[windows_chepstow]

For new cleans where the windows have paint/putty/building material on the windows, this is what I've been doing:

Doing them trad with lots of soapy water.

Then on subsequent cleans I use the WFP, but this is like have a 'new clean' AGAIN, since you've got to do lots of washing and rinsing to stop the spots from the remaining soap residue.

Anyway, today; faced with 20 big high first-floor windows of a newly built property that had had a builder's clean done to it, but not a good one (remenants of stickers and sealant left behined), this is what I did:

I washed the windows with WFP, then climbed, scraped the impacted soilage and then squeegied off the pure water.

The windows came up great (I then did the insides of the offices), and since only pure water was used, subsequent cleans will be a peice of cake.

Can anyone improve on the above?  It was still 'ard work!

[windows_chepstow]

I'm guessing by the lack of replies that you either think I'm talking rubbish, or that you just can't avoid the 'ard work involved on a new clean that's covered in impacted soilage.

[windows_chepstow]

Thanks, Bear!

'Brute strength and ignorance' has always been my motto; but I'm trying to change it.

Next month, these offices will be a 'dream' I know; but there's still many areas of this building not yet taken, and I know I'll end up with the lot of them because I've got a BIG foot in the door and also one of Wor Lasses friends is moving in there with a new dental practice and wants us as his window cleaners.

So I guess the rest will follow, and if they don't, I'll just be dripping water all over their ground floor windows!

I was just hoping someone would give me one of those 'dream tips' for what's basically a 'soft' builder's clean.

[Pat Purcell]

Tosh, I cant vouch for it as Ive never done it but i have been told that a mixture of water and oven cleaner in a bucket will remove silicone and putty and other marks left on windows , Just use a regular pole with a brush attached and scrub like hell,
 again I have never done this but I know a few window cleaners who use pure water and they swear by it

[MNWC]

Tosh
Ive tried squeeging pure water off glass but blade sticks.
Did you have this prob.

Marcus

[EasyClean]

Tosh
Ive tried squeeging pure water off glass but blade sticks.
Did you have this prob.

Marcus

When blading pure water off glass with a squeegie as above just start at the top and go straight down (No turning of the squeegie) and overlap with each downward movement. You can always wipe the edge of rubber mark left behind with scrim if necessary. Like you would do if you were cleaning large shop windows with an extra  large squeegie.

[windows_chepstow]

Tosh
Ive tried squeeging pure water off glass but blade sticks.
Did you have this prob.

Marcus

I squeegied as normal, but slower - maybe a lighter touch than usual too - and I used a brand new blade.  It was okay. 

[windows_chepstow]

Tosh, I cant vouch for it as Ive never done it but i have been told that a mixture of water and oven cleaner in a bucket will remove silicone and putty and other marks left on windows , Just use a regular pole with a brush attached and scrub like hell,
 again I have never done this but I know a few window cleaners who use pure water and they swear by it

Pat,

You try it first!

Your tip sounds like one of those 'wind ups' we used to do in the army, like advising new soldiers to polish their boots with egg yolk and stuff.

 

[AuRavelling79]

Spot on (or off!) Tosh.

But you could say you've got to charge loads more for the builders clean as HSE says at a very minimum you need someone to foot the ladder and it takes so much longer.

Then take wor lass along and all the dosh comes to the same household. Luverly!

[windows_chepstow]

But you could say you've got to charge loads more for the builders clean as HSE says at a very minimum you need someone to foot the ladder and it takes so much longer.

Then take wor lass along and all the dosh comes to the same household. Luverly!

HSE also says that the person footing you should be of equal weight or heavier!  Wor Lass is a skinny runt!  She also moans, 'hurry up', and 'can't you be quicker, I'm getting cold down here', and stuff.

I prefer my non-whinging Rojak.

Also, the offices I cleaned were of a 'law company', so I don't want to go waffling stuff to them that they may know more about than me.  You should hear the phone calls that go on there; highly entertaining!

Also, when you REALLY want a job, you don't want to put them off with a high initial quote; or at least I don't, so I'm prepared to 'bite the bullet' and put the effort in to hopefuly reap the reward on subsequent cleans.

The first clean of the property I did took about two-and-a-half hours, but subsequent cleans should be well under an hour.  I reckon 50 minutes; so I quoted 50 quid.

But I'm not looking forward to cleaning the other parts of this new build, as companies start moving in.

I was just looking for an 'easy route'.  I'm like water!

If I get the whole building, which I should, then it works out to be around 150 - 175 quid for four hours work - by myself - quicker with Wor Lass; I reckon.  That's good by my standards.

I'm just not looking forward to the first cleans.

This job is practically on my doorstep too, which is a bonus!