

[rosskesava]

Salt is a right sod to clean off using trad.

Living and working in a coastal town I used to find that when I was 100% trad, after a storm touching the glass with a cloth would produce smears.

I used to wipe over the frames first and then mop and squeegee the glass very carefully and not detail the edges. It went against the grain for me not to detail the edges but most customers were fine with it and most understood that the edges of the glass might not be 100% perfect.

Sometimes if a customer had a hose pipe in the garden and they were out, I'd hose down the glass first.

[dazmond]

what cloths are you using?i find microfibre cloths pretty useless in cold damp conditions.a nice dry scrim is much better/absorbent.

on really dirty windows cleaned trad id mop the window a few times with a fairly wet/dripping  applicator and scrub the corners/edges of the window where the rubber meets the frames with the edge of the applicator then wipe the edges with a dry scrim BEFORE squeegeeing the window.this should result in a clean window.

[G Griffin]

Salt is a right sod to clean off using trad.

Living and working in a coastal town I used to find that when I was 100% trad, after a storm touching the glass with a cloth would produce smears.

I used to wipe over the frames first and then mop and squeegee the glass very carefully and not detail the edges. It went against the grain for me not to detail the edges but most customers were fine with it and most understood that the edges of the glass might not be 100% perfect.

Sometimes if a customer had a hose pipe in the garden and they were out, I'd hose down the glass first.

That's because you hadn't got rid of all the salt.
But that's easy for me to say  . I'd probably get fed up and do the same.

I like Dazmond's technique, too. But I find applicator T-bars' are not the best design. Maybe something like a plasterers trowel design would be better on dirty windows.
But then you'd need a new BoaB  .

[rosskesava]

That's because you hadn't got rid of all the salt.
But that's easy for me to say  . I'd probably get fed up and do the same.

I like Dazmond's technique, too. But I find applicator T-bars' are not the best design. Maybe something like a plasterers trowel design would be better on dirty windows.
But then you'd need a new BoaB  .

I've tried every method with salt covered windows and to get the glass 100% perfect, no hope. For someone who's a bit OCD cleaning windows trad it must be hellish.

Cleaning windows with a trowel...... how did you ever make any money?

[Smurf]

I  would say not all well established domestic compact trad rounds are best suited to wfp especially the likes of terraced backs with bad access, certain type of frames and parking issues for instance. It's a case of using the most appropriate method for the job I suppose or if using wfp only pick and choose what types of properties you want on your round that is less hassle to do.  Yes wfp is great for awkward jobs too that ladders can't safely reach and add-on work but the added cost etc at the end of the day it's  not for everyone as many are set in their ways and like trad work.

Not so long ago I remember a chap starting up again and building a trad only round. He has been cleaning windows 25 years so had no problem building a domestic round again quickly. Soon after getting back into it even though he was highly skilled including trad pole work wanted to try wfp to see what all the fuss was about so bought a backpack & pole etc. Within a very short time the penny dropped what he had been missing out on over the years so is now using a van mount on his round.

That's much the same story for most trad cleaners over the years that give wfp a go as they soon catch on wfp method when being the most appropriate tool for the job is a potential game changer.

I think in this day and age to be a competitive window cleaner (sole trader or firm) to be able to offer the services that clients request especially higher residential & commercial exterior work etc where H&S plays a big part in gaining work you need both skill sets at your disposal to remain at the top of your game not just one or the other. Likewise wfp don't work very well on internal jobs unless you happen to be cleaning a swimming pool I suppose. 

[G Griffin]

That's because you hadn't got rid of all the salt.
But that's easy for me to say  . I'd probably get fed up and do the same.

I like Dazmond's technique, too. But I find applicator T-bars' are not the best design. Maybe something like a plasterers trowel design would be better on dirty windows.
But then you'd need a new BoaB  .

I've tried every method with salt covered windows and to get the glass 100% perfect, no hope. For someone who's a bit OCD cleaning windows trad it must be hellish.

Cleaning windows with a trowel...... how did you ever make any money?

I didn't and still don't.
But my walls are immaculate. I plastered them using a 14" monsoon.
T-bar angles are wrong, Salty Dog. Wfp brushes are at angle, aren't they?
Tradding's like buttering bread. You wouldn't plaster a wall with a butter knife, would you?
Come on; keep up.

[Positivity]

I cleaned windows on the coast for years and the salt is a killer. Use the absolute bare minimum of any kind of soap or detergent.
Detergents , Washing up liquid, Liquid soap, Shampoo etc.  all manufacturers use SALT to alter the thickness (viscosity) of these products, less salt the more liquid the product is,  more salt the thicker and less free running it becomes.
Put detergent on a salty window and it thickens the detergent to a gel.
The best way is the most difficult, blading with next to no soap or detergent, when the blade is squeaking and the slightest "snap" on the blade means starting again!
Oh, lovely days do miss them? Do I hell!

[dazmond]

i think if i was window cleaning on the coast id be using hot pure water and virosol on every job by the sounds of it!

[Tom White]

With you on ocd bit I would hate to leave a job knowing I didn't do my best and most of my recommendations come from the quality of my work . Do wfp mostly as knee's are knackered but still get ladder out for odd job nice to have a nose about from up high .

It's got to be tough being an OCD window cleaner.  I'm slacker than a slack thing.  I rub the windows with my brush, quick rinse, and move on to rub and splash the next window.

I can't remember the last time I had a complaint though, and if I did, I'd just go and sort it out.  If the same customer complained, I'd drop 'em.

I never stress over it, I just rub, splash and move on.

No-one dies if we don't do a perfect job, you know.

[NWH]

With you on ocd bit I would hate to leave a job knowing I didn't do my best and most of my recommendations come from the quality of my work . Do wfp mostly as knee's are knackered but still get ladder out for odd job nice to have a nose about from up high .

It's got to be tough being an OCD window cleaner.  I'm slacker than a slack thing.  I rub the windows with my brush, quick rinse, and move on to rub and splash the next window.

I can't remember the last time I had a complaint though, and if I did, I'd just go and sort it out.  If the same customer complained, I'd drop 'em.

I never stress over it, I just rub, splash and move on.

No-one dies if we don't do a perfect job, you know.

lol spot on there m8,the thing is people want clean windows they are not expecting an absolute perfect job like you say they want reliability,I have certain jobs that require a lot more care but it would would be an impossibility to think that every window I cleaned was perfect anytime of the year.

[rosskesava]

With you on ocd bit I would hate to leave a job knowing I didn't do my best and most of my recommendations come from the quality of my work . Do wfp mostly as knee's are knackered but still get ladder out for odd job nice to have a nose about from up high .

It's got to be tough being an OCD window cleaner.  I'm slacker than a slack thing.  I rub the windows with my brush, quick rinse, and move on to rub and splash the next window.

I can't remember the last time I had a complaint though, and if I did, I'd just go and sort it out.  If the same customer complained, I'd drop 'em.

I never stress over it, I just rub, splash and move on.

No-one dies if we don't do a perfect job, you know.

lol spot on there m8,the thing is people want clean windows they are not expecting an absolute perfect job like you say they want reliability,I have certain jobs that require a lot more care but it would would be an impossibility to think that every window I cleaned was perfect anytime of the year.

I don't think you've ever tried cleaning sea salt of glass using trad. Obviously, it depends on many factors such as how bad the salt is, distance from coast, etc.

Sometimes it's a case of afterwards when you look at what you done, you see white lines from the edges of the squeegee all over the glass and really bad smears. If it's a valued customer, and coastal work is your only option, as it is mine, then you cannot just leave it.

Thank god I use wfp. It earns me more money simply because it washes off all the salt so effectively but the op was asking about trad and that's how he wishes to clean windows.

A few spots from wfp is one thing, salt when cleaning trad is something else.

[martin hulstone]

Instead of helping him what I could of said to him is get a WFP you mug what are you doing going out each day earning peanuts to what you could be,wake up and smell the coffee m8 do you think we are all using a pole for fun and spending sheds loads more to run a window cleaning business. Maybe I should have said that yeah,maybe he would appreciated it better,all the trad cleaners I know are lazy numptys home by 12-30 1-00 saying they've got to pick the kids up from school and all that poope,get a grip boys.

You really are a numpty who generalises, i worked trad for 15 years and had a very profitable business, as i do now wfp, people come on here for advise, not to be put down!

[martin hulstone]

Maybe he's happy yeah I'd expect he would be if I told him I'd done his weeks wages by Tuesday afternoon lol.

Yawn Yawn, really. What you having for tea , sausage an chips washed down with bollinger

[Johnny B]

Well, I've just got in, so I don't fit in with the 'finish at 12:30-1:00' types! 

I have taken on board all the suggestions made, and decided to go first of all with Positivity's suggestion of only using a small amount of detergent. Previously my bucket resembled 'Sud City'! So today, a tiny squirt of Fairy (anti-bacterial) and half a capful of vinegar. I did 2 large houses with minging windows inside and out and the results were excellent! Detailing was much reduced, and the shine on the glass was very pleasing! I was still slow (that isn't going to change) but I felt much more relaxed and positive.

Thanks again for all your input and encouragement guys. 

John

[LT carpet cleaning]

Maybe he's happy yeah I'd expect he would be if I told him I'd done his weeks wages by Tuesday afternoon lol.

Yawn Yawn, really. What you having for tea , sausage an chips washed down with bollinger

Boring eh. 

[NWH]

What you should be advising the trad cleaner to do is get off his ladder so he can earn more money and have a safer life,some seem to take pleasure in more or less telling him to carry on working hard for his crust and reminiscing about what it was like when they were a lad working there b******s off all day long. Ok it comes across as harsh but why are people still working from ladders,lightbulb moment here there is now an easier way to clean windows you don't need ladders anymore.

[Rich Wilts]

I just rub, splash and move on.

Don't you wipe? I mean all that man seed over your custards frames and glass. Can't be good for the street-cred.